Passport: check

Foreign currency: check

Itinerary: check

Hydration levels: “What?”

As long as you have your passport, necessary medications, your wallet, your phone, one seasonally appropriate outfit, a raincoat or umbrella, a light jacket and a comfortable pair of walking shoes, anything else you forget can likely be purchased at your destination.

I’ve come to realize that, if fortune favors us, I may only have 7 guaranteed summers left to travel with my eldest son. While optimism typically guides my perspective, it would be remiss not to contemplate the finite nature of time spent with our loved ones.

After all the meticulous planning that goes into a journey, it’s completely natural to have the highest of expectations. You likely scheduled the trip during historically ideal weather, you thought through the finest of details, and spent many nights pouring over your itinerary to root out any weak links…