Stuff for Europe

I decided to go wild today and get some stuff that's been on "the list" for going to Europe. Nothing major, but a start, nonetheless:

• Charger for iPod
• U.S./Europe voltage converter
• Band-aids (or the nearest convenient brand), multiple sizes
• Hand wipes

A lot left to go. I'm left to wonder if I'll actually have room for more basic stuff, like clothing. I also tried to find a travel journal, but Barnes & Noble didn't have quite what I wanted. They had travel-themed journals, but nothing that would help the writer ask the right questions and notice the right things while on holiday. So I've got more shopping to do--this time, via Rick Steves. (Update 2/8: Bought the journal.)

The biggest problem I foresee is washing clothes on the road...that'll mean using the room sink, or some nearby equivalent. I got some Basic H from Mom for cleaning purposes, so that's a start. I also need to look seriously at what I plan to wear and what I still need to buy. The big item I know I need is a soft (flannel?) lined rain jacket, most likely from Land's End. I also need to look at one of those microfiber towels Scott recommended. Jos. A. Bank is also supposed to have a decent line of moisture-resistant clothing. I probably also need a pair of boat shoes or something that doesn't scream "American!" when I got to dinner. Gym shoes, apparently, are a dead giveaway.

My busy intellectual life (book reading, blogging, keeping up on the world) is interfering with my ability to study my languages. I'm on the verge of surrendering on that front and just bringing along the phrase books. Still, today's outing made me feel better about making progress. I'm now less than seven months out from E-Day. The excitement continues.

The Season Continues

Another commercial...and a reminder that I need to work on my German.

Learning Français and Deutsch

Having wasted most of the last two months, I'm now back to (nearly) square one with my French and German, and have all but given up on Italian, and I've got 9 months to go. I might need to focus on "the basics" for my vacation speaking habits:

• Basic chitchat (name, where they're from, etc.).
• Buying things.
• Ordering a beer/wine.
• Getting directions to a hotel, attraction, or bathroom.
• Finding out when something was built.
• Asking people about their work.
• General-purpose, non-offensive Bartish humor. (Typical example: When some folks say, "I hate X," and "X" could be anything from George Bush to vegetarians, I often use a comment I picked up from my high school drama teacher: "They've said nice things about you." That should make for interesting translating efforts.
• If I'm feeling particularly bold, I might learn to talk about space stuff.

One thing I need to keep in mind is that Europeans don't define themselves by their careers nearly as much as Americans, and I'm certainly an extreme example of the breed. Hm. Lots of work ahead. I could just do the dumb-dumb basics, but I've got the time, and I want to get a lot out of this trip, yes? One would hope.