Old Age Day by Day April 16, 2010

Well, I finally decided and bought our granddaughter's birthday present yesterday. Unfortunately, in order to get it up to her place, I had to buy a huge duffel bag to get the two sets of blocks in something, and will have to pay for an extra bag on the flight. I have a constitutional inability to pick a gift early, and seem to need a sign from the heavenly spheres to commit. Thus, I end up lugging a bag that I could comfortably rest inside, and if somehow I get delayed, I guess I'll take out the blocks and zip myself up for a nap. Packing light has ever been a concept that evades me. If I go for a week, I'm proud of myself if I only pack three pairs of shoes. I have to have the rain gear, the cold gear, the warm weather gear the extra pjs, the books in case I run out of reading material. I need a Sherpa when I go anywhere. Even Hawaii, where a swimsuit and tee shirts and shorts out to do it, is challenging. I'm like a turtle who needs to take his whole house with him.

Nevertheless, I usually forget something. On the last four day trip I had to socks. I had enough outfits for twelve weeks, but my feet were freezing, as it was rainy three out of four days, so we made a romantic trip to the grocery store to buy socks for me. My husband offered me his, but I don't think I could have stuffed them in my shoes. One time in northernmost Italy, I had managed to leave my cosmetics bag at the airport, so I was forced to attempt to transact a conversation about sunscreen and toothpaste in my non-existent Italian. It's still uncertain what I was brushing my teeth with or spreading on my skin. I probably mixed up the two. My husband forgets things also, but that is because I pack for him. He had no hat in Hawaii, and has gone with no belts or shoes. Well, the shoes are because I don't pack him any. His shoes weight too much and he never wears but one kind anyway. Wee, I can be ruthless when it's not my own bag.

My grown kids are amazing packers. Perhaps I served as a warning to them. I've watched my daughters get everything in a small backpack and travel for months at a time. How do they do it? I feel there ought to be an Olympic sport for packing, and I have to tell you, my daughters would be bringing home the gold.

Sometimes I believe it was having four kids that forced me to give up the idea of packing light, and I still feel unready to leave until the combined weight of myself and my luggage has reached five hundred pounds. I COULD pack lightly now, but what exactly would it feel like? Free hands? A back not aching? No waiting at baggage claim? I can't quite imagine it. It's just not me.