My Bags Are (Almost) Packed

“My bags are packed; I’m ready to go.”

---John Denver

OK, my bags are not quite packed, but I am deep in the planning stages of my next trip. The dog will be dealt with, and the house will be occupied because you can’t leave a snorty pug in charge of the mail. There are some tentative reservations for places I might want to see and tours I might want to take, but much is still undecided. 

I am happiest when I am planning a trip, and while the details are not quite set in stone yet for the next voyage, it’s starting to come together. It occurred to me that other than one quick weekend getaway to Maryland (beer, steamed crabs and good times with good people) there has been no vacation on my calendar for two solid years. Yes, a first world problem, and I don’t mean to whine, but that is the longest stretch of time without a trip that I can remember. New rule: Never go that long without a fun trip to someplace far away. Honestly, for me, going away brings me back to everything that matters.

Do you know what isn’t fun about it? Packing. Packing light is a goal for me, if not always a reality. One of the biggest struggles in my life is what to do with all the stuff. There’s a comedy routine by George Carlin that talks about this, and he says, essentially, that life is just about getting a house, so you have a place to keep your stuff, while you go out and work to buy more stuff. He’s not wrong. Marie Kondo might be a magical tidying up wizard, but she’d run away shrieking in fear if she saw my house. The next trip will require some really creative packing skills because of airline regulations for luggage. Sure, there’s always the option to check a bag, but that’s not my way. Carry on is the only way to fly. The plane lands, and you’re good to go, without having to wander around a spinning metal conveyor belt and wrestle your Samsonite onto some wobbly-wheeled cart.

 

My problem is “Just in case” syndrome. If you’re going somewhere that you haven’t ever been, how can you possibly figure out what to bring? Sure, the season and region matter, because if it’s cold, you bring warm clothes; if it’s a beach or tropical trip, you pack swim gear and sunscreen. That’s very general, though. There’s so much else to consider. How long the journey is, what kinds of activities there will be, is it casual or formal or somewhere in the middle? Does the hotel have a hairdryer? Oh, and toiletries. God forbid you pack 3.6 ounces of shampoo or a tube of toothpaste that’s 4.2 ounces. That could get you sent to luggage jail. The TSA rules say you can only take 3.4 ounces of liquids.  What exactly does gel deodorant fall on the spectrum of legal luggage? A liquid, a solid, or something else entirely? Sure, you might be able to buy supplies when you get to your destination, but who wants to hit up a CVS on vacation?

Fashion is something I struggle with, but still, it’s a good thing to be prepared, if not precisely on-trend. I was talking with a friend who spent his career in the military. He has been deployed all over the world, sometimes with almost no notice. His closet held a personal mobility bag that had to be ready to go at all times. Then there were A bags, B bags, etc. depending on the mission. He told me he could pack everything he needed for a six-month stint overseas into a duffle bag, and it would take 10 minutes. Ya, well, big whoop, I’m willing to bet he wore the same outfit every day, you know, a uniform?  He likely never needed to take a pair of trendy beaded sandals for the beach, sneakers for comfort and a little strapless number just for fun. Somehow, I can’t picture him needing a black camisole to go under a silk blouse, two hairbrushes, and three kinds of moisturizer. 

My son is an Eagle Scout; he’s all about being prepared for anything. Still, he hiked for ten days in New Mexico with a backpack and a canteen. My mother, a Navy veteran, would take off to parts unknown, usually on a whim and could do with just a small weekend bag, even if she was going for a month. Clearly, the packing light gene skipped a generation.

Whatever winds up in my suitcase on the way out, I know that coming back, I will carry memories of adventures, a few tacky souvenirs, and a renewed outlook on life. Travel has a way of making that happen, even if all you bring with you is a change of underwear and some clean socks. Here’s to packing a bag and being ready to go. Now, to figure out plane tickets and the rest; stay tuned.