Last night Ryan and I took our suitcases out of the closet and began packing.
And that means the suitcase guard dog’s anxiety went through the roof. Sadie sat in front of my suitcase (and in my suitcase) as I packed last night. She’s such a goof.
Early tomorrow morning we’re heading to Peru, Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands with my mom, dad, sister and my sister’s boyfriend. Family vacation! (Apparently Ryan and I are front-loading our vacation time this year.) I mentioned this trip very briefly on the blog before, but ever since my dad pitched the idea of a family trip to Machu Picchu and the Galapagos Islands, I’ve been anxiously awaiting this vacation!
All week long, we’ve been corresponding with my family through phone calls, emails and texts trying to get everything organized and figure out exactly what we need to bring. Since it’s supposed to be chilly at Machu Picchu and very warm in the Galapagos Islands, packing is quite tricky. And trying to cram nine days worth of clothes into a carry on suitcase is an added challenge, that’s for sure!
After my morning workout, I spent a little more time packing and detailed a few notes for my father-in-law who will be staying at our house with Sadie while we’re away. We were thrilled when he offered to come to Ocala (one of his best friends lives here) and knowing that Sadie will be spending time with someone she adores helps eliminate some of the worry that comes with leaving her behind. Plus, we get to spend some time with him this evening, which will be great!
Workout
Since workouts will likely be irregular on our vacation, I kicked up my cardio session a bit this morning and incorporated some intervals into a treadmill workout that included running and incline walking.
I followed my 45-minute cardio workout with the ab circuit from Best Body Boot Camp which made my core feel like it was on fire. Whoa!
Breakfast
Breakfast this morning came together in no time at all.
Eggs + Zucchini + Mozzarella Cheese +Chicken Sausage
For those who have asked what kind of chicken sausage I prefer, I am a big fan of al fresco and Aidells chicken sausage. Both are delicious!
Of Possible Interest: Boston Marathon
- College Students Organize Walk to Finish Boston Marathon (Mashable.com)
- Boston: Ways to Help and Get Help (MommyRunFast.com)
Of Possible Interest
- High Protein Vegan Meal Plan (FitSugar.com)
- Complete Guide to Trail Running (Fitbie.MSN.com)
Questions of the Morning
- Pet owners: Do your pets know when you’re packing for an upcoming trip? Do they have suitcase anxiety?
- Do you have any fun vacations planned this year?
- If you could go on vacation anywhere right now, where would you want to go?
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Our huge white lab tries to climb into suitcases and duffle bags! When that doesn’t work, he just lays on top of my clean clothes I’m trying to pack.
my dog likes to sit in my suitcase….my friend’s dog actually tries to pack himself in her suitcase, he’ll put toys and treats in her suitcase, then sit in it!!! i think if my dog did that i wouldn’t be able to leave!!!
going to vegas next week! woop woop!
I loved Machu Picchu! We did the 5 day hike to it last July and it was incredible! However, after no showers, and hard hiking for 5 days we decided our next friends trip will involve BEACH. 🙂 Can’t wait to hear about your trip and reminisce!
Yayyyy! This makes me even more excited!!
As sad as it is, if I could go anywhere, it would be to my family in Illinois. I live in California now and always miss them since I never get to see them! And our exciting vacation for the year just happened this past weekend, so I’m not sure what to look forward to now vacation-wise. Hmmmm
I’m so excited to hear you are going to Machu Picchu! Definitely spend time at the San Pedro market place in Cusco and if you can, try to hike Huayna Picchu to get a birds eye view of Machu Picchu! Peru is absolutely amazing!
both our dogs are just over a year old so they aren’t allowed to roam free quite yet! a lot of mornings i get up early to do some jillian michaels dvds while the pups play. after i’m done i turn the tv off (ours makes a little chime when it goes off) and as soon as they hear that both of them sprint to the top of the stairs and lay down in the corner——because they know they have to go back in their crates while i shower and get ready! breaks my heart every time, and i tell them ‘if we can go a week without catching you jumping on the counter or chewing furniture, you can have the house to yourselves!” but they just don’t get it! 😉
Why do you always cram everything into a carry-on? Is there something I’m missing about checking luggage? Help!
Probably because:
1. You don’t have to pay luggage fees
2. You don’t have to wait for your bags after you land – you can just get out of the airport
3. You don’t have to worry about the airline losing your luggage
4. It’s a lot easier to move around with a small suitcase than it is with a big one
At least, those are the reasons that my husband and I never check bags. It’s so much easier to just have the one bag that you know will not get lost and that you can carry.
I figured all of those reasons but it is so much less stressful to use a larger piece that you can check! (:
I guess it depends on the person – I find it more stressful to wait for bags and be concerned about having my luggage lost and worry about maneuvering a large suitcase on local transportation, especially if everyone in my party has a large suitcase – for example, when my family and I went to Rome, we hired someone to pick us up at the airport. If we’d all had large suitcases, we wouldn’t have all fit in the car with our luggage. For me, it’s a lot easier to just pack lightly.
Oh wow it sounds like it is going to be an amazing trip! Bentley always freaks out when we bring out the suitcases, makes you feel so much worse leaving them.
I’m leaving for New York City for a long weekend in two weeks – can’t wait! And, my parent’s dog, as much as he loves the family, actually gets excited when we bring out our suitcases…he loves staying by my grandpa when we are gone! He is definitely spoiled over there. 🙂
p.s. have a great time on your trip! Very jealous!!! Take lots of pictures.
Sadie’s face in that picture is priceless! Sounds like a fun trip!
I’m graduating this year, so I would…love to go to Boston for my senior trip (been wanting to go for like 2 years). Doesn’t seem to be happening though. So I have no idea what I’m or where I’m going to be going. I wouldn’t mind heading to Florida for a little beach action but its hard to get good condos right now for the summer.
I reallllllllllly want to go to Italy though. If I had unlimited cash.
Have fun on your trip!
You will love Peru–it’s incredible! Make sure you try chicha, guinea pig, and alpaca. I know, but when in Peru, right?? You’ll love Cuzco, it’s so cool!! I did a horseback riding trip there, it was AMAZING, if you guy shave time I highly recommend it!
Those are my 2 fav chicken sausage brands too. Yum! I take way too much time trying to decide which flavor to buy. 🙂
Oh yeah, our cats always know when we are packing. They get all freaked out and sit on top of the suitcases. Then when we get home they yowl and run around like crazy, maybe trying to demonstrate how unhappy they have been!
Oh my goodness Julie, I just got so excited reading that you’ll be coming to Peru and Ecuador. I’m probably you’re only reader that lives in Ecuador 🙂 I’m from St. Louis but have lived in Quito for over 3 years now and know you will absolutely love Machu Picchu and the Galapagos. You will surely have to pass through Quito to get to the Galapagos so if you have time/want to get coffee with a random reader of yours, let me know! If not, I’d also be happy to provide any tips or info you need about Quito. I haven’t been to Machu Piccho or Galapagos in a good 7 years so I won’t be as helpful there. If you have time, email me!
Have an amazing trip! Can’t wait to hear about it and see pics on your blog!
That sounds like a great trip! I have a 5 year old golden doodle who completely freaks out when my suitcase comes out. Sometimes I try to pack in secret (aka throwing stuff in my suitcase when he’s outside) to avoid his anxiety. Oh, the things we do for our pets 🙂
Yes!! Our dog goes biserk when he see’s our suitcases out and we start to pack! He gets soo excited because he thinks it means he gets to go for a car ride lol Hope you have an awesome trip!!! And if I could pic a vacation spot right this minute it would be identical to ya’ll Europe trip you just got back from!!! Sounded wonderful:)
We visit my husband’s Cape house often, and whenever we’re packing up to go home, our dog goes nuts barking and jumping at us while we shuffle around. She doesn’t do it as much when we’re packing to head there (she comes with us), but mostly when we’re cleaning the house and getting ready to leave. It’s almost like she thinks we’ll forget about her and leave her up there! 🙂
my dog does the same thing! she completely freaks out when she sees my suitcase. i was just visiting my mom and her dog actually stole some dirty clothes out of my bag when i was packing to leave! my mom found them later on in the day and sent me a pic lol
My cat Norman does love to climb into things, suitcases included, but I think I have more anxiety then him! I hate leaving him, so when I do leave him I leave him with someone that gives him as much love as I do:) I have a trip coming up in May to visit my sister and her husband in Montreal – my niece will be house/cat-sitting for me. If I could pack up and go anywhere tomorrow I would love to cross Hawaii off my bucket list! I’d also do Europe again. My cousin did the same trip you are about to take and her pictures were amazing!! Have a fun and safe trip:)
Awh, Sadie you’re so sweet! My dogs react the same way to suitcases, and they hate when anyone even enters the cupboard where the baggage is kept. I wish pets could understand when we tell them how many days we’ll be away- the poor things have no clue what to expect 🙁 Have fun on your trip!
My cat, Janie, HATES when I pack my stuff. She settles herself inside my suitcase and meows at me when I move her. She tries to lay on my clothes when I get dressed for work, too. She’s a mite co-dependent.
OMG!! My coworker is headed there too!!!! Small world.. enjoy! 😀
Galapagos are absolutely stunning. Be prepared. I hope you get to see a shark when you are snorkling 🙂
Have fun! Why are you only bringing a carry-on?
What a fun trip! My fiance and I are anxiously awaiting our honeymoon trip to Italy 🙂 Can’t wait to hear more about your trip!!
Wow!! Sounds like an amazing trip. I lived in Lima for awhile, so I am happy to give any recommendations. If you like sandwiches (or love them like I do), you should DEFINITELY go to La Lucha in Lima. Lima is crazy big, but if you know where to go it can be truly amazing.
Enjoy!!
Oooo lucky! I hope to visit Ecuador one day, I hear it’s beautiful!
OH MY GOSH!! sounds like so much fun!!! cant wait to see pics! enjoy!!!
Oh no- look at Sadie’s face 🙁 Waaaa. Haha, woohoo for another vacation- living life girl 🙂
What a fun trip! It’s always nice to see people my age traveling a lot. We often get a hard time for traveling “so much” (two big trips per year)–but hey, gotta take advantage whenever you get an opportunity, right? I hope you have a wonderful time!
The only way to Machu Picchu is via the Inca Trail – Please tell me you doing the hike? It is one of the most amazing things I have ever done. Peru is truely lovely.
I would seriously go to either Sri Lanka or Cuba right now, if I could.
Ooh! Your trip sounds so exciting! I’d looove to hike to Machu Picchu.
I can completely empathise with your packing dilemma. Next month I’m going to Argentina, Chile and then the US. I’m finding it difficult to know what to pack for different seasons without bringing a huge suitcase!
I went to Ecuador in 2008, and I got to straddle the equator! Definitely a must if you go to Quito…it’s decently close. Beautiful city and country! You’ll love it!
I am in Jamaica right now, and am loving every second of it. Yesterday we went to Seven Mile Beach and it was picturesque. I will definitely return to that beach sooner rather than later. I love the island lifestyle and the slow-moving feelings of vacation.
As for goofy dogs- I have one too. Tucker tries for fit his 70 lb body into my suitcase every time I pack for something. Little does he know, we often bring him along! Silly pooches 😉
I just took that same trip in December! You will have an amazing time–the Galapagos is like nothing I can even describe in words and even the pictures you will have seen won’t prepare you for how cool it is. Have an awesome time!
wowwww! I have been following your blog for a while now and makes me very happy to hear you are going to Peru. I am peruvian and have been to Machu Picchu 4 times already. Last december I was there ( hubby and I got married in Lima) and I could not believe the ammount of new delicious restaurants that have openned all over Lima. I recomend you to go to “La Huaca Puccllana” in Miraflores, which is in Lima in a town called Miraflores, it is a restaurant right next to some ruins, beautiful to go at night!. Enjoy your trip and if you need any question regarding Peru I will be more than happy to help :).
my cat definitely has suitcase anxiety. 😀 that’s such a cute picture your dog is adorable!!!! 🙂 hope you have a great trip!!!
If I Stay is an amazing book! You will love it! Very emotionally charged!
I am very glad to getting the information and daily working process of Suitcase Guard Dog.Its really nice.