In less than 4 hours, I will be making my way to the airport but I have yet to get started on the packing, and don’t ask me why I am here writing instead of packing.

My pre-trip jitters and stress are unparalleled for any other trips I have done, even when the past 3 – 4 months I have been travelling just solely for work. Of course, having a teeny weeny bit of fear for flying doesn’t help much there.

Yes, I will be returning to Europe yet again, and re-visiting some of the places I had already been to, and exploring new grounds. The difference is, the whole family will be with me this time round.

HOW. FREAKING. SCARY. IS. THAT?!

I even had a proposal/itinerary typed out much to the amusement of my colleagues.

I know plenty of you might not understand why I am this panicky, to the point that I had had nightmares of missing the train, missing the flight… even bad weathers, which explains why I have been pretty tired from the lack of sleep recently = looking absolutely chui is not good news for camwhoring during the trip.

WHY I NEVER DREAM OF BUMPING INTO SOME HOT ENGLISH MEN WHO WILL SWEEP ME OFF MY FEET AH?!

Then, just before the trip, I dream of the endless work waiting for me when I come back because my boss declared that he will be a slave driver to me when I come back.

I got so bored in the dream I woke up, and failed to get back to sleep. Want to cry or not you tell me.

So today is the day.

Tomorrow, we will arrive in London on New Year’s Eve, and we will be joined by some friends for reunion dinner in Leicester Square.

Minibean had planned her own itinerary and been speaking the Queen’s English, which I have absolutely no idea where she picked it up from.

I have something in mind for the itinerary, which was something that came up after discussing with my parents, and even I feel a little rushed and tiring looking at it, YET they are telling me they wanna add in some more places, like, uhm, just a couple of hours back.

And that was AFTER they realised there will not be any tour guide, and I think the horror registered on my face when my dad asked if the guide who will be bringing us around will meet us there, and has the guide finished co-ordinating everything.

Nope. Nada. No guide. Just me, papa.

And I have no idea how and what to pack, honestly.

London for Lunar New Year – expecting temperatures to be 5 – 10, which falls in my favourite range.

Rome has awesome weather ranging from 5 – 15, which would be good for the family.

Then the horror starts with Florence, when it gets to minus 4, which is quite a relief cos temperature was going to -11 in Florence in recent days and are getting foggy.

We will then be done with Italy, which is a place I love and I remember the day I was in Rome some years back and I thought to myself I will want to bring my family back here cos it is just way too beautiful. I thought to myself maybe when Minibean turns 5 and above. I remember how that moment of thoughts was etched firmly in mind cos I was just so awed by its beauty that I missed home a great deal then.

We will then arrive in Austria, Salzburg. Dammit. It is forecasted to be -9 on the date we are arriving.

Coincidentally, we are arriving in Mozart’s hometown the very day of his birthday.

Vienna beckons right after. We end this leg in Budapest, before heading back to London for a few more days.

I will be solo after they return to Singapore earlier, and still have yet to decide what to do during the spare days I have in London.

To show how impossibly stress I am, I even thought of printing out notes so that I can give Minibean an educational trip (slave driver alert), ahem, well, you know, can be a by the way thing, right?

By the time I am back, it will be 8 February. Wow. I really manage to avoid the whole Lunar New Year like I said I would like to do so.

The logistics have been a nightmare, but then again, just right before the trip, I finally found the positivity in me to overcome the pressure I put on myself, and breathe a little easier.

Bye everyone, will try to update along the way!