“You can’t run away forever, but there’s nothing wrong with getting a good head start.” --Meat Loaf, from Rock & Roll Dreams Come Through
With less than one week left until departure, I find it hard to believe this is really going to happen.
Thank you, thank you, thank you to Jeanne and to AILA's Executive Committee for granting me this leave. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate this extraordinary opportunity and the chance to re-charge. And the same thanks to my colleagues whose own workloads are going to be pressed all the more while I’m gone.
A tip of the hat to Susan Walsh and the rest of the gang at Brown & Keene: thank you for all the work you did and for putting up with my constant barrage of questions, worries and obsession with minutiae.
Family, friends, colleagues, doctors, hairdresser, and everyone else I’ve been boring to death for the past several months with my anticipation of this trip: sorry about that and thank you for putting up with me. I’ll be off soon and out of your hair.
Postscript on the bag: the Customs inspectors are back at work, and my bag has been cleared and is on its way.
Monday, September 29, 2008
Friday, September 26, 2008
Such a Bright Idea
“The best-laid plans of mice and men/often go awry." – Robert Burns, from To A Mouse
I had a plan. I’d ship one bag, so that I’d just have to deal with one checked bag and a carry-on on the day I fly out. Well, the universe said “ha!” Seems the customs inspectors in Greece decided to go on stike, thus stopping my bag at Greek customs. Yes, foiled by Greece’s CBP! I can try to escape the world of immigration, but here it it chasing me, irony in hand.
I had a plan. I’d ship one bag, so that I’d just have to deal with one checked bag and a carry-on on the day I fly out. Well, the universe said “ha!” Seems the customs inspectors in Greece decided to go on stike, thus stopping my bag at Greek customs. Yes, foiled by Greece’s CBP! I can try to escape the world of immigration, but here it it chasing me, irony in hand.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
How DOES One Pack for 71 Days?
“Take no more than three pair of shoes, including those you plan to wear while traveling.”
-Susan Foster, Smart Packing
When I tell people about my plans to take a 71-day cruise around a big chunk of the world, one of the questions I get is “how do you pack for that?” Mostly, I’ve responded by either shrugging or yammering on about making a list and checking it twice.
Well, I just finished packing the bag that I’m going to ship ahead of time, and am in a position now to answer the packing question: “Beats me!” I just stuffed a big rolling duffel full of all sorts of odds and ends that I believe I’ll need during the trip and won’t be able to get easily or reasonably priced. The funny thing is, unless you count shoes, there’s hardly any clothing in that duffel. But my, are there ever shoes!
Shoes exemplify the problem with packing for so long a trip. I rarely take more than three pair of shoes on any given trip—a pair of exercise shoes, a pair of pumps and a pair of casual shoes should fit any need. Right? Well, not for 71 days—particularly when you’re not going to have to pack and unpack to go from place to place. Because of course I need two pair of walking shoes—after all, what if something happens to one pair? I don’t want to have to try to find shoes for big American feet in small-footed countries, or to break in a new pair of walking shoes. And, don’t I need nicer shoes for the various levels of evening dress on the ship? Well, you get the picture of how this shoe thing has mushroomed out of control.
-Susan Foster, Smart Packing
When I tell people about my plans to take a 71-day cruise around a big chunk of the world, one of the questions I get is “how do you pack for that?” Mostly, I’ve responded by either shrugging or yammering on about making a list and checking it twice.
Well, I just finished packing the bag that I’m going to ship ahead of time, and am in a position now to answer the packing question: “Beats me!” I just stuffed a big rolling duffel full of all sorts of odds and ends that I believe I’ll need during the trip and won’t be able to get easily or reasonably priced. The funny thing is, unless you count shoes, there’s hardly any clothing in that duffel. But my, are there ever shoes!
Shoes exemplify the problem with packing for so long a trip. I rarely take more than three pair of shoes on any given trip—a pair of exercise shoes, a pair of pumps and a pair of casual shoes should fit any need. Right? Well, not for 71 days—particularly when you’re not going to have to pack and unpack to go from place to place. Because of course I need two pair of walking shoes—after all, what if something happens to one pair? I don’t want to have to try to find shoes for big American feet in small-footed countries, or to break in a new pair of walking shoes. And, don’t I need nicer shoes for the various levels of evening dress on the ship? Well, you get the picture of how this shoe thing has mushroomed out of control.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
