The day before I travel, I am always nervous with an upset stomach. I don't think this nervousness is about flying, but about what I won't take that I will need and will take that I don't. This is uncertainty - I don't deal well with uncertainty but I love to travel - I love arriving at a new destination - so I take drugs to keep my stomach calm.
I try, I really do, to keep my luggage at a minimum but always fail. This trip we will go from Rio to Panama City, to tropical temperatures and a formal society. (Compared to Rio which is informal - you are just as likely to find someone dining out in shorts as a cocktail dress) This means that I will need a dressy pair of slacks, good shoes and a couple nice blouses for the 3 days in Panama. I'll also need daytime cloths that will protect my skin but will not be to warm in the tropical heat and comfortable walking shoes.
Then we will go to Bogotá, Columbia. Higher elevations means cooler temperatures and a first communion to attend means a need for a dress or skirt and a light jacket. AND enough things that I will not need to do laundry during the 10 days we will be in these two cities.
In mid May, I'll go on to Houston; HOT temperatures, casual cloths, workout cloths and shoes to match. Sometime during June I will travel to Michigan, cooler temperatures, need for pajamas, walking shoes, nothing formal.
After I think I have the packing under control, I find that the suitcase is already too full and I don't even have all the slacks packed. So I guess I will spend tonight unpacking and reevaluating everything and putting it back in the suitcase - this step is always were I mess up and leave something behind or end up with blouses for brown slacks and 3 pair of black slacks.... (probably the drugs – remember for the stomach)
I have a friend that used to write a list of everything she took in her suitcase for each trip. When she returned she would put a neat line through what she didn't need and file the list. She still has all her lists, but no longer travels.... I don't see how this would help me now and definitely is a bit of busy works because if I take the same trip in 3 or 4 years I won't have the same cloths (I hope) or we will go in winter instead of summer.) Forget the lists.
Tomorrow morning before 7am I will put my makeup bag in the suitcase and sit on the lid to try and zip it closed, praying that no one at the airport asks me to open the bag - then we will be on our way. "on the road again!"
I hope you have a wonderful and safe trip. I think I share your anxieties when it comes to packing.
ReplyDeleteYour friend sounds so organized! I don't think it would work for me either.
Have a great trip. I travel light and buy what I forget when I get there!
ReplyDeleteKim, My friend is SO organized that she is a mess.... I can't think of a trip I've taking that I didn't enjoy - EXCEPT when we went from Paris to Rome by train - traveled at night on the train and ended up needing Dramamine every night because of the pre-trip anxiety all the way across Europe. Still enjoyed BEING there
ReplyDeleteNoe Noe, thanks for the well wishes. I promised Camillo that this trip I wouldn't shop (in Houston is really bad - Home turf and all that. I have plenty of cloths except for the dress or skirt - I will wear pants to the communion....
ReplyDeleteYou should travel like I did when I was shooting in Third World countries. One pair of jeans, two tee-shirts, one pair of shoes (on my feet) a hat (on my head)a few necessities, some dried fruit and nuts, in a very small bag. And then there was the 3 cameras, assorted lenses, flashes, and, at the time, at least 300 rolls of film spread between my camera bag and my small bag.
ReplyDeleteOh, and my drawers. Gotta have clean drawers.
Have a great trip. I can' t wait to see your photo travels.
I dream of a trip like that - our train trip was supposed to be like that - then Camillo will say "we'll stop and see so and so, and then stop and see another so and so.... next thing I know my suitcase is stuffed with 'just in case'
ReplyDeleteI will blog as often as possible, but don't know the internet situation until in Houston - I'll try to keep up.
Good luck with the packing and have a great trip!
ReplyDeletehow fun to do so much traveling! for fun or business?
ReplyDeletewhich ever it may be.....take lots of pics to show us!
I hope you have a great trip.
ReplyDeleteIf we take a road trip, we tend to take everything we can fit in the car, but flying is another matter.
I make sure everything I take to wear will go with everything else. That way, if I need a cooler or warmer shirt, or I spill something on one shirt, I can slip on another and it will still match my slacks, shoes, and jacket. I tend to go with neutral cream & tan, but any color combination will work. I take an inexpensive necklace or a scarf to "dress up" a plain top. I wear plain slacks so I can wear printed or plain tops with them. I also figure I can wear clothes two or three times, depending on the weather. If I have to, I'll wash a few things and hang them in the shower to drip dry. I always want to leave room in my luggage in case I purchase something along the way.
Last time I took a trip to AZ for 10 days, daytime temps were about 75, but at night it was in the 40s. Besides what I wore (slacks, short-sleeved top, long-sleeved top, light jacket, gloves and hat), I took one other pr of shoes, 2 slacks, 2 short-sleeved tops, 2 long sleeved. I hung each item for two days between wearings & sprayed a little cologne on them. Of course, I was in a dry climate and didn't sweat much.
Looking forward to photos of your trip.
I can sympathize with the nervous stomach about the packing. I too am an over packer, always taking more then I need, cuz I am so afraid I will not have something at the other end. Always too much in the suitcase though, no matter how hard I try to cut back. Have a great trip, there is nothing more wonderful then flying though, I just love it so much. And I love seeing new places! Wow, just reading of the places you are going, Panama, Columbia, Houston and Michigan, it makes me want to hop the next plane and go some place too!!!! ciao, Debby
ReplyDeletehave a good trip - I am bit behind in my wishes, but still sincere. :)
ReplyDelete(It's finals week for me)
I learned to travel light by googling and reading all articles on how to live out of one bag. There are some interesting characters out there, but man do they travel light.
:)
Enjoy!
I hope you have a wonderful trip my friend.
ReplyDeleteAnd by the way,,,,,,,I can NEVER keep my luggage to a minimum. Prince just shakes his head but a girl never knows what she's gonna want to wear on any given day and I NEED all my foo-foo stuff anyway right??
When we fly British Airways, I just beg my way in the the extra bags........they too just shake their heads, lol.
Steady On
Reggie Girl