How Do You Get Ready???

[Jamerican1]

Yep... It's for sure a MN thing!

We've been booked for our upcoming April trip since last April... and the time has now come for me to haunt the airline websites to find the best deal!

It's also time to plan our pre-jamaica get together with the friends we are traveling with.. Reggae, Red Stripe, and Jerk!! (plus our other pre-jamaica get together with friends that are traveling to the resort we usually went to before changing it up this year! Doesn't mean we can't still have a party!!)

Inventory is being taken and lists are being made of what items we need for our trip!

Did the double digit dance yesterday! 98 days and counting!!

[thepegboy]

saving up the NYT crosswords, and lots of anticipation!

[Russ In Mn]

MN Ting can be purchased at the mid-town global market in Mpls but is real expensive. I usually pick up 6 20oz bottles at Sangster on the way home and save it for the party.

[mn negril fan]

Thanks Russ will pick some up at Sangster

[JahC]

I try to get to Negril 2x per year -- Summer trip and Winter trip. So, as soon as I get back, I start to plan for the next trip.

[Redheadtravel]

Hi Russ,
I am also in MN. The first week in March will be my husband's and mine first trip to Jamaica but we travel somewhere every year about that time, either with friends or just the two of us. Prep starts in October by deciding where to go and booking flights and lodging. We are Eco travelers who hate AI and love to stay in small resorts, eat out, and meet the locals. We always find a board like this where we can learn from people who are passionate about the destination.

This year it took us sometime to decide on Jamaica and then find a resort. We chose the Treehouse. We finally booked in mid-December. We spent the holidays telling our friends where we were going and getting their insights if they had been to Negril. January/February I shop for clothes for the trip and usually end up doing all my casual summer clothes shopping. I have learned not to take too much wherever we go because we keep it casual.

February - book drivers for here in MN and in Jamaica. Reconfirm hotel and introduce ourselves by email, plan restaurants and activities like the One Love Pub Crawl. Start to go to the tanning booth so I don't freak out the natives on the first day.

Begin to pack 30 days in advance. There is lots of laying clothes out, packing and unpacking until I fit everything into a carry-on suitcase. Remember all the extras like a surge protector with multiple outlets, speaker system for our tunes, citronella candles, bug spray, tanning lotion, corkscrew, etc.

Make sure we have arrangements for care for our pets.

Last week - watching weather everyday both here and there (praying there is not a big snow storm that will delay us). Reconfirming everything and everyone.

After we return - we always have a party where we serve drinks and food from where we have been. I count on the Midtown market to find brands and spices.

We are especially excited about Jamaica because it has a well developed culture with its own dialect, food, philosophies. That is what makes travel fun for us.

Hope you enjoy your trip.

[choptop]

Will be their in 51 days, 19 hours, 25 minutes and some odd seconds. Haven't bought anything yet or touched my suitcase, which is unusual for me. Been looking at airfare, don't think it will go down, and doing a lot of reading on the forums. Been their 7 or so times before, know what to expect and still love it. Will have to get going on the preparations.