Throughout the getting organized stage, Judith would send me messages telling me things I should know. How the planning was shaping up, what vaccinations I should look out for, the type of electrical plug I need to bring, etc. The warning about mosquitos was the only item of concern, so I brought some mosquito repellant. However, the information exchange over the past week has been more concerning. Apparently we have a few early morning wake ups. Easy enough with the alarm app on my phone. And then there are baggage restrictions on the amount we can bring to certain destinations. That's easily handled with some planning. And one of the stays may not have electricity. What? Too late to source a solar powered curling iron.
So the baggage restrictions wouldn't normally be an issue but I only started packing at 9:00 last night after staying until 7:00 trying unsuccessfully to finish up a loan application, and then going for dinner with my son, Cameron, who will be on his way to UofWaterloo in 3 days and I won't see him until Christmas. My flight was leaving at 6:00 am the next morning--when I checked in on-line there was a message that baggage needed to be checked in by 5:15 at the latest. So I made a plan to get there 30 minutes ahead of time. My sister Sylvia was on board to take me to the airport. So far so good.
The problem was the starting to pack at 9:00 pm. It took me just over 4 hours. I think I was fine for the first 2. I assembled all the things I needed to take in one place. This is what it looked like.
I love packing cubes. They organize everything into neat compartments and when you're digging around for items in your bag, like when you're living out of a suitcase, everything stays as it should. Some packing cubes are better than others--I'm particularly fond of the Eagle Creek pack-it-system bags because they're made of slippery nylon fabric making it easy to slide clothes in and out and they are extremely lightweight.
It took about 30 minutes to get the majority of the stuff into cubes and into my bag. Then I realized it was getting late and I needed to get to bed. Around that time last-minute thoughts started surging though my brain. Things like: I should pack my iPad in a sleeve to protect it and I should make a copy of my flight and insurance details and passport and give them to my emergency contact (same person who was giving me a ride) and maybe I should include some granola bars (I packed a Costco sized box!) and maybe I need to pack a belt, and more underwear and a first aid kit, etc. I'd say about half were important enough to do and really could have been done ahead of time had I stared earlier but the other half were just these random thoughts caused by a combination of a looming deadline and lack of sleep. I spent the next hour and a half running around the house trying to accomplish my random items. It took me that long because I'd do things like put down my iPad somewhere in the house looking for my iPad sleeve. Then I'd have to spend time retracing my steps to find the lost iPad I had in my hand only minutes ago. A long time because there are a lot of places I can put an iPad sleeve. And when I asked Cam if he had seen my IPad he quoted the response that his dad would use when the kids would ask him if he knew where they had put something. "It's where you last left it." Accurate? Yes. Helpful? No. Unfortunately the iPad wasn't the only thing that I had absent mindedly put down.
By the time I felt I had done enough, I set my alarm and went to bed. Two hours later I'm up and stuffing the last little bits into my bags. Coffee via Tassimo and I feel human enough to take a picture of my bags.
The airport scale (which I think is generous) has my large bag at 32.5 lbs which was a few pounds lighter than the measure I had on my home scale. My backpack comes in at 13 lbs. And I can't help that feeling that I haven't brought enough clothes.
The Victoria to Toronto leg was uneventful except I met and got to chat with Bernie and Teresa who were on the same flight to visit their daughter for a few weeks. On my movie channel I was pleased to get my Daniel Craig fix. Oh, and I also napped.
Now I'm in the Toronto Airport waiting for the boarding gate for the Lima flight to appear on the big departures screens. The flight is supposed to leave at 5:45. My plan is to go early to the gate and nap some more before I meet Judith. Travelling is really a hurry up and wait experience.
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