I know we discussed this in one of the meetings, but I know the different power systems in Europe can be a little confusing, so here’s a little explanation.
Our power that comes out of a standard three-prong outlet here in North America is 120 volts. Where we are going, the outlets still use three prongs, but they are shaped different than ours. More important than the different physical shape of the plug though is the difference in voltage. The standard voltage over there is 220 volts, and not all electrical items will work properly on both voltages. All devices that you can plug in have a description on them, usually in tiny print, that tells you what voltages that particular device will work with. 
For example, the above photo tells you that this device works with voltages in the range between 100-240 volts. This means that this charger will work on our trip, we just have to use an adapter that allows us to physically plug it in to the wall. The adapter below will allow us to use this device with no problems:
Where we can get in trouble is with devices that do not work on the higher voltages. For example, this curling iron will not work properly on 220 volts, and we can tell that by the description on it, which tells us that it is only designed to work with 120 volts:
Basically, if you take this with you and plug it in using an adapter like the one above, this curling iron will get dangerously hot, in fact one student on the last trip burned her hair with a hair straightener that was not designed to use on 220 volts. Her hair sizzled and smoked when she tried to use the straightener!
So what happens if you really want to use something only designed for 120 volts? Fear not! You will simply have to buy and carry a voltage adapter, which cost more and are larger and heavier than the simple adapter shown above. Here is an example of one, which can be purchased at http://www.amazon.com/CONVERTER-AMERICAN-PRODUCTS-COUNTRIES-CHARGERS/dp/B0014XCK8W/ref=sr_1_14?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1269379228&sr=8-14
This just adds another item for you to have to carry, so it’s better to look for products that will work on the higher European voltage as well as at home. Some travel items are known as dual voltage and require that you set the voltage for where you are. The travel hair dryer below is an example. To use this here, you turn it to the 125V setting, and to use it in Europe you set it to 250V.
Sometimes different numbers are used to describe voltages, so it’s only important that you are close to the voltage. I know this can be confusing, let us know if you have any questions by leaving a comment.
Good stuff! I’m getting really excited! =)