Be Prepared!
By Glinda
I’m already on my trip, but I can assure you that I overpacked.
I am going to stand up right here an now and admit to you all that “Hello, my name is Glinda and I am an overpacker.”
In this day and age of charging for extra baggage on flights, this is not a good thing. Not at all.
However, every time I underpack, I find myself in dire need of something.
On my engagement trip to San Francisco, it was pants. Even in August, San Francisco is c-c-c-cold.
On a trip with a toddler, it was a particular type of diapers. And nothing sucks more than having to hunt for a specific item in unfamiliar territory. Just for expediency’s sake, I’m sure I spent more than I would normally be comfortable with.
And, we have all had to make that unfortunate trip to the hotel gift shop, and then forking over eight bucks for a tube of toothpaste. A small tube of toothpaste.
But not Glinda. Not since what our family has labeled “The Swim Diaper Incident” has she been without anything that she needed, anytime, anywhere. Even on a trip to the park, I will pack everything I think we could use.
Often I am mistaken for a pack mule, but I’m ok with that.
Boy Scouts got nothing on me.
June 18th, 2008 at 10:35 am
We went to Italy for a friend’s wedding with our daughter, then 7 months. (People were shocked, shocked I tell you, to hear we were taking a BABY all the way to Europe!) The first morning I went down to the square of the ancient tiny hilltop village where we were staying, armed with little more than one semester of Italian and a really cute baby for backup. Buongiorno, I said, entering the store, vorrei comprare…(and I pulled a diaper out of my handbag and held it up).
Ah, said the man behind the counter, Pampers!
It was a wonderful trip.
June 18th, 2008 at 2:58 pm
Better be prepared I always say. I remember my friend had asked me once to carpool, a couple years ago and I had to tell her no. This was just for a trip to the park mind you. I explained to her that I carry a lot of stuff, probably too much and both our things won’t fit in either car. I call them my “Just in case” stuff. I don’t want to be caught somewhere needing something especially when the kids are involved.
June 18th, 2008 at 5:14 pm
I didn’t take a bathing suit when I went to Indonesia, because I figured it would be twenty times cheaper there. I bought pants for five bucks, a dress for four, incredible scarves for next to nothing, but of course because it’s a Muslim country and I was in the Muslimest part of it, bathing suits for women were actually illegal and I couldn’t buy one for love or money. D’oh!
So…what’s the Swim Diaper Incident? It sounds like the title of a very strange kid’s book.
June 18th, 2008 at 8:06 pm
I used to overpack, but have gotten out of that habit, mainly by not taking 40 different colours of clothing. That helped a lot.
With toiletries, I only take as much as I’ll need on the trip. That way, I don’t have to lug them back, freeing up more room in the suitcase for all the lovely shopping I’ve done!
I’m sure once I have kids, though, I’ll go back to overpacking.
July 16th, 2008 at 12:52 pm
As my hulking neck muscles can attest, my own mantra is “Better to have it, and not want it, than to want it, and not have it.” I have also packed in the expectation of Purchase Upon Arrival, only to find out: No. No purchase upon arrival. So I heft those bags, and tote those bundles.