Yay for almost travel!

Okay, it's getting down to business and I should really do some real planning for the trip. I was supposed to take my birthday money and go get some comfortable yet stylish shoes, but I think it got blown on eating out. Though eating out is equally as good as getting new shoes, the practicality of new shoes far exceeds that of eating out. Especially the practicality of buying travelling shoes, which must be comfortable enough to spend hours and hours of walking in them without getting blisters or feeling like your feet might burst the shoe. Since most men I know care less for fashion ANYWAY, this idea is not as harrowing as it sounds to me. But as a female who really does care how she looks, I really feel like I need a fashionable alternative to the *shudder* croc or even the comfy Birkenstock. I mean, I need a Hush Puppy designed by Steve Madden.

Okay, so I need new shoes. I also need a money belt and euros to put in that money belt, as well as a light rain jacket and maybe a couple of phrasebooks ... ? I think I will at least need a Portugese phrasebook to make me feel comfortable enough to ask for a ginja without laughing at myself. I should also stop calling it a made-up language just because I sound stupid when I speak it.

On the non-purchasing end, I need to find a sturdy, lightweight bag that can carry all of my essentials, including my clothes, toiletries, and electronics while still being secure enough to prevent me from getting robbed blind from my side pockets. I thought I might be able to swing bringing my notorious black and white lululemon bag, but I think it is too "open" for the streets of Barcelona. This may also turn into a shopping trip ... I also need to decide on what backpack I would like to bring to check all of my goodies in.

Furthermore, I am going to sit down and write out explicitly all of the places I DEFINITELY want to go see so that I can be firm and say,"We're going here!" Like, the Aquarium in Lisbon! Then I will make a secondary list of things to do when I feel like the trip is slowing down as well as a list of things to do when clearly bored. That list will include sleep. It's all about the itinerary, people.

Finally, I will make a short list of the places I would like to eat. As you can tell from previous posts, I am all about the eating. Hopefully I can get all of the above done in a couple of weeks ... I am worried that I am running out of time entirely to do the things that I should and can do. It's terrible. But that's the beauty of impromptu trip planning - it sure keeps you on your toes!!