Packing My Bags

My new luggage

Santa brought me a new set of luggage for Christmas this year. My old set had begun to fray at the edges and didn't have fancy all-direction wheels so the carry-on tended to flip over on my heels if I tried to change directions as I sprinted through the airport. I picked out some Samsonite on eBags and Santa (being a brilliant selector of gifts) made sure it was under the tree. I was delighted, if not surprised. It spins! It has a handle on the side as well as on the top! It is the exact same color as every other bag coming off the carousel so I will NEVER know when my luggage arrives!

Tomorrow I will be on my way to the nation's capital for a conference, followed by a couple of days of hugging incessantly checking up on  visiting Boy#1 and Lovely Girl. This will be the first time I will be able to see if having new luggage has made me any better at packing, but I suspect that it is luggage and not a miracle with zippers.

I am a terrible, terrible packer. I have lived long enough and gone enough places that I know all the rules: Lay out everything you plan to take with you on the bed, then leave half of it at home. (Half the stuff, not half the bed. Leave the whole bed at home.) When you're planning what you'll wear think about the weather forecast of the place you're going no matter how hot/cold/rainy/snowy/windy/ beautiful it looks right now immediately outside your window. If you have to think twice about whether you need it, you don't.

That's what my head knows. What my heart knows is this: I might need it. And by "it," I mean the third pair of shoes, the second jacket, another book, the extra t-shirt, a second extra t-shirt, a cozy robe in case the hotel room is chilly, work-out clothes, one more book, and a rice bag. And while my heart is thinking about that rice bag (how am I going to get through a week without having it to warm my cold hands? what if I pull a muscle?) I completely forget my phone charger and earbuds, any kind of jewelry, my business cards, my refillable water bottle, an umbrella, and socks.

Now that I'm sitting here overthinking it, what about a hat? We're going to be outside all of Saturday, and I don't want to overheat. And granola bars, so that I don't raid the mini-fridge and bankrupt myself. And some homemade cookies for One and LG....

Never mind. I have my ticket and my photo ID, and anything I forget is for sale on the other end of the flight.

Watch out, D.C.--here I come!