Today started out early for me … like 5:30am to put together the last bit of packing.
Admittedly, I’m not the best at packing light. Visits back and forth to France include shipping a few boxes by Fedex. It’s down to three 16″x20″ cartons each way.
My travel luggage is pretty reasonably sized. Except for the fact I chose a large handbag as a carry-on instead of a small suitcase and purse. Of course, by the time I lugged it on my shoulder it through check-in, I realized it was too heavy. So now I have a new traveling companion: a wheeled cart from Brookstone.
No cost savings here, but it is light, easy to roll, and it folds down easily. So far so good.
While putting the buldging boxes together last night with packing tape, my son commented I had bought the wrong boxes. “Heavyweight,” he said.
“Just wrap them with extra plastic wrap,” I said, undaunted. “If they’re dropped, they’ll bounce.
On the ride to the airport this morning, in the backseat with my fourteen month old grandson who was strapped into the car seat, we held hands all the way .
Those little hands will be a bit larger the next time we meet.
There were sad goodbyes to Bentley and Maddy, too. I’ll miss our walks along the wooded trails in the neighborhood.
Cutting up with seatmates
Judging from the travelers who I sat beside on the two legs of the U.S. Journey, this is going to be an interesting trip: a master craftsman of knives, and a nanny for a high-powered family in DC.
The blade smith, Wally Hayes, sells “folders,” swords and the like to Saudi kings and American rock stars. After mentioning “folder” several times, I finally asked what he meant. A folder is a folding knife, not a marketing brochure as I thought. Duh…
The nanny told me of her glamourous life in DC, meeting Presidents and dignitaries. Vacations with the family are to exotic places all over the world.
I may have stumbled upon a new career!
Now, so that I can post this before leaving the States, I’ll say: stay tuned. Iceland and landing in Paris next!
