I got a friendly email reminder from travel website Dopplr this morning, reminding me that it is now a mere two weeks until I head off to the USA.
And I don’t think I have ever needed a holiday quite as badly as I need this one.
I’ve heard people say before that a good holiday is a chance to relax, to “recharge their batteries”. Well I’m not really sure about relaxing, but I certainly need a chance to recharge my creative batteries, at least. Nothing gets the little gears in my brain turning like departure lounges and the open road. I’ve felt less than inspired recently, whether writing or photography-wise, and I’m hoping a change of scene will do me good.
The plan, such as it is at the moment, looks like this: on Wednesday, 2nd September I fly out to Philadelphia – and to Rachelle Renee – just in time for lunch. I spend three days in the birthplace of democracy, or somesuch, flying to Nashville on the Saturday afternoon. My plans with Whitney are less fluid – we’re planning an epic roadtrip to Memphis or Graceland at some point (where, if it’s the latter, I plan to have my photo taken standing in front of Elvis Presley’s personal jet – my namesake, the Lisa-Marie), and are seeing the mighty Gaslight Anthem in Cincinnati on Wednesday 9th before I fly home the next day. Whitney’s family are from Cincinnati, if you think that seems a bit random – I’m looking forward to gossiping about weddings with her sister, and Bruce Springsteen with her uncle.
And I’ve got the weekend to recover from jetlag – and, more than likely, post upteen blogs and photos – before going back to work.
I should probably think about packing and currency and stuff. I seem to remember, at the end of my Australian adventure, deciding that I need a bigger small suitcase. That sounds like an oxymoron, but my little grey one is cabin-bag sized (plus an expandable pocket) – although it is rarely used as such. I don’t really have the inclination or the money to go shopping for luggage though. I still need my ETA document, and enough foreign currency for a shopping spree in Sephora and biscuits and gravy at truckstops. I think I have enough books, and I’m considering bringing my Holga as well as my SLR and a point and shoot for my handbag. My iPhone weather app predicts humidity and thunderstorms, so I’m thinking cropped jeans and t-shirts for the days that I’m travelling and sundresses and leggings when I’m not. I need another pair of leggings, and an iPhone international data roaming allowance. The short hop across the Atlantic is hardly the test of sanity and endurance a 54 hour round-trip in eight days was, so I can forget everything I taught myself about flight socks and moisturiser and a change of clothes for the bathrooms at Terminal 5.
I’m excited.
Oh, and I also booked our wedding venue this morning. Could somebody let Scott McDonald and Ryan Adams know I’ll be off the market come 24th July 2010?
How exciting!
iPhone tip. Turn off data roaming. Turn of 3G. Just use wifi. Saves you a hell of a bill when you get back.
and less is more when it comes to cameras. For your road trip it has to be lo-fi. Take your Holga and your iPhone (buy camerabag app if you don’t already have it). I’d leave the SLR at home.
xx
I’m really tempted to spend £20 on a data package… I can’t stand the thought of not tweeting from the road! But if there’s lots of wifi, that’s probably a sensible suggestion.
I love Camerabag, pretty sure it was you who recommended it as well x
If you’ll be in Cincinnati the weekend of 9/5 or 9/6 let me know if you’ll have time for a drink or food and we can drive down. If not, so it goes. Next time.
Have a great trip!
That’s the weekend I arrive in Nashville so we won’t be up until later in the week. Will we pass you on the driver up, I wonder? It would be nice to see you if it was possible…
If not, well, Scottish wife means you are due in these parts soon I daresay!
If all goes well we’d like to be in Glasgow sometime in ’10, maybe we’ll crash your wedding
Nashville is a bit south of me. Again, no worries and have a wonderful and safe trip.
I meant on our drive to Cincinnati. But I think you’re further north…?
You’d be very welcome
I dunno if you have a Sports Direct up there, but they’re doing bigger-than-small-smaller-than-big suitcases for like a tenner. They’re Dunlop and seem pretty resilient judging by L&E’s last few trips.
They might be the ones that bought out JJB, so it’s that or Matalan..!
Also, Dopplr sent me an email WARNING ME YOU WERE COMING TO LONDON, and put my New York trip in as an afterthought. What a bunch of bamsticks.
I do love it when they do that. “LOLA SMITH WILL BE IN LONDON WHEN YOU ARRIVE.” Well DURR, I ain’t sleepin’ on the pavement! x
Graceland is in Memphis, so two birds, one stone! Biscuits and gravy at truckstops, psh. More like pancakes and cupcakes.
I hope you bring the SLR. I’m so envious of it, I just want to be in its presence. Plus, you should definitely have it for the Lisa-Marie. And since we’ll pass through Glasgow, Kentucky on our way up north, you can’t miss the opportunity to take some classic road trip photos there!
I am never going to fit into my wedding dress at this rate…! HEAVEN.
oh you’ll fit into that dress… you lose the TastyKake and cheesesteak weight by then