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| picture courtesy of viewwallpapers.com |
I'm a world traveler. I've always
tried to take the time to visit places while I travel whether it's for work or pleasure. That said packing is one of the things I dread. Ask any of my friends. The night before the trip there is usually one
calling me to chat and asking me "are you packed yet?"
My invariable answer is "ugh, not yet." Not because I don't know what to take or I
don't know what the weather is going to be like or I'm a huge
procrastinator. I'm not. I just hate that physical act of
packing. I HATE, yes with a big ol
capital H, to check my luggage unless I absolutely have to or if I'm on a
direct flight AND on vacation. Yes I realize that is a lot of caveats.
My reasoning is this...
1. It's a pain in the caboose if it gets lost. You have to wait to talk to the people at
lost luggage. Let's be honest they are
not the most happy people to begin with anyway.
2. It often is damaged and man handled which leads to that inevitable
bottle of something breaking open all over.
3. I have an ample bottom and chest so if my luggage doesn't
make it where I am, it's hard to find emergency clothes. Especially for a business situation. I've been forced to walk around a Wal-mart in Mexico at 8pm looking for toiletries and a clean shirt. I was very popular the next day in my horizontal green pin striped low cut number. Ugh!
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| Image courtesy of ebags.com |
I can pack for a two week international trip in my
carry-on. I did buy a hard back suitcase
three years ago from ebags.com and I've been in love ever since. It gets banged around and damaged, but
nothing inside has ever had problems. It is a four piece set. It is white with purple and pink polka
dots. I have never had anyone else reach
for it. I've had several comments of how
smart I am to have such a distinguishing suitcase in the sea of red, blue and
black. See the picture to the left. My luggage is of similar style and same set, but in my lovely purple! Very durable and lovely spinner wheels that make it easy to pull around. I use my carry on for a chair as well! The airports get more crowded every day with less flights and more people. Always nice to have a place to sit and read.
Packing for any extended travel takes forethought and
planning. Trust me once you've done it a
couple times it becomes second nature.
Here's my list of what I take. After all these years the funny thing I've found is I almost
always end up with 1-2 pieces I didn't need.
The Suitcase List
1. Pants or a skirt, 2-3 of whatever you are comfortable in.
I prefer to roll them up so preferably a material that is wrinkle resistant.
2. Shirts or Tops, 5-6 that can be layered or mix and
match. I rarely take anything that has
to be ironed. Mainly because this is not
one of the skills I have excelled at in my long business career. I don't like
to look disheveled so I go for things with a small percentage of spandex,
lycra or polyester in them.
3. Undergarments, this tends to be personal choice, but I
take one for each day and I can wash in the sink if necessary and hang on the
shower rod.
4. Socks, I take varying thicknesses but generally one for
each day of the week
5. Shoes, I wear my most comfortable pair of slip-ons in the
airport and take a pair of flip flops for the hotel room, never know what is on
that carpet or tile. If I have to take
my work boots I'll stuff my socks or underwear in them to take up less
room.
6. Add my 1 pair of pajamas.
7. My swimsuit, if there is a pool at the hotel I want to
swim, although I often forget this blasted thing!
8. Stuff those
toiletries in there and you should be good to go.
Sometimes you just have to check your luggage no
matter how much you try to keep your stuff to a minimum. My biggest dread is standing around that
carousel and waiting, waiting and waiting.
Watching all the other passengers walk out with their suitcases in tow. I breath a visible sigh of relief and feel my
shoulders lighten when I see a flash of purple as my suitcase falls off the
conveyor onto the carousel. When it doesn't, I start sweating, looking for
my baggage claim ticket and hoping the lost luggage person has had a better day
or that no one has been rude before me.
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| Picture courtesy of bucks.blogs.nytimes.com |
Most airline lost luggage people are not that bad. Just remember they are trying to do their job
like everyone They usually
are by themselves, it's late and they are overwhelmed. It pays to be polite, courteous, smile and
speak calmly. Getting hot headed in this
situation will do nothing for you. Make
sure you always keep your baggage claim stub.
Security may not check it anymore, but the airline lost luggage person
will need it. Always have something identifiable
on your suitcase. A ribbon, a bright
colored tag, something. It helps them to
notice your suitcase. Make sure your
luggage has your name, first and last, your address work or home, and your
phone number. They will bring your
luggage to you if they find it.
26 million bags get lost every year. Don't be a statistic. Make your bag visible, be smart and everyone
will have a more positive experience.
OR do like I do carry on as much as possible!
