Packing Refresher

Looks like we're going to take a trip. It's been so long that I'm not sure I remember how to prepare. Up until 2020 I was on the road a lot--visiting two distant daughters and joining my husband if he was working somewhere at all interesting. If he'd been away too long, I could pretend that just about anywhere was interesting. And it often was.

Then I was forced to retire from my gadabout life.

We did take two quick trips in 22020 o see our grandson, but they were very minimalist events. This time we'll be away for over a week and that takes more doing.

Years ago I created a Packing List on my computer that detailed everything I need to take with me. Over the years this has changed quite a bit, and several times I've started to rework it, but I never got too far. Maybe I can do that during some of my hotel time this trip, but that doesn't help me now.

Another part of the problem is that I keep almost all of my traveling items in the guest room and they were put away to make room for actual guests. I suppose it's a bonus that at this point I can actually remember where I put them.

Over the years I have slowly gotten more organized and I now have separate zippered cases for the items that go in the bathroom and the ones that go on the night stand. And another for those odds and ends that I almost never use, but need to have just in case. And I have duplicates of everything I possibly can to make packing easier.

But there are things that can't be duplicated. Most of my prosthetic supplies are way too expensive to have extras hanging around. My updated Packing List will need to have a "Last Minute" section for all the items that get thrown into suitcase literally minutes before walking out the door.

Clothing can be a real issue. I hate taking too much, especially since I'll be changing hotels every three days. But the weather is very variable right now, so I'll need to make some tough decisions. I'll have to be ready for cold rain and hot sun and anything in between. This may take a little work since I haven't paid a lot of attention to my wardrobe this past year. I have comfy stuff I wear at home, which is where I spend the vast majority of my time. Most of the rest is gathering dust in the closet.  

Of course I will overcome all of these obstacles, because I'm totally excited to be going away. Not to mention seeing the daughter whom I haven't seen in 16 months.

So I better get back to it, don't you think?