My mind is full of swaying palm trees
landscapes cloaked in pink and aquamarine
of glistening pools
and sun-kissed people
wading
as thunderous clouds
clamor over Miami
No time for poetry. I need to pack.
Soon, we'll be on a plane to Florida. Until then, there are clothes and sundries to buy, plane and train tickets to purchase, reservations to be made, bills to be paid, mail to be held, security arranged, laundry to sort, and before Thanksgiving, luggage to stuff.
Have I told you how much I hate packing?... or should I say 'over packing'!
Luggage should come with a manual or at least tags with warnings like... 'Filling this suitcase with everything you imagine may create emotional distress when trying to lift and transport it to an airport'.
Experienced during the 'Meltdown of 1990', just hours before departing on a month-long trip to Europe when I couldn't pry my packed suitcase from the bed.
Or this one... 'Failure to remove batteries from appliances before closing luggage and boarding a plane may result in arrest and imprisonment'.
Terrified, I once watched my husband escorted from a plane ready for takeoff and made to open his suitcase that had been extracted from cargo and placed on the runway. Note: Ticking travel clocks will be identified as bombs waiting to detonate.
Whoever said "Success is a journey, not a destination - half the fun is getting there" hasn't traveled with me, been frisked by guards with guns, had the contents of her backback emptied, scrutinized, and cameras disassembled because she fit the daily profile of a terrorist.... that would be me.
And the boredom of hours spent killing time in terminals and other security regulations: the removal of belts, shoes or metal objects from pockets, the search and seizure of necessary items like nail clippers, scissors, tweezers, liquids more than a few ounces, and those scanners rendering you naked as if you haven't already been stripped of your privacy before purchasing your tickets.
And fear... fear of flying 30,000 feet above solid ground, of confinement and tight spaces elbow to elbow with strangers, people sneezing behind you, the lack of fresh air, turbulence, and what to do with those inflatable lifejackets stored under your seat.
It's the price we pay to be with family.
Until the world is safe again or teleportation is perfected, we do what we can...
Safe Travels
and to all of America
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
'Here and Next'... Travel: To & From Florida, Part 2... coming soon!
XOX...Dyan
It's certainly a "rite of passage", the traveling light awareness thing. btw: welcome back. The manual for traveling should forbid the notion of "outfits" i.e. bringing clothes so that you'll have something new for each day and is well suited within your aesthetic world. At one time I suspect that my model for packing was close to the wealthy Victorians with their valises, wardrobe cases, and portable closets that they brought with them. Little did I realise that I was the valet for all this baggage. Many times I would return with some things that I didn't even wear. Now when I travel, I think more of the emigrants. Leaving with only the shirt on my back.... Had there been airports during the days of Dante, I suspect they would have been included as one of the tiers in the Inferno!
ReplyDeleteYou've certainly had some horrible travel experiences! Hope this wasn't one of them! In the "old days" air travel was a positive experience where you were treated with dignity and it was something to enjoy. Now we are treated like potential criminals and it an experience to be endured rather than enjoyed. And it seems that it is only going to get worse. Hope you had a great visit with your mom. Looking forward to Part 2!
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