It feels like I've been away forever, but I'm surprised to see that my last post was actually just a month ago. So I'm not as far behind as I thought. I've been gone quite a bit (either to visit my mom, or on our annual trip to someplace Southern to get out of winter), and when I've been home, I've been sick--nothing too serious, just two nasty viruses, or maybe one virus that lasted several weeks with different types of symptoms. Who knows.
Also, the day after our southern trip, I had my annual check-in with my neurologist, and he changed the dosage of my Qulipta, which did not go well. After three weeks of feeling awful, I went back to my previous dose. I think I'm almost done adjusting back to the original dose. I didn't check with him about this, partly because it takes months to get in to see him, and partly because I was afraid he'd say I needed to stick with it awhile longer and I was miserable.
Anyway. Enough of me whining. Travel tips are not the world's most interesting topic but I just need to get back in the habit of posting, so here you go. Some thoughts on packing.
I've always been an over-packer. I can think of few things that would make me happier than being the one -- if I were stranded on a desert island with a couple dozen other people after our plane crashed in the ocean-- who had all the stuff everyone else needed. Advil? got it. Extra socks? yep. portable solar charger? of coruse. Band-aids? cold meds? ankle brace? check, check, check. Extra snacks, extra book, binoculars. I could go on. So obviously I have to check a bag. (Yes, I do realize that I probably wouldn't have my checked bag on the deserted island but don't ruin my dream. Reality is not involved.)
My checked bag pretty much has the normal stuff. What I can spend hours thinking about is what goes in my carry-on. For the first sixty years of my life, what I carried on the plane was a backpack. Not a hiking pack, just a regular backpack, like the one I carried in college. I bought a new one every six or eight years, but they were mostly the same brand and the same type.
Then about a year ago, a friend of mine showed me her carry-on, which is like a mini roll-aboard bag, and I decided to try it. I will not be going back. I didn't realize how much strain the backpack put on my neck and shoulders (see previous statement about over-packing) until I stopped carrying one. This bag is considerably smaller than the maximum dimensions for a carry-on--which endears you to everyone around you who is trying to cram their super-large bag into the overhead compartment--but it still holds a ton of stuff. It always fits in the overhead compartment. Also I can lift it by myself. Supposedly it will also fit under the seat in front of you, but I've never had to test that out.
For the past couple of years, since my mom's health has declined, I've been flying significantly more often. I've also been stuck overnight (usually in Denver) once or twice a year due to mechanical problems or crazy weather or whatever. Often when you're stuck overnight at some random airport, you can't get your checked bag, so you have to get by on what's in your carry-on.
Which means I've spent a lot of time thinking about what gets in that bag. I've refined the toiletries in my carry-on-- which still have to fit into a quart-size ziplock bag, dammit (although I've heard that may change in year or two) to pretty much exactly what I need for one night in an airport hotel-- contact solution, body wash, moisturizer, toothpaste/brush, etc. Also deodorant, but did you know that solid deodorant is not considered a liquid? so it doesn't have to go in the damn quart-size bag. I just found that out a couple of years ago.
Then also this stuff goes in:
- the obvious: ID/passport, drivers license (if I'm getting a rental car). (I suppose now is a good time to put in a plug for a passport card, which you can get when you renew your passport by checking a box and including an extra $25(?). A passport card is a "real" ID, so I've been able to avoid getting a state issued real id. It works for domestic air travel and traveling by car to Canada/Mexico, but not for overseas travel or flying to Canada/Mexico.) (You should verify all of that, I don't claim to be an expert.)
- charger and charging cords (of course). E-reader and/or iPad and/or laptop, depending on destination. Small power bank (for domestic travel, larger for overseas).
- glasses, mouth guard, spare contacts, large-tooth comb, foam ear plugs
- kind bars, gum, half a dozen tea bags, empty water bottle (these because they fit in the side pocket), and something chocolate
- a zippered packing cube with an extra pair of underwear, socks, sports bra, and a t-shirt that could be either something to sleep in or wear. I also almost always cram a swimsuit in there, because it doesn't take up much room and if you need one, they're expensive to buy and/or hard to find. Also, a pair of flip-flops, which function as shower shoes, sandals, and slippers.
- a paperback book (in case the battery dies on my e-reader)
- meds and supplements, cough drops (Ricola cherry), dramamine (never travel without it), masks (you never know when the person next to you is going to be sniffling and coughing). For me, the key to wearing a mask is to use a fresh one for each flight (I don't wear them in the airport, only on the plane). Might be wasteful, but not that wasteful.
- and you know: the usual detritus-- pen, a few blank index cards, kleenex, earbuds, etc.
I know this will mark me as a boomer, but I almost always print out at least my itinerary, and usually our boarding passes, too. Make fun of me as you will. But I will never forget the sick feeling of being stuck in an airport in Hong Kong, phone battery almost dead, and no phone service (I had arranged for coverage in Cambodia, our destination, but not Hong Kong). After coming really close to a total meltdown, I remembered that I had pulled up the confirmation on my phone before we left, and by some miracle, it was still in memory. It was enough to get us through security, unlike some of our travel companions, who missed our next flight because they couldn't prove they had seats (they did get it worked out eventually, but it took longer than our layover).
Oh! and here is something new I tried the last time I went down to see mom. Since I am a tea drinker and you would be surprised how often there is no tea available, I always travel with tea bags. But I am also not a dairy milk person-- at home I usually use oatmilk in my tea. Which is even less widely available than tea. So the last time I flew, I took an unopened shelf-stable package of oatmilk, wrapped it in a couple layers of bags, and put it in my checked bag. It was great-- went through security with no problem, and the next morning I could make my tea just the way my picky self likes it. *bliss*
I'm sure as soon as this goes up, I will think of things I forgot. But that's it for me for now. We're traveling tomorrow to Bozeman to help Younger Child (who is now 28!!!) move out of his apartment because he is graduating from the current stage of his professional training and moving on to the next stage, in another state. He is super excited, and we are, too, even though we will miss having him (relatively) close by. I'm sure I will cry, but I really am happy for him.
Have a good weekend.
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