"The Package"

I finally got "the package" mailed today! Hooray!! That was a necessary "chore" that I am glad is done. In case you've never had to do it, it is very expensive to mail something to Europe! I researched every way I could find to send the package, but ended up mailing it through the postal service. UPS wanted $350.00, Fed-Ex about the same. I found another company called International Shipping, but I could never reach them by phone, and in a week they had not answered my email, so thought I better leave that one alone! Their internet quote was $175. I wanted to go with a company because they let you "reverse" the customs duty, and I didn't want my family to have to pay that. But the post office told me, today, that there should not be any customs charges because I was shipping gifts. We'll see!! USPS was $92. The package was 12 x 12 x 6 inches and weighed 12 lbs.!! I did send it Express Mail which is a little more expensive. USPS says 5-6 business days, but that's just to get it to the 1st point in Europe. I'm saying a little prayer and keeping my fingers crossed that it arrives at Erzsi's before we do, on May 17th!! I've read some cases where packages took several months to arrive from U.S. to Europe.
Again, we'll see.

The package contained copies of family genealogy records; photos of my ancestors, our children/grandchildren, our house, Divernon, Illinois, New Orleans sites, and Franklinton ...the Courthouse, City Hall, Mile Branch, the Fair Grounds, Churches, etc.; a few of my family's favorite recipes; U.S. Flags and Flag Pins; Mardi Gras beads; decks of cards-some with LSU logo and some with LA facts; Tabasco; Beignet mix; BBQ sauce (I read that Europeans love it and it's not readily available to them?); 1 lb. of Community New Orleans Blend Coffee (which they will have to share with us!); a map of Franklinton; and the individual gifts for each of my family members. Yes, I had to sit on the box to get it taped closed!! Hope the BBQ sauce & Tabasco survived!

I had a big smile on my face when I crossed "Mail package to Hungary" off my "To Do List"!! Only 9 things left on the list, if I can manage not to add anything else :-)!