Think I need a trunk?
Do you pack days or weeks before you travel? Maybe you never unpack. I’m a procrastinator, but I have my lists which have been growing for months.
Procrastinator in rehab
After reading these blog posts about being and not being a procrastinator the monkey dragged me back to the dark playground where we played tug-a-war for a while. If you are not a procrastinator you’ll just have to read it to understand the metaphors.
Packing
To roll or not? Maybe packing cubes? Naw, just get it all in the suitcase and worry about it later. Right? I’ve done this before and it does get a little easier each time. Add the few small things forgotten last time and leave more behind. South Africa is a modern country so I can buy most things I need like toiletries, camping gear and more.
I’m taking a small rolling carryon for all the electronics and camera gear, and a big—half empty—roller for the rest to be checked in. Plus of course the oversized purse.
Taking the big full-time laptop means backing up and removing a lot of data/images. Better safe than sorry. After double and triple checking two external hard drives for successful backup I still struggled with deleting three years of photos from the main hard drive. Sure opened up a lot of space.
On top of packing for the trip I also have to pack up my RV home so repairs can be done while I’m gone which includes making sure the slides go in and out. Water damaged a board under the bed slideout so all the hydraulics have to be moved to replace and repair it. Sure glad this job can be done while I’m not home.
Seems like I’ve done a lot of nothing in the last 2 1/2 months but sit on my butt at the computer. Guess that’s why I haven’t really written anything about what I’ve been doing lately.
Thanks for the suggestions on changing the blog. Although I’m not sure I can do anything about enlarging the font like Yogi suggested or changing the order in the archives as Erin asked. Is anybody except John having problems with the header falling off the page on their iPad? I have the site set to responsive which is suppose to make it work on all devices. And yes Sherry, I’ll try to tell more personal stories, when I have something to tell. If you think of something else always feel free to let me know. I look at it so often it could just be shit.
OK, I’m packing!
Oh happy dung beetle!
I am so glad I switched to Apple so small priest is no problem at all, just two fingers to enlarge everything in a flash.
I did three months in Europe with a change of seasons and formal gear with one overnight bag. We worked on the principle on only take what you can carry. With my heart condition, that wasn’t much but it certainly was enough.
For camping gear, lug it over there if you wish but do find a friend close to where you arrive and leave from and stash it in a corner of their shed.
Happy packing!
Thank goodness I don’t have to lug camping gear over with me. If it wasn’t for the laptop and camera gear I could pack it all in a carry-on. But trust me I’m not taking too many clothes as it’s rather fun to shop a little there.
Perhaps you need to invest in an iPad, they have more gigs than a university computer that used to take up a whole building. A couple of 16 or 32 GB photo chips are small and great for backup storage. You can edit on the iPad, delete the unwanted and leave the good ones on there and they are neither bulky nor heavy.
I hope you have and even better time than you can dream of.
I don’t own an ‘i’ anything and my laptop has 1T and all my comfortware. Thank goodness once I get there I don’t have to carry it around, Joan’s truck can do that. 🙂
This is getting so exciting, you are only 3 days away. WOW!! Hearing about the RV repairs you need made me cringe. I’m really glad it can be done while you are gone but boy those sound like big expensive repairs if all they hydraulics have to be taken out. Where are you leaving it while you are gone to have it done???
I can hardly stand myself. I just want to be there. Beam me over please.
I believe luck is on my side for the RV repairs. It will stay right where it is. And if I’d taken it to a RV shop the cost would have been at least three times as much. The hydraulics under the bed only have to be moved not completely taken out. If it had been either of the other slides it would have taken a lift truck to pull the slides out. Phew.
Stop procrastinating! Actually, I rarely pack until about a week before – but, then I’m not leaving the country!! I’d like to delete old images form my hard drive, but I’m not brave enough.
A week? I leave in two days. Now have piles on the bed and probably need to leave half of it home.
It’s not easy to delete, but is to back up data. Go for it.
Stop procrastinating! 😉
I don’t take a lot when I travel. I just hate hauling all sorts of stuff. Now I do carry my cameras and geocaching gear, but that is different. Right.
Oh so right. I couldn’t travel without my cameras and computer. Maybe I should leave all the clothes behind and just take the carry on. 😉
We’ve done several trips to England the past few years as family became old and ill. Our suitcases got smaller and smaller – I finally accept that countries we visit actually have stores to purchase things! lol. But my little bag of electronics keeps enlarging…. Accept my fond envy for your South Africa aventures. I’ll be following you.
I’m just glad I don’t have to carry them much once I get there. It’s all the electronics. Thanks for following along.
I’m glad you’re packing. I normally wait till nr 99 to pack. Ok, nr 96. LOL!
Sorry I’ve been so quite and thanks for still coming to comment on my blogs even if I was quiet. Went on holiday on 13 December and spent time with the KidZ. Went for interviews and did work in-between and then heard I got the job I’ve been after. Yay!!! Then Christmas came and on the 27th we went on our 9 day camping trip which became a 2 day trip when our gazebo went flying. Just wasn’t in the mood for the wind. I did spend a lot of time with the family when we got back and purposely tried not to spend too much time on the computer which meant not reading blogs. Last week was hectic. Came back to work and had to slip out a couple of times to learn my new work and then do the hand over as the incumbent left last Thursday already. So today is the first time in probably a month I’m sitting down and reading blogs and hopefully now that I’ve caught up I will keep up.
You don’t need to apologize, life has kept you busy and on holiday which is much needed. Sorry your camping trip was cut short. I am curious about the new job.
I don’t mind the reverse order in the archives … I think someone else suggested that, but I am happy to see the archive expanded to make it easier to find the posts.
Happy packing … as much as I love traveling, I hate packing!
Sorry Erin, I thought it was your suggestion. I just realized I could expand the archives. Duh. I know what you mean about the packing part although it’s not as bad as the long flight part. I just want to be there.
Gaelyn, we’ve just arrived in South Africa and it’s VERY hot. No need to pack anything thick or heavy. Maybe rain gear. Full moon looming. But perhaps that’s the biker in me thinking this way – we start out on Thursday! Seriously it’s very hot – I’d forgotten how hot our country gets. You need loose flowing garments, which I know you love and look good in. I love the busy dung beetle in the last photo. Safe travels, my friend and do please remember to add my phone number when you get here. (((Hugs))) Jo
Thanks for the heads up on the heat. I’ll pull a few things from the packing pile and add a light rain poncho. Have noted your number and will be in touch in SA. Enjoy the ride!