Anticipation is Greater Than Participation

Momentous occasions seem to take forever to arrive: special birthdays, Christmas, weddings, retirements and the first day every year that tells us that winter is finally over seem to remain tantalizingly in the distance as we anticipate them. All too often, though, that special day arrives, and it's over before we know it, leaving us a bit disappointed; in some cases, we're a LOT disappointed, but that just seems to be the way it goes. The actual happening isn't nearly what we've set it up to be.
Think about how many people get upset before, during, and after weddings: something always goes wrong, and the awkwardness spreads like low-lying fog in springtime. Other major life events seem to have similar results... major excursions such as we are about to undertake are no different.
I read somewhere that a much-anticipated trip is worth up to eight weeks' excitement: before, during, and potentially, after (as the memories are relived). We'll see. We leave for our oft-delayed honeymoon today, and thus far, I have had about two days' worth of anticipation because leaving coincides with the last week of school: a week in which students suddenly decided that the project or essay they had put off is of critical importance NOW. We also spent weeks trying to get the tourist agency straight on what we wanted and when we wanted it...in fact, the actual documents didn't arrive until three days ago.
Of course, there were many last-second details, some as small as making sure the lawn got cut, newspaper stopped and cables for charging the iPod and iPad were packed (while suddenly realizing that foreign countries will require a special adapter for out 120v stuff). Of major concern were things like being certain that we didn't overpack (as one of us ALWAYS does), deciding how best to secure our valuables in a foreign country, and making sure the kids can get access to important documents in case...well, never mind that part. That's why I'm up at 4 a.m. I just cannot get it out of my head that I've forgotten something.
I'll go to school this morning to check student essays/projects one more time and clear my desk from the semester's work, then repack one more time and recheck all the documents, making sure I have the NEW passport and not the old one (which had a better photo of me, BTW).
In nine days, we'll be back, and I figure it will take me at least a week to sort through all the photos and get them posted just to make sure we can remember where we were and what we did...add another three or four day total to discuss the highlights with friends and neighbors...
And I'm still several weeks short of the eight I'm supposed to get for major events, but a honeymoon after 40 years at least does not have the awkward pressure that kind post-wedding generally have. There will be no great expectations (sorry, Charles) for this one...at least on the, uh, intimate front.
I'd better get started anticipating...participating is coming up within hours.