Holy Agony of Anticipation, Batman, our Summer Getaway is almost here. It feels like approximately, oh, 3-1/2 YEARS since I planned this all out, and now we fi....na....lly get to go. (Well, in a couple more days, but still...) I mean, after all the booking of flights and reserving of rental car and securing lodging, the hard work is done, and I can just relax now, right? Suuuuure! Except for the teeny, minor, last-minute details, like stopping the mail...canceling the paper...setting up the timers...unplugging non-essential appliances...reprogramming the thermostat...arranging for fish-and-frog care...cleaning out the refrigerator. Hmm, have I forgotten anything? Oh yeah: PACKING (duh)!
Since I've been so excited--and since I'm just the slightest bit...let's say "obsessively organized", that sounds healthy--I made a detailed list about a week ago, encompassing all of the items I, myself, would require for this trip. It was arranged in categories (of course) such as clothing, wellness, toiletries, and electronic devices. Simple, yeah? That's what I thought, too, until I realized that each group contained several sub-divisions that needed to be addressed. For example, because of the climate we're visiting, "clothing" in this case will run the gamut from bathing suits to light hoodies for cool mornings to shorts and tee-shirts for daytime. (And a cotton jacket...and tropical-weight sweater, if you're me.) I must have running shoes and walking shoes (Yes, these are different, trust me). There's makeup (whether or not I actually use it on vacation, I hesitate to leave home without it...just in case....of what, I don't know...maybe "looking like a zombie in my travel photos"?) and lotions (face and body, day and night) and hair-control contraptions. Let's not forget my iron supplements and lip balm and sunscreen and...what else could I have forgotten? Aaarghhh! Deodorant and toothbrush, of course!
Finally, we arrive at the arsenal of communication and entertainment tools one must bring along: iPod, camera, Kindle, phone, laptop--and all of their assorted chargers, naturally. The boys were utterly appalled when I--thinking to show off my foresight and excellent planning skills--dangled the neatly written (and full) page in front of them. Rather than recognize my achievement (although I haven't actually assembled most of the things yet, it's still a worthy...Step One...) they expressed horror at the length and complexity of my list. A brief interlude ensued, while we argued about the necessity of bringing arm-covering-garments of any sort...which I won because, well, mostly because I employed the "Mom said so" tactic. (But also I was able to demonstrate to them by authority of NOAA.gov that it will be in the 50s overnight, which will feel extra-chilly for those of us from the hot, muggy Mid-Atlantic.) After that, they smugly boasted that their own suitcase-stuffing will consist of: the prescribed number of shorts, shirts, undies, and socks...swimwear...and the all-important products for odor control and oral hygiene. It will assuredly take the two of them five minutes--TOTAL--to be fully ready to walk out the door. Sigh.
No doubt about it, this is one of those "Dang, it's hard being a girl" times. On the plus side, their luggage is bound to be under-filled, leaving room for my overflow...you know, like perhaps an "emergency pair of capris"...or an "alternative long-sleeved top"...or, what the heck, maybe even the not-strictly-necessary-but-nevertheless desirable "cute pair of shoes"...on second thought, sometimes it's FUN being the girl! Now can we G-O, already?????
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