Experience is the Best Teacher . . . Sometimes

As we have been planning, preparing, and now taking this trip, our prior experience has definitely had it’s benefits.   I’ve already talked about all of the little details we’ve worked out to make traveling as pleasant and comfortable as possible.  Packing was also a little easier because we’ve been there before and have a pretty good idea about what we will and won’t need.  We were also better able to get everything at home ready for us to leave because we know all of the things we wished we had done the last time.  Because we know the area and services available, we’ve been able to get more things in Alaska set up ahead of time.  We have already made the arrangements for our phone and tv, and even went so far as to set up an appointment to get our oil changed on our way through Anchorage.  (The move itself will cover most of the 5000 miles between oil changes and doing it on our way through will save us a trip back later).

Prior experience, however, has also been a little problematic.  All of that preparation greatly expanded our to-do last before we left so it was a bit more work this time.  Prior experience, we have also learned, is only helpful if things haven’t changed.  Having crossed the Canadian border before, we knew which firearms would be a headache at the border so we didn’t bring them this time.  Last time we didn’t have any trouble with his AR15 magazines so we didn’t think anything about bringing them along or putting them somewhere easy to get to.  Canada, though, has since prohibited those magazines because they hold too much ammunition so we had to unpack a chunk of the trailer and dig through several tubs before we found where we had put them.  We would have had to wait until Monday for the post office to open to mail them so Mike had to abandon them at the border.  They won’t cost much to replace, but they had sentimental value because Mike used them in Iraq.  My plants were able to make it through free and clear, though.  I read Canada restricted the transportation of dirt, so I put those little guys in shredded paper for the trip.  I’m hoping they will survive the trip okay, but anyone who knows my abilities with plants will know their biggest disadvantage has nothing to do with shredded paper.  Surviving me will be the real challenge.