Did I Pack a Hairbrush?

I’ve spent today playing the last time math game. Last time at work for a month, last time sleeping in my own bed for a month, last Jimmy John’s sandwich for a month.

Now it’s time for last minute cleaning and preparations….and unpacking and repacking. We’ve reached the point of not trusting myself and being certain that I don’t have anything I need. Of course the truth is I have more than enough to haul around for a month and will never be sure I do.

Tomorrow we set off. A mid afternoon hop to New York followed by a skip around JFK and a daring jump out of my comfort zone. At furthest approximately 4000 miles outside my comfort zone all by myself.

I’m pretty sure I packed a hairbrush. Only time will tell what necessity I managed to forget.

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Dark Saturday.

There is a practice in the theatre I work with in which a day or two before opening night the theatre is dark. This means in an effort to avoid burn out and melt down we take the night off. We don’t schedule a rehearsal and enjoy a bit of self care.

As an introvert with anxiety about to embark on a lengthy trip that is kicked off with approximately 36 hours of planes trains buses and ferries I decided to take a dark Saturday and enjoy some couch time before work to breathe and relax for the first time in a week and last time for a month.

Now I’m off to bed. A busy day for sure is coming tomorrow with many last minute preparations. Until we meet again make good choices or at least don’t get caught making bad ones.

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“How many books is too many books?”

Packing is an art form. An art form that I can masterfully perform for a short trip. I have a list of everything I will need, might need, and probably won’t need but there’s room in the suit case so if I don’t need it it won’t hurt any anything so let’s bring it. Packing LIGHT is pro level packing. I have not mastered pro level packing. Not even close. If you think the title of this post isn’t a direct quote you’re sorely mistaken.

I’ve limited myself to max out at 10 of any item that I need to wear something different every day (shirts, socks, underwear), one set of pajamas (usually 3 pj pants and a shirt per day for a five night trip), two pairs of jeans (okay this was actually an upgrade I would just wear the same pair every day but a laundromat will be required for this trip and I’m not sitting in my underwear in a laundromat in another country I’m not that ballsy), one hoodie (be shocked I love my hoodies and would gleefully haul every one I own but cargo limits), and a couple cardigans for layering. I will bring a padlock and water bottle and umbrella. A few toiletries I may need before I reach a destination given my first 36 hours will be on planes and trains and ferries (deodorant, tooth brush, tooth paste) will make the cut as will (obviously) 50 pages of important travel documents, my passport, and a plug adapter for charging my phone and tablet.

Already the list seems outrageous but I have yet to reach capacity on my backpack. Now the struggle (besides obviously my how many books is too many books dilemma) (and my aggressive use of parentheses as an aside) is NOT reaching capacity. NOT packing the just in case. We all know I will buy things along my path (my sister has requested I bring her a bottle of royal wedding beer because of her love of…the tv show Suits as well as some macarons from a French McDonald’s) and I don’t want to weigh myself down too much at the start. After all a major part of backpacking is mobility right?

So we return to the initial question. On top of the 3 guide books I have how many books is too many books to bring with me?

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The quest for a companion

Over the past few days my reading room has become a staging area for packing while I waited for my backpack to arrive but judging what I would be able to fit beyond clothes was a struggle. Bullsan, my stylish stuffed bulldog, has been my constant travel companion whenever I’ve needed to travel alone for the past 3 years. He’s been to Illinois, North Carolina, Utah, and a few other minor excursions. Unfortunately he’s going to be just a bit to cumbersome for an endeavor of this size. I enjoy having an inanimate companion for a few reasons: 1. It allows me to take pictures of it, 2. It doesn’t talk back when I do, 3. It provides a familiarity when far from home and alone. As such tonight my sister set out on a quest: to find a pocket sized travel companion. Meet McWorldly Adventureface.

Tomorrow: packing shall commence. I will check in with you then until then sleep early to wake early to preempt the jet lag. I apologize that this post was rambling without much satisfaction in the way of amusement. Maybe it will be better tomorrow.

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Greetings

Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton

WordPress built me a first post. I didn’t opt for most of it but this quote is fitting as you my friends and family (and potentially strangers) will be my good company as I’m about to embark on this journey. It’s one I could have planned for years and honestly I may have been more prepared but I doubt I’d be any more ready.

I’m not generally one to act impulsive, not really. I may pretend but the fact is I’m a planner, a list maker, a week in advance packer of 3 times what I could possibly use in the time I will be gone just in case. I’m not one who books a month away and only gives herself a week and a half to panic. But alas here we are. Obsessively planning a spur of the moment journey to ease the anxiety.

Welcome to my ridiculous, ill advised, hopefully magnificent journey. I will keep you updated on the carefully reckless journey ahead and probably a bit of research I do involving my daily discoveries.

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