Whenever I pack for a trip, I make many decisions about what to take and what to leave behind. Rather than get too caught up in perfectionism about that, I remind myself that no matter what I forget to pack, I can always adapt. At the same time, I make sure that I have my medication, my identification, a device so I can blog and tweet, and layers of clothing to wear no matter what the weather.
Yesterday, when I was packing for my trip to Portland, I couldn’t decide whether to take a portable music keyboard. I packed it, took it out, and then repacked it again.
On the way to the airport, I talked to my Lyft driver about that nagging feeling that I had forgotten SOMETHING. He related to that, mentioning a toothbrush as something he had forgotten to pack in previous travels.
When I was on board the plane, I felt pretty secure I had everything I needed for the ride, including masks, something to read, and snacks (especially useful because the airline announced that only people who had reserved food over a week ago could get any). After my friend Maria picked me up at the Portland airport and I got settled in her lovely home, I realized, as usual, that there was one thing I had forgotten to pack.
Let’s see if my readers can guess what that might be, as they look through the images in today’s blog.
Happy National Pack Rat Day (which seems somehow appropriate as I post about packing). And by the way, I didn’t pack walnuts, cherry cobbler, or a graduation tassel and I’m not in Idaho, but I’m okay with all that.
Here’s what I find on YouTube when I search for “what I forgot to pack.”
Hint: I didn’t pack everything on her list and she didn’t have what I forgot on hers.
Don’t forget to comment with your thoughts about this what-I-forgot-to-pack post and thanks to all who help me blog every day (no matter where in the world I am), including YOU!
Apparently a lot of people got that, as you can see by all the retweets, quote tweets and likes I got, which I usually don’t get.
Very soon, a Lyft driver is going to get me and take me to the airport for my flight to Nashville, so I’m sure people will get me if I publish a short post today.
Do people get my activity on Twitter yesterday?
.
People didn’t seem to get me there. Maybe more people will get my photos.
I get the Daily Bitch and sometimes I feel like the Daily Bitch gets me.
I wonder if friends, enemies, or anybody else will get me at the Open Mic tonight at the Tennessee Brew Works between 6 – 8 PM. I hope somebody who gets or doesn’t get me will record the performance, so I can share it tomorrow with people who get me here.
By the way, whenever I pack for a trip, I feel like I’m forgetting something important. Do you get that? It helps to remember that whatever I forget, I’ll be able to get it in Nashville.
When I search YouTube for “Do you feel like people get you?” I get this:
I get it now that I am NOT a highly sensitive person. But I feel like I get others who are.
Do you feel like I get you when I end each blog post with gratitude for YOU?
For as long as I can remember, whenever I travel, I travel light. That is, I bring along as little as possible. Personally, the less baggage I’m carrying around, the freer I feel.
There are things I have to take, though, as I pack for today’s flight to Edinburgh. Those necessities are
my passport,
my medication,
my laptop, and
money.
Anything else — including things I forget to pack — I can always buy in Scotland.
Certain people help me travel light. One of them is my boyfriend, Michael. Yesterday, when I said I hadn’t checked the news yet, he said, “You don’t have to. I can tell you what the news is. ‘The President said something incredibly ridiculous.'” I added, “And somebody left the administration.” No need to check the news right now, which helps some people travel light.
I think this blog is going to be light on photos today. Let’s see ….
That second goal was added to my work white board yesterday by another person who helps me travel light: my son, Aaron.
It helps me travel light to know that Aaron and I are going to see my standup-comedy teacher and comedian extraordinaire Ron Lynch in Edinburgh this year. If you’d like to travel light years into the past for previous posts about Ron, see here (which includes links to other Ron-Lynch-related posts).
Funny people and artists shine a light, helping us travel more lightly through life.
I take gratitude wherever I go, no matter how light I’m traveling. Thanks to all who helped me create this traveling-light post and — of course! — to you, for traveling here, now.
Because today is moving day, everything must go, including everything I photographed yesterday.
Everything must go, including that important message I wrote yesterday.
Here’s “Everything Must Go” by Steely Dan, who are everything.
Before everything must go to our new home by the ocean, I must go to sincere thanks to all who helped me create this everything-must-go post and — of course! — to you, for going with me.
Ready for some links to other posts I’ve written about being ready? Ready or not, here, here, here, here, here, here they come.
After I wrote that first “Ready” post on Day 10 of this blog, I was ready to create this t-shirt:
I left the house before I felt ready yesterday (wearing that t-shirt) because a furniture delivery at our new home by the sea was scheduled between 7:30 and 10:30 AM. I wondered if I would be ready for my 9 AM haircut appointment, miles away, and then ready for Comcast to come to the new home in the afternoon.
The furniture delivery guys showed up at 8 and I was ready for them. However, I wasn’t ready for this exchange:
Furniture delivery guys: You ordered a white table, right?
Me: No!
Furniture delivery guys: You didn’t? That’s all we’ve got.
Me: Arrrrgh.
Furniture delivery guys: It’s a poker table, right?
Me: Are you guys yanking my chain?
Furniture delivery guys: (silence and then laughter when I punched one of them in the arm)
Me: Do you guys usually pretend you have the wrong stuff?
Furniture delivery guys: ALL THE TIME.
Even though I wasn’t ready for those guys to be such excellent actors that I was totally fooled for a few moments, I was ready for them to deliver our dining room set and so were they.
They were definitely ready for their close-up.
On my way to MiAlisa salon, I was ready to take a picture of a car in front of me with the license plate “ANGRY,” with my iPhone set to ready, aim, fire on the dashboard of my car.
Ready to learn that the car on the left is the Angry one? That reminded me that those ready furniture delivery guys had told me that people readily get angry when they pretend they have the wrong stuff in the truck.
Ready for my other photos from yesterday?
Whether or not we’re ready, we’ve moving to our new home by the ocean tomorrow, July 17.
Gotta go pack so we’re ready for the movers tomorrow at 7 AM, but first, are you ready for more thanks from me?
For our move on Monday, we’re packing up everything we’re holding on to, including this:
Because of my cheesy mind, I noticed cheese AND cloth for the rest of the day (as well as a few other things). Do any of these photos make you smile as wide as saying “Cheese”?
I do love cheese, so maybe we’ll get a pizza tonight after another arduous day of packing.
This post is dedicated to my old friend, Peter, who helped me let go of anxiety while packing for a trip.
I’m getting ready to go to beautiful Provincetown, MA for the weekend.
I’ve been looking forward to spending some quality time with my sister and her spouse.
I wanted to write a short blog post this morning, because I’m eager to get on the road!
So I’m going to finish getting ready, and have trust that, before I leave, I’ll know how to finish this post.
See you in little while …….
Wait! It would actually help me to play some music while I’m getting ready.
Let’s see what tune comes up in a game of Spotify Shuffle-Play Roulette:
Here it is!
MUSICAL INTERLUDE:
I’m baaaaaaack!!!
I’ve made several decisions about how to start out on this journey.
I’ve been gentle with myself at each decision point, and having faith in my ability to choose wisely. (Also, letting go of the idea that there is One Right Way to Decide.)
Sooooo …. while usually I feel some anxiety and second-guess myself while preparing for a trip, (that’s probably why I procrastinate packing) ….. right now, I am at peace, in the moment, and looking forward to spending the weekend with my sister and her spouse, in a beautiful location.
The Year(s) of Living Non-Judgmentally 