I Was Thinking... Ready to Go
When we travel, getting ready to go usually is more work than the trip itself. Even if we are only going for a short time, like a weekend, getting ready takes considerable effort. Of course, the biggest problem is we take too much stuff.
On our first trip to Europe, we had no idea of what to take, so we planned on taking too much. Luckily, the tour group and the airlines helped limit the extent of our luggage. But on this same trip, a couple who were experienced world travelers came with just a carry-on and a backpack for each of them. They exemplified the concept of traveling light.
We have a trailer in a campground about an hour from home and try to get there as often as possible during the summer. You would think that after going there for many years, getting ready would be a snap. Not so. I can throw some clothes in a bag and be ready to go in ten minutes. However, it takes my wife a bit longer. But that is really more about me than her. Since I don’t cook, I’ve been told making sandwiches doesn’t qualify, so she needs to plan what we need to take for food. Therefore, a menu plan is constructed, but usually a good share of what is brought with, also goes back home again, because going out to eat usually wins out over cooking.
Growing up, I had an older sister. After my wife and I married, we were blessed with two daughters. This life experience allows me to make a general assumption, women pack more than men. Most men don’t mind wearing the same clothes more than once. As boys, if our mothers hadn’t demanded we change, most of us would have worn the same clothes day after day. But even as a little girl, one of our daughters changed outfits numerous times a day.
When we travel, I have a small case to carry my toothbrush, pills, one hairbrush (not really needed) some dental floss, a fingernail clipper, shampoo, deodorant, Band-Aids, and a couple of Tylenol. My wife has a miniature suitcase that unzips in the middle and has numerous compartments holding a wide range of “necessities.” I’m not going to try and enumerate them because I don’t know what many items are for. But in her defense, if I have any malady, she usually has something in there to deal with it.
Hair care for men usually includes shampoo, comb, a brush, and a razor. They are easy to pack in one small case. One of our daughters has beautiful long hair. To care for it she carries a variety of appliances and products. Most of the things she has I can’t even identify. But this is also viewed from a guy that can style his hair with a washcloth.
No matter where we go, on long trips or just to Rochester, it seems we are really never ever really “ready to go.” There was a time when people just got in their cars and left. For us, we seldom, if ever do that. More often than not, one or both of us have forgotten to do something or bring something.
Before we leave, we go through a mental check list. “Did you unplug the coffee maker? Was the patio door locked? Did we turn off the dehumidifier? Did you water the plants? Is the deadbolt locked? Do you have your phone? Did you bring the key to the camper? I set out two waters, did you take them?”
Usually, we’ve gone less than four blocks before we need to head back for something we forgot. And to maintain marital harmony, I’m not even going to discuss the time it takes for a husband versus his wife to get ready to go out for an evening.
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