I am so glad we started packing yesterday. There is always so much to do before a long trip: pay bills, clean the refrigerator, clean house and close things down. The flowers and tomato plants are with the babysitter (Patricia, you get the first tomatoes!!!) and there are always last minute emergencies like a water leak under the kitchen sink.
The packing saga starts with a well thought out plan of attack: take everything that will fit in the suitcase. Then you start to winnow the selection down. I always take sundries, drugs, and anything else I might need but would have a hard time finding in a foreign country. After all, this is a luxury cruise line and I do want my luxuries. We have two large suitcases and two smaller ones. We are allowed two bags each, each weighing no more than 50 pounds. It is not fair that the larger suitcases get to 50 pounds way before they are full. So we play the suitcase roulette trying to distribute the weight. The smaller of the small suitcases only weighed 30 pounds and was FULL. We were cheated out of 20 pounds! So it was off to Costco to buy a larger suitcase.
The next problem we had to solve was the carry-on luggage. My rollaboard weighed 22 pounds and wasn't even full. Now my one personal item is a large tote bag that is crammed full of everything that caused the rollaboard to be too heavy. Therefore, I cannot even lift the tote. Once we get checked in, I plan on shifting stuff from the tote to the rollaboard. What a ridiculous game we have to play. So my advice to those who travel to foreign lands where you need clothes for hot weather, cold weather and dress up is to use your husband's half of one bag because he certainly doesn't need that many pairs of matching shoes and accessories.
We are off tomorrow morning to fly out of LAX to Santiago, Chile. It is an 11 hour overnight flight that I am dreading. I have never been able to sleep on a plane and seeing as how I can't even get a decent night's sleep in my own bed...well there is no hope.
WISHING EVERYONE A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
The packing saga starts with a well thought out plan of attack: take everything that will fit in the suitcase. Then you start to winnow the selection down. I always take sundries, drugs, and anything else I might need but would have a hard time finding in a foreign country. After all, this is a luxury cruise line and I do want my luxuries. We have two large suitcases and two smaller ones. We are allowed two bags each, each weighing no more than 50 pounds. It is not fair that the larger suitcases get to 50 pounds way before they are full. So we play the suitcase roulette trying to distribute the weight. The smaller of the small suitcases only weighed 30 pounds and was FULL. We were cheated out of 20 pounds! So it was off to Costco to buy a larger suitcase.
The next problem we had to solve was the carry-on luggage. My rollaboard weighed 22 pounds and wasn't even full. Now my one personal item is a large tote bag that is crammed full of everything that caused the rollaboard to be too heavy. Therefore, I cannot even lift the tote. Once we get checked in, I plan on shifting stuff from the tote to the rollaboard. What a ridiculous game we have to play. So my advice to those who travel to foreign lands where you need clothes for hot weather, cold weather and dress up is to use your husband's half of one bag because he certainly doesn't need that many pairs of matching shoes and accessories.
We are off tomorrow morning to fly out of LAX to Santiago, Chile. It is an 11 hour overnight flight that I am dreading. I have never been able to sleep on a plane and seeing as how I can't even get a decent night's sleep in my own bed...well there is no hope.
WISHING EVERYONE A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
