Lists, lists and more lists.

That's what I do when I plan.

I make lists of the places I want to go, lists of places where we could stay (and prices!), lists for packing, lists for meal planning.. I haven't yet hit lists of lists, but my boyfriend tells me if I reach that point and move on from there, then I've officially gone 'round the bend.

So far for our camping vacation I have five lists.

Packing lists for myself and son.
Meal planning list
Grocery list
Grocery packing list
Planning list(s)*

Boyfriend is in charge of packing the car, I have yet to make him a list because he knows what he is doing and didn't miss a beat last time when I trusted him to pack everything necessary for camping, so why would I stop trusting him now? If it were just me on the other hand..

I'm not sure if this obsessive list making to make certain I have everything is a result of being a former Girl Guide (Be Prepared!), we always got lists of what to bring before going camping, or a result of the time I went camping with my family and as a teen was put in charge of packing the cooler. I was so proud, I got everything we needed in it and helped pack the car. We got to the site, set up our tent in a raging thunder storm (that immediately stopped once the tent was up.. natch) and started to make supper.. only to discover that I forgot to pack the meat. I can't remember what it was now, hamburgers? Some breakfast meats too. But the grilled cheese and tomato soup were like ashes in my mouth at the disappoint in my father's eyes.

Ok, maybe not so bad as all that, but I was a teenager and don't we tend to be melodramatic at a time like that?

It must be something like that, but you'll pry my lists from my hands when I'm cold, I'd forget SOMETHING obvious and needed if I didn't have them.

But I can't wait to go on our trip!

*Note: This one is very dynamic and started with ideas for where to go, what to do, where to stay and got pared down as the planning fell into place, it is also not so inflexible as it seems, it's more of a set of guidelines with only a few hard and fast points that can't be changed.. and that's only because of things like reservations.