 For Authors: February 05, 2020 Issue [#10006] |
This week: Just Pack It! Or not... Edited by: Fyn  
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Time is a circus, always packing up and moving away.~~Ben Hecht
The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.~~ St. Augustine
Why do you go away? So that you can come back. So that you can see the place you came from with new eyes and extra colors. And the people there see you differently, too. Coming back to where you started is not the same as never leaving.~~Terry Pratchett, A Hat Full of Sky
“It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end.~~ Ursula K. Le Guin, The Left Hand of Darkness
The traveler sees what he sees. The tourist sees what he has come to see. ~~G.K. Chesterton |
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An up and coming trip, long-awaited and now, only five days away, has me tearing through my wardrobe for clothing to wear. I work from home. My usual uniform of the day is some variation of pajamas, a t-shirt or hoodie, and slippers. I don't go out (well, rarely!) Unfortunately, one cannot wear pajamas while traveling. Somewhat frowned upon to show up at the airport in a robe and slippers. (Unfortunately!)
I have more jammy bottoms than most folks wear in a lifetime. Tons of worn-in Ts. Most of which do not match the jammies, but who cares? No one sees me (most of the time) except the dog. I dress for comfort. I live in Michigan and have lots of 'winter' stuff. I also have very little 'summer' stuff because summer seems to last here for about five minutes. So, of course, I'm headed to 80 degrees, ocean and the land of bathing suits, (ACK!) shorts and sandals. Two weeks' worth. Oh, and I have to get 'dressed up' for a luau. Yeah, life's rough, I know, I know.
But the thing is, I have sneakers that don't match any of the island-y outfits one wears. Lava and sandals do not play well together. I tend to ease (slowly) my way into summer clothes. Usually, by the time I feel halfway comfortable in them, it is time for sweaters, boots and long johns! So now I also have to shock the system and think high summer in mid-winter. Yeah, I did this on purpose, last thing I should be doing is, hello? Complaining. Yeah, well.
I dug out what I've got, ordered some tank tops (I figure no one will ever see me again, so no biggie, right?) Weeeelllll except for the fact I'm meeting a long-time WDC friend there and she always looks perfect. She barely even tries and BAM! She looks like she belongs on a magazine cover. (She will scoff at this when she reads it, but it is true!!!) She always looks so nicely put together. Me? Covered? I'm good. Well, normally and assuming I'm not out in public meeting someone. I have at least two outfits that cover that scenario. Sad.
So, I pile the 'guess I'll bring this and that and the other things' on the table, and keep adding to try and make actual 'outfits' that will look like I know what I'm doing. Then there's the chargers and cords and my Kindle and a book or three and hair stuff and face junk and meds and oh my!.
Hubby, who insisted he only needed three pairs of shorts, five or six golf shirts, and his golf shoes, has succumbed to the same malady.
Thus we are both, I am positive, packing WAAAAAAY! too much. BUT! We might need this or that or what if the washers are closed/busy/broken? Hot clothes for beachy days, warm clothes for going to the top of the volcano to watch the sunset. (30 degrees at 1 pm.) Kick back clothes, wander through town clothes, hike a mountain trail clothes, spend a day at Pearl Harbor clothes, go out on a rubberized raft and watch the whale clothes, and on and on. Got to cover the bases, prepare for contingencies. I haven't left yet and already need a vacation from the vacation!
I remember being sixteen and packing for a six-week trip to Europe in a backpack. I was fine. I survived. Whatever happened to that me? I think she got old! LOL. Wait-- have to remember to pack the sd cards, extra batteries for the 'good' camera, the portable tripod, surprises for my friend and her family, the laptop, a journal. (CAN NOT forget that!)
Suffice to say, I am so glad I am not going to be playing pack mule for my duffle bag! Hubby fit his gear into the rolling suitcase, which I shall happily drag around the airport! Carry on with an extra set of clothes as we'll be traveling for almost twenty-four hours, stuff for on the planes, munchies to keep my ears in check, um and I'm sure more as the last five days elapse!
Thing is, I'm truly not as stressed as I seem. (Yes, I am, but bear with me here.) I like to be prepared for everything. Won't care about times or schedules much, will be on island time. If something gets ripped or stained or sandy - it'll be fine. Toss it and grab something else. If I'm cold, I can layer. The devil is in the details, and I've got them covered. (Boy, do I EVER!) Doubt I'll worry about having forgotten this or that essential thing, because, aside from the kitchen sink, I think I've packed it. Hopefully, I have. *smile*
My daughter says I will probably wear the same three or four things most of the time. She could well be correct. But if I 'feel' like wearing this or that, I can! (And if I don't, well, I'll never tell!)
Once there, I can focus on taking about three thousand pictures, making a gazillion memories, filling a journal full of 'moments, and having the time of our lives at one of our most favored places in the world. I'll be prepared when I go back to the Aviation Museum with pictures of my dad in the Stearman Biplane he learned to fly in during WWII that is there and can get a picture of me holding pictures of my dad in that plane in front of that plane! Hubby just said, after hearing me read thus far, " You aren't excited about the trip are you?" Then he just sat there grinning at me. I'm grinning back!
The cool thing is, I won't stress 'there.' I will write my fool head off, play with the cameras, watch whales, relax and enjoy a Mai Tai or three. I'll finally get to meet and spend time with my friend, forget about snow, go on numerous adventures, walk on a bunch of beaches with my hubby and go swimming. (Something I never did last trip.) The two weeks will fly by, but I'm really hoping they go as slowly as the past few weeks have crawled. I want to enjoy and remember every last detail, moment and sunset. And I will because all the packing nonsense is because we are taking a trip together, which, after his stroke, last spring, might never have been able to happen. That, in and of itself, is a minor miracle and just adds to the excitement we both feel as we count down the days. Each little decision, plan, hope, and dream just adds to the magic. We've giggled about who's bringing what. We've laughed at ourselves sending silly texts comprised solely of emojis of palm trees, whales, planes, shells and waves. We are appreciating each and every moment of the days leading up to this trip, every bit as much as we appreciate each other. The details of a life. The details of a love.
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| |  | Trips (E)
A father tries to recreate some memories and finds you can't go home again.
#2184235 by John S  |
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deltablue - (from my November newsy) - says: Excellent. Navy veteran here. Thank you.
Osirantinous  writes: Oh wow, you could have been writing about me there!!! Well, maybe not number 3 - I've not come across anything totally odd there, but 1, 2 and 4 - YES. 4 is a big YES at the moment as I struggle with deciding to publish or not (finish writing first!) book 3 in a series that did actually end nicely with 2. Trouble is book 3 and book 4 are half done (and will become just one book) and that I've mentioned book 3 to several people who are keen. And I want to publish other stuff as well but I don't know what but - as you say - can't sell that which isn't published. Best thing I've ever heard. I might type it up in BIG letters and stick it in my study and around the house to remind me!!!!! Good luck with your 1, 2, 3 and 4 for 2020.
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