I’m starting to pack. We’re starting to pack. Packing days are something else. Kind of reminds me of two kindergartners who have trouble sharing the art table.
“Um, I was going to spread out there.”
“So exactly how long do you think you’ll be doing laundry?” (Tom does his own. His father did laundry for the whole family, and I thought – rightly – that I could make that a thing. It’s absolutely marvelous.)
The photo is my seat bag. This is the version for the long flight. The short flight requires much less thought. I will encourage you that thinking ahead is the very best thing you can do when you travel. You know those athletes who visualize their perfect gymnastics routine or a three-point swish? You have that power.
I’m in a seat for many, many hours. My lips will be dry, as well as my skin. I’m going to be bored. I’m going to have ideas! My knees are going to be screaming by the time I get off the plane. All of that goes into this bag.
The bag is the only thing I’ll pull out of my carry on. It has a handle. Swoosh, it’s done. Alternatively I can board with it out of the carry-on bag as a “personal” item.
We travel pre-check so my liquids bag can be in this seat bag without separate screening.
The liquids bag includes some things that are sometimes considered solids. But I’ve had it pulled enough to decide that soft solids go in here, too.
-Lip balm
-Travel deoderant
-Hand lotion
-Travel toothpaste
-Anti-inflammatory gel. Sometimes it’s Voltaren, sometimes it’s arnica. Knees are problematic right now, so it’s Voltaren.
-The tiniest little spritz bottle with water and a drop or two of peppermint oil. I spray this on my face several times a flight to keep from feeling like a desert mummy.
The other components will include an iPad, which happens to fit perfectly, plus the phone. A notebook and pen. (Pens used to be important when you had to fill out paperwork prior to landing, but not so much now. I might, however, have Ideas! and want to write them down. I like paper and pen.) A hair elastic, toothbrush and also some tissues are included. A cord to charge the devices.
You might catch that the bag has an email address written on it. Why take chances. You are tired as can be as you leave. Anything could happen.
A local bag would have earbuds in it, but they hand those out on a long flight, and those are just fine. The iPad will be loaded with books and audio books and a couple of movies in case the selection is poor on the plane.
I’ll show you the full carry-on tomorrow. Expect more frequent posts for the next month.
I love this, thanks!