How does one pack for three months and three different seasons?All those (hopefully versatile and appropriate) clothes. Carefully selected footwear (those of you who know me will recognize that it was quite a chore to select 5 pairs from the probably 60 that I own). Not to mention all the electronics and the books and files that I did not send ahead to Croatia. Ah the iPad. Essential. Ah the new MacBook Air. Beloved. But I also, at the last minute, bought a new notebook--the paper and hardcover kind--and packed my Waterman fountain pen and refills. Oh, and a new moleskin. I downloaded ebooks to the iPad, but I also packed a big fat novel--and I mean big: Hillary Mantel's epic story of the French Revolution, A Place of Greater Safety. And I have the other essential travel items of the obsessive reader near at hand--a copy of Vanity Fair, a copy of Harpers, the anthology that I will teach from in the first week (just in case my luggage goes astray).
About luggage going astray. Knock on wood it has never happened to me. But just in case I've got undies, socks, t-shirt, toothbrush, meds, and hairbrush in my carryon tote. Carryon tote is the bag I bought in Hawaii at the ABC store. Makes me smile every time I look at it, with its map of the islands design.
Am I excited? Yes. But I've also got butterflies in my tummy and last night I dreamt about luggage and vehicles and strangers.
Ciao readers. Next time I blog it will be from Zagreb. Wheeeee!
Safe trip, best to your travel buddy. Let him know he has a golf partner when he returns if interested - Jim, not me. Oh tellalan to give you a kiss from me if you are not already on the plane.
ReplyDeleteYay! I'm sure you're there? I hope you're not too disoriented, and I hope all your luggage arrived with you. Looks like a pretty small pile of stuff to me--good for you!
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