Bills to pay in advance. Food to get for the trip. A last tune-up on the car. A final laundry. And of course, the packing itself.
Time runs short.
Patience runs short. The feeling can be frantic and unsettling. By the time everyone is in the car, nerves are shot, and everyone is quite sure something crucial has been forgotten. Against this background, there is an old Russian tradition which we have tried to adopt in our family. The tradition calls for everyone who is starting out on the journey to sit down for five or ten minutes just before departure.