Travel is glamorous only in retrospect. ~Paul Theroux
We are getting ready for a trip. I realize as much as I am looking forward to it and am also already dreading it. All those little things I forget to do and/or leave to the last minute. All the potential things that could go wrong start running through my brain. I have to remember not to worry. Now I am worrying about worrying. ARGH!
Don’t get me wrong I love traveling. I am looking forward to this trip. I am looking forward to spending time with my husband, learning new things and seeing old friends and meeting new friends. I am looking forward to eating out, staying in a hotel and hitting the beach. Travel is just challenging sometimes. So here are the three things I am working on:
1. Traveling Light:
I am not trying to just take less stuff, I am trying to carry less stuff. There have been so many times that clients have come to me after their vacation complaining of shoulder, arm, back, hip and neck pain. Seems it might be from lugging all that stuff around. I know people are trying to save money by not having bags checked but, give me a break. I can complain about the airlines all I want. When it comes down to it $25 is worth my body not being in pain because I tried to carry everything on the plane and piss the attendant off and make other passengers roll their eyes at me. I love my Vera Bradley bags, I do but, really sometimes hauling a huge one on and off the plane and all over the place just isn’t worth it. I will have a smaller one with just the necessities packed in it.
Not even taking a laptop this trip. I figure we have the IPhone, Chris’ IPod, our nooks and we will take the IPad this time. Still seems like a lot. It isn’t considering before we had nooks we took 2 – 5 books with us on trips. There have been too many times we have dragged at least one laptop (a few times two!) on a trip intending to do some work with it or feeling like we needed it and we didn’t.
2. Being Comfy:
Might as well tilt at the windmill. The chairs in the airport are not comfy. Dressing nice and hoping for a 1st class upgrade is okay, just doesn’t work nearly often enough. Reality is those seats on the plane were not really designed for our comfort. They were designed to get the maximum amount of people in the space with a minimal level of comfort. So I am wearing my sandals I can kick off easily. I refuse to wear makeup or anything beyond a little mascara on a plane trip. Dressing comfortable and will remember to move about a little. I will be flexing my calves and feet now and again to stave off “Economy Class Syndrome” or “Traveler’s Thrombosis” (see I’m worrying again). This is serious though. ECS or TT is attributed to cramped seating in coach on airplanes. A period of inactivity combined with space limitation may slow circulation and produce edema. Sitting with your knees bent for prolonged periods may compress the popliteal vein and lymph nodes (those are deep behind the knee), which in turn creates a potential site for edema and/or clot formation, which at the very least make your legs feel like sausages when you get up to walk out of the plane. Add low humidity, low oxygen, cabin pressure which all have a dehydrating effect, and yes I will be drinking my water as well.
3. Being Prepared:
Checking what the weather will be like where we will be.
Making sure I have all the information, phone numbers programed in the phone, scripts and handouts within easy reach on email so I can print them out at the hotel.
Packing all the clothes but, not too many. Minimal amount of shoes too.
Using plastic bags (many) to pack toiletries and things that I do not want spilled in the suitcase. I do plan for the worst case scenario.
Charging all the devices and making sure we have the chargers packed too, in the “necessities” bag I will be carrying. It is never a great idea to pack them in a checked bag. The bag could be lost or I my flight could be cancelled or rerouted.
Very soon I will be walking around the house going into “Girl Scout” mode picking up all kinds of little things that might be handy. My husband has learned not question this. I once took double stick tape to a convention. He laughed until I spent some time in the bathroom before the big dance sharing my tape. I was helping my friends make sure their beautiful strapless dresses were prepared for any potential wardrobe failure.
I will accept the fact and forgive myself in advance because I will forget something and have to buy something on the road. Just once I want that to be hair bands instead of a shaver or a charger.
We are going to have tons of fun. I will be posting from the road and staying in the 31 blogs in 31 days challenge. Jack Kerouac has nothing to fear though.
Did I forget anything?
Christopher and I will be departing Sunday to attend The World Massage Festival in Las Vegas. Then we are going to take a quick little trip to San Diego. If you are a Massage Therapist please let me know if you will be at the Festival so we can meet and say hello. If you are a client you are in for a treat. Christopher and I always come home completely refreshed with new things we learned. So go ahead and click here to schedule an appointment for when we return or give us a call at 610-906-2322 or 610-933-3666 if you would like to book and appointment or have any questions.