Dearest Rachel –
At some point in time, I’d like to get to where traveling halfway around the world can be taken as nonchalantly as my drive across town to the ‘office.’ Oh, I get that longer distances will take more time; that’s a truism that no amount of technology (aside from portals or transporters, neither of which will ever be a thing – and I wouldn’t trust a transporter, in any event) can alleviate. In which case, it’s probably just a pipe dream on my part; it’s not like I can suddenly recall something I forgot back at home, and turn around to go get it at a moment’s notice. But I would like to get to a place where I’m not all that concerned about getting everything together and in its place before heading out on a trip. I’d like to be able to just slap a few things together into a suitcase, call it good, and be on my way without any second guessing as to whether I have everything I need.
I don’t think I’m there quite yet.
To be sure, the bulging stack of T-shirts are both a case of trying out new clothes and advertising my own creations, so it’s not entirely a case of just me overpacking. And it’s not like it took me all that long to throw this together (unless you count the time spent folding it all); nor does it come close to filling the suitcase. Nor is the case – this one picked up in Indonesia, at the Lombok Ace Hardware store (go figure) – one of my larger ones, but the hard-shell nature of it is unique among those that I have. I don’t really expect it to get any more mistreatment than on any other trip, nor do I expect to purchase any fragile souvenirs, but I think I like its sturdy nature.
Again, I’m pretty sure I’m overthinking these preparations, but I think this comes from traveling being something I don’t do enough of to consider it sufficiently ordinary yet. I approach the whole process, not so much with fear and trembling, but with a measure of concern that I might not have everything I’m going to need or want.
Which is silly, because of course I’m going to be caught flat-footed, and lacking something or another that I might need or want while I’m out and about. Halfway through my last trip, I ran out of cold medicine – and I had brought a fair amount with me, too. I spent time wandering through the next two ports looking for some more, which rather took my attention away from the places I was, at least to a certain degree. Ironically, after going through all that to obtain them, I’ve still got most of the pills still sitting around in the medicine chest, waiting to be used.
Meanwhile, I can recall telling my tablemates about wanting to get myself a deep-dish pizza upon getting back home to Chicago (unlike the trip to Japan the previous year, where someone commented approvingly on the “Illuminati’s Pizza” shirt I’d been wearing at some point, no one on the Serenade of the Seas seemed to know anything about the wonders of the deep-dish pie that city is famous for) after three months of being away from home. Eight months later, and I still have yet to indulge myself. But that’s how it is with a “jones”; they come and go so quickly, and if you don’t address your wants immediately, they may just pass. So if you don’t have what you want at a given moment, it’s not that big of a deal.
Given this understanding, why am I concerning myself with trying to make sure I have everything? I should just accept that I won’t, pack the essentials, and leave it at that. It’s only for a week, after all; what I don’t have on me at the moment won’t kill me (apart from food and drink, and those will be supplied in abundance), and I’ll get back to them all soon enough.
I’m guessing that my trepidation is due to a lack of experience with travel; I just have to do more of it in order to get over this need. Once it’s something I do as a matter of course, I’ll stop overthinking the process, and treating it as if it’s a matter of life or death as to what I include in my suitcase. I do wonder when that will be, though…
Until that day comes, though (and assuming it will, which isn’t guaranteed), honey, keep an eye on me, and wish me luck. I’m probably still going to need it.
Letters to Rachel 