Ultra Low Maintenance Travel

Waiting patiently.

The following is an exact transcription of the conversation between Husband and me just after we arrived at The Farm Sunday night. My dad was going to carry my suitcase up to the guest bedroom, and I had opened the trunk to find only the ice chest inside.

Me: "Honey, did you put my suitcase in the back seat? I don't see it back here."
Him: "I thought you said you put it in the car--I didn't."
Me: (unprintable thoughts)

I have traveled a fair amount in my life, what with being a Peace Corps volunteer and having married a preacher's kid whose lifetime of moving around gave him an insatiable urge to travel. I also have never pulled away from the curb without thinking "What have I forgotten?"

And every single time I could answer that question with one word: Something. I have never in my life traveled without forgetting my jewelry, or my phone charger, or my moisturizer, or my nightgown. This was the very first time I could answer the question with a different word: Everything.

A mix-up in communication meant that when I had told Husband I had my bag he interpreted that to mean I had my suitcase, when I really meant I had the bag that contained my knitting and book and would keep me from whining and asking repeatedly if we were there yet for the three hours we would be on the road. The bag that contained my toiletries and nightgown and clean underwear (and clothes) was still on our bed, where it would be waiting for me when we got back a day later.

We live in a great country, though, and the nearest WalMart was only 20 miles away. Even though I'm a big supporter of supporting independent businesses and buying locally-produced items, I could not have been happier to hand over a check for $72 and have the cashier hand me back a bag holding hair products, deodorant, new underwear, and the other basics I would need to function in the civilized world for the next 24 hours.

All in all, it wasn't such a bad experience. Now when I forget something on my next trip (which I invariably will) instead of panicking I'll think "Well, that could have been a lot worse! At least I didn't forget EVERYTHING."

Also, I will be reminding Husband that most women are a lot higher maintenance than I am, and that $72 would not completely outfit the majority of adult females from skin out, especially since most of that was spent on hair products. (What? Comb, brush, shampoo, styling mousse, gel, hairspray. Do the math.)

Also, now I know that everything I really need to travel fits in a single WalMart bag.

My travel habits may have changed forever.