What to do when you are going on a weekend break and it’s raining?
For the past who-knows-how-many years, every time I’ve taken a short weekend trip somewhere, it’s rained at least one of the 2 or 3 days I’ve been there, if not the entire time. And not just a little drizzle, either. Pouring rain.
Before your trip you are at home planning what to wear and pack, and the weather report shows sunny days and pleasant temperatures for the next umpteen days. All seems great. Packing will be easy, summer clothes won’t take up much space.
But then… on the day before your departure, little dark clouds suddenly get stuck on top of the two dates you are going to be there. Always the optimist, you try to rub them off… but they aren’t stains on your phone’s screen. They really are rainy clouds. Great.
It’s a bit of a dilemma because if I go somewhere for just the weekend, I want to travel lightly with only a cabin bag (aka my largest handbag). But if it’s raining, then the few items of clothing I’ll have with me will get wet at some point.
Hauling extra shoes around town while exploring isn’t any more fun than to only have one pair which is soaked during the entire stay. Oh my, oh my.
At this point, it’s looking like I’ll be wearing wet clothes and freezing on my summer break. Believe me, that’s happened enough times for me to consider canceling the whole trip! Been there, done that!
Luckily hubby talked some sense into me and we didn’t cancel (now I feel a bit dramatic for even thinking so). We spent last weekend in Krakow, Poland, despite my phone’s moody forecasts of thunder and lightning, which did actually come true.
We left my extra shoes, amongst other things, at the hotel’s storage room for the day and I slipped into them at the airport before our return flight. Nothing like a pair of dry shoes for the air-conditioned plane.
Ah, the small luxuries of life.
More about Krakow sans bébés once I get the time to process my photos (don’t hold your breath). (Quick teaser in less than 10 words: It was both touristy and surprisingly relaxing.)
Ps. Back home, it’s around 10°C again. This of course means we are all sporting freshly laundered, clean clothes!
70 replies on “Wet Shoes Or Heavy Bag?”
Ahh, not fun to hear about the rain. :p It reminds me how we were waiting in the car in front of the cemetery in Maribor, Slovenia, for the rain to stop so that we could visit grandma. All three of us (bestia included) fell asleep in that car. We could be waiting for three days since that’s how long it was falling. Amore is used to sitting out Roman storms. Now you know where you should go. 😉
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Hahah, sounds like your Amore likes rain and snow just as much as I do!! Italy definitely sounds like my kind of place 😄Hope you ended up going to the cemetery anyway. I’m bad at waiting, I can’t imagine sitting it out in a car. I would just go, get wet, and then curse it later. (Or write a complaining blog post! 🤣)
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We did go again three days later. 🙂 But that time we fell asleep, woke up and went to buy better windshield wipers. 😀
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😁
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So fun you got a gettaway!
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Yes, it was fun! 😊
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I used to always choose “wet shoes” because I refuse to check a bag or haul a heavy one, but then I got some super lightweight Tom’s-type shoes that I can bring along just in case! They mash right down and weigh almost nothing. I really enjoyed Krakow a few summers ago – can’t wait to hear your thoughts and also what it was like to leave the babies (for the first time?)!
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Yes, this was the first time away from them! Only one night 😊 It went better than I expected, and it felt weird, but more later! And I ended up taking a pair of – what else – Tom’s!!!! 🤗 They were perfect, though they wouldn’t have done well in the rain but luckily my other shoes were ok a bit damp
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I love the rain – even when travelling. just need to waterproof my shoes though lol!
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Wow, I really am the opposite! Grey weather makes me grumpy! And cold! 😂
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the little things do matter and that flight was just so much better – eh? and cool photo – I like the angle and all the center art in the sky
🙂
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Thanks! It was one of the few central photos without crowds where you can actually see the street and buildings! (I’m not a fan of the current culture of posting pics of strangers so I try not to do it!) 😄
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Yeah – I am on the fence – I did it a lot and then my son reminded me to start asking again – and usually people say YES
but I am trying to be as mindful as possible.
I recently met a lady in the DC area and we were talking and I took out my camera and asked her if I could record it.
she had a tattoo she was telling me about – and it was a tera jerker story.
I got home and two days later deleted it.
My hubs agreed –
because it felt coerced.
I was not forceful, but the way it unfolded it was too on the spot and and in hindsight it felt like she was put on the spot and might have obliged.
if I ever feel that – I am erring on the side of caution. –
ya know?
and i do research (not related to blogging) and a very important part of our informed consent is that we give people time to get back with us – so they can ponder and chew and make a sound choice to join in or not join in.
__
anyhow, I can see why you use respect or try not to to do it
🙂
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Happy to hear you are so mindful too, not everyone is and I feel it’s spiraling out of control a bit, in general. There’s talk of companies respecting privacy (and the new law) but what about regular social media users?? Anyway, thanks for the conversation! 😊🌻☀️ Enjoy your day!!
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yes – enjoyed sharing too – and quick story – last fall I was at a wal-mart early – gave someone a ride to work and topped in (even tho we despise that store – have a few items we only find there) – well someone actually took my shopping cart – and as i was looking for it – a teen was filming me – she was trying to get footage I think
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Oh great!! That’s nasty. Did you confront them?
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No, I was perplexed.
You see, it was so early and I had helped give this person a ride and was kinda ready to draw a boundary (it was my son’s friend and I was just about say no more rides – and they got their car back that next day – finally) and I was seriously “perplexed” –
and the worse part was that the 4 items I had in the cart were from all aroudn the store –
the Seafoam one corner, the Borax another, the Coconut milk another – and I was in the 4th corner of this large store and did not have the energy to go back and get each item. I left
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Ah, poor you. So weird though
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well it was not that big of a deal – so no worries – but a teen told me there are online video shares where they do that – tsk tsk tsk
and side note – I never walk away from my cart if I have one – my bad for stepping away a few feet
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Krakow is a magical place and your photo really takes me back there. I spend one night in a gorgeous hotel overlooking the square and the cloth hall before I had to change to a more conventional hotel a bit further away. I will always remember that night! No rain – of course, but then I don’t mind light rain, even if my shoes get a bit wet. Must be all the days without rain here. It is good to hear that you and hubby are having some alone time, as I feel it would be quite hard to do that with twins, at home. A work colleague with twins around the same age as yours, (girls), just did 9.5 hours on a plan each way to Hawaii ( with twins! ) – I hope the little ones slept…… it is a long time on a plane if they are upset!
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I hope to be posting some more photos from Krakow soon 😊 Oh my, long haul with two toddlers! We won’t even be trying that 😂 Luckily I’ve already traveled so much I’m quite happy to stay put for a while!
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Wise girl!! 😉
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I do like that photo, particularly the street and the bird. There’s something about it, an air of mystery perhaps. What’s around that corner? I don’t travel much anymore, but one of the joys of Hawaii, for me, is that shorts and a light shirt takes care of pretty much everything and if it rains, well, I’ll be dry again soon enough.
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Yes, that kind of clothing is so easy and casual. No need to think and rethink. Wouldn’t mind living somewhere tropical myself 😁 Also, having to buy a zillion clothing items for every possible weather type costs more money than just having summer clothes all year round!!
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How ever much pre-planning we all do for a trip we can’t do anything about the rain. Looking forward to reading your posts on Krakow and viewing more photos. There was an athletics event on TV a couple of days ago from Turku and some of the spectators were wearing woolly hats and scarves!
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Yes, the weather’s back to normal here, i.e. cold! 😀 Again, we are lacking appropriate clothing for the babies and need to go shopping… a never-ending task in this climate, it seems!
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In my experience get the shoes right and the rest just falls into place
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Hehee, great advice! I love walking, so shoes are definitely important!
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Wet shoes kill the fun, but I have noticed that I love some cities in the rain. Like Barcelona. It feels like tourists run away and I have it all to myself. Open soul just in front of me.
When I was a kid I loved running and playing in the summer pourdown, getting wet and happy. I still get this vibe in the summer rain, but the other cold rains, no, not exciting :))
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Hahah! What, you don’t like Norwegian winter rain? 🙂 Krakow was actually crowded even in the rain. Luckily it didn’t last long at all. There was thunder, lightning and pouring rain, but it probably lasted less than an hour. The problem was we never knew if it would start again, which affected our plans! I love walking when I’m in a new town, actually walking around is ALL I want to do really. So if it rains, it feels very “BLAH, what now?”…
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Yepp, I did a year of Norwegian winter rain on the coast, so enough for me now :)) That kind of killed my love for rain. But it may recover :))
I love walking too, and the rain can mess up any plan, I agree. I had a similar experience in Rome. But somehow those stories stick better afterwards. Like who said it? Something goes wrong – and then it becomes the greatest memory :)))
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Mhhmm… dunno… All my short trips are always rainy and it’s gotten a bit old 😀 Gosh you are in such a positive mood! Who can I complain with now? 😉 Maybe I should do some mindfulness meditation now that the babies are napping and get into a happier mood! 😀 heheh. Well, I’m snacking on chocolate right now, so that’s a good start anyway! 😉
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Yess, I am in a positive mood, for some change, hehe. Come on, no rain in 4 weeks here, sunshine and summer so early – I just cannot find reasons to complain (do you need a substitute “complainer”?) :)) Everything seems easier when the sun is shining.
Try some chocolate meditation, yes :)) I know how being a mom can make the brain foggy and fussy. But there must be some chance for tiny mindfulness tricks too, no? And babies remind us about the wonder of life: how lucky we are to be alive, how fragile everything is… Watching a baby sleeping is also a gratefulness meditation, don’t you think? :))
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You are so right about babies. They also help me stay present in the moment, which (before babies) used to be something I needed to practise with yoga. My mind drifted to the past and the future. But now, I’m right here, right now, present!
I’m glad I don’t have a complaining partner anymore, I’m actually quite happy and sometimes I just complain for fun – silly habit! 😁🙄😄
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I remember, my guest mom (when I was au-pair) said: “the kids pull you out of your dreams and set you right into the present moment”. Call it baby yoga, hehe. I will put it on my mindfulness practice list :)))
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Oh so it did rain after all 😦 It didn’t rain last weekend here in Lodz, but I remember that it was a bit cloudy on Sunday. I don’t like it either when it rains or gets overcast the whole day especially on a short weekend break.. Hope you had a nice time regardless! 🙂
I am going to Mallorca tonight and it shows cloudy in the forecast too Even worse when it affects the color of the sea. Over the years I have learned to deal with these disappointments by keeping low expectations on weather, especially in Europe hehe.
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We did have a nice time, Pooja, and luckily the rain didn’t last long at all. More of a problem was the constant adapting of plans according to the weather when I just wanted an easy short break. But it all went well! Krakow was so much more touristy than I thought, though, and reminded me of Tallinn so much that it almost didn’t feel as if I was someplace new! 🙂 It would be interesting to see other towns in Poland some day. Hope you get some nice weather in Mallorca – now that’s a destination that you really want to see in sunlight! 😀
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Awesome that you went on a trip😀and you know what Krakow is my plan for next year, without the baby😉
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It was sort of spontaneous, we wouldn’t have gone there if I didn’t have expiring frequent flyer points I needed to use up! It was fun and also weird doing something I used to do before the babies, a bit surreal. And I did miss them! 🙂
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Of course you missed them but it must have been great to enjoy some couple time too😃
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Of course! Hope you get to do that trip, too! 🙂
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Wow, Poland for the weekend. Wish we had the opportunity to hop on a plane and be somewhere like Poland for a quick getaway like that. We seem to be so isolated from the rest of the world. Don’t get me wrong, we are very blessed to live here in Australia, it’s just everything else is so far away! 😦
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Hahah, I always think of Finland as being isolated. Flying from here to “Europe”, as we say (as if we weren’t Europeans too), is usually quite expensive but I got these flights for free with my bonus points 😉 So yay for that! It’s been a while since my last trip! 🙂 Thanks for commenting, Lorelle!
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Oh really. I thought flights would be quite cheap. You’re really not that far away right? Bonus for you! Hope you had a lovely time there Snow, and can’t wait to read more about it. X
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Paris for instance is about 3 hours by plane, could be worse 😊 Thanks again, and yes, there’s more to come!
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“But then… on the day before your departure, little dark clouds suddenly get stuck on top of the two dates you are going to be there. Always the optimist, you try to rub them off… but they aren’t stains on your phone’s screen. They really are rainy clouds. Great.” hahaha. 😁 Been there, done that as well. The appreciation I have for flushing toilets, warm water showers, and laundered clothes always increases right after a trip which contains none of these. Happy to hear you enjoyed Krakow despite the weather.
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Thanks! 😊 The weather improved and it was warmer than here in Finland, so it was all good in the end!
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Never been to Poland. I guess I really should. One day. Rain? Rain? That is Europe, right? Snow or rain? 😦
(I always bring two pairs of shoes on any trip. You never know)
Cheers
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I guess this is Europe: always snow or rain, never a break??? (Okay, we just had an incredibly sunny May, I shouldn’t be complaining! I really am grateful) 😄
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That is good. Here, May and june – so far – have been fab. The rainy season usually starts in may but we have been spared so far. Any traveling plan this summer?
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Nope, no traveling this summer. Hubby’s not sure if he has any vacation time. And it’s a hassle with two little ones who can’t walk yet. Next summer it’ll be easier, we’ll travel then 😄 And you??
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They’re 8-10 months old? Around that?
Yes, next summer will be easier.
We are all set for Paris. 6 weeks! Yeeeeeees! 😉
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They’re just about to turn one! Learning to walk but still need support.
Oh, Paris, nice!!! Hope I’ll get to read about it/see some pics on your blog! 😊
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Most certainly will post about it. Though I tend to do very little posting while traveling.
One year almost! OMG. Happy birthday to all of you. 🙂
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Thank you! 🙂
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De rien.
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I’ ve read an article yesterday night which made me think of you! I have to send it to you 😉
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Sounds good, Véro!! 😄
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I never understand people who think the weather is no big deal. The weather dictates my life! It affects what I can do, the quality of light, my ability to drive, where I’m going, what I will wear, what I will carry… And lately, what I can’t plant, lol!
I’m so glad you got into some dry shoes. I never mind splashing around in tennies or flip flops, but I wouldn’t wanna have wet feet ALL day, and heaven forbid the dress shoes get wet. That’s pure misery.
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YES Joey, you and I are on the same page here!!!! I completely agree. It dictates everything, pretty much. And wet shoes are such torture towards the end of the day. For a few hours they’re ok, but at some point it gets more and more like a headache you can’t ignore…
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*nods*
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Oh dear! I hope the food made up for the weather…. It’s winter time here, and yes it just happens to be raining 🙂
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It was pretty warm still so that was good! The food ranged from great to okay 😄
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One of the reasons I love travel is the food! 😃
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Me too, usually! Though I also just love browsing the normal stuff in a supermarket, doesn’t have to be restaurant food! 😊
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Say what! Has been happening with me since last year – even if the trip is in the non-rain season! The Rain Poncho comes to the rescue 😀
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Hahah – I was thinking of packing one but took an umbrella instead 😉 A poncho would take less space though!!
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And Krakow is absolutely amazing – of course better without rain but nice nonetheless. My memories here: http://reflectionsontheriver.wordpress.com/category/travelogue/poland/?tag=Krakow&order=asc
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Thanks, will happily check out your memories! 😉
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