Preparation

Preparing for this trip was a little chaotic. With final exams finishing up, work, and Christmas activities I did not have as much to pack as I would have liked. To make sure I packed everything I needed, I made a check list. I wrote down everything that I would need to pack for the trip and checked the items off as I packed them. The weather for the next week in New Orleans is supposed to be warm and cool, so I packed short and long sleeve shirts, jackets, and a coat just to be on the safe side. I also decided to bring a few different pairs of shoes also depending on what the weather will be like. Food was another item on my check list. I like to snack a lot, so naturally I packed snack foods like pretzels, chips, and granola bars. Thankfully, I did not need to purchase anything for the trip other than the food items, because I already had everything else that I needed. I noticed one of the places that we will be going is called the Whitney Plantation. This is a place I have never heard of before so I decided to do some more research before we left for the trip. I was able to google the plantation and look at some pictures of the different buildings on the property and read a little about the history. As a mom, there were a lot of arrangements that I needed to make before leaving for the trip. I had to arrange someone to take my daughter to school every day and also someone to pick her up. My daughter is also involved in tumbling and I had to arrange for someone to take her to her practices while I'm gone as well. Thankfully, I have someone taking care of her at all times so it was not as stressful as it could have been. I have never been on a train before or on any kind of travel class for that matter, so I wasn't really sure how to prepare. One of the big things I did to prepare though was to check the weather. Knowing what the weather is supposed to be like helped me pack and prepare tremendously. Rain is expected a couple of the days that we will be in New Orleans so I was able to pack appropriate rain gear. Overall, I feel prepared and excited for the class.