the buxton test

Hey, Lauren here. With less than 24 hours until we leave, we are finally starting to pack. Our dog Bear has been bitter since the suitcases came out. His sister, Sadie, is just fine. As my mom and I were getting our Brazilian blowouts, she had quite the idea -- a Buxton test.

Last summer when we were in London, Owen found a brand of water that he for some reason fell in love with -- Buxton. To someone with a normal taste palette like me, it is just water, but to Owen, it is so much more. He lobbied my parents to bring home ten, twenty, thirty bottles. He was only allowed one. I also brought one home because I was curious, and to double his haul. Owen savored and saved the water to the point where it was not healthy.

With a four-hour layover in London ahead of us, my mom thought we should test the sincerity of Owen's love. To do that, we will get a bottle of Buxton and three other brands of water, put a small amount of each in a paper cup, and see if Owen can tell which one is Buxton. I really don't think that he will be able to tell, but I guess that we will find out.

I am eager to leave for seven weeks, but I am heartbroken to leave the dogs at home. Sadie, being at least ten, and Bear, 2, would make the best travel companions, but my dad won't let us bring them with us. Boo!

I cannot wait to start this trip and all of the adventures that we will experience.