This is the first time in five years that we’re cruising from a US port, and flying Southwest to LAX means two free checked bags each, plus an un-weighed roll aboard (and we chose United rather than Qantas for our return, simply because Qantas weighs carry ons and United doesn’t). Oh, life IS good! All the things we’ve had to leave behind in recent years are back on the list, and, with our first stop being in familiar Honolulu with its nearby stores, that means we’ll be flush with stuff this season.
This was so darn easy, even with degree of difficulty points for being less mobile. Luckily, I started gathering things in June during the couple of weeks notice I had before surgery took place. I was hauling suitcases out of the basement and stockpiling toiletries in the packing (aka sewing) room more than three months in advance. The most time-consuming exercise was to secure vacation overrides from our two health insurances to get more than a 90-day supply of two of my prescriptions. When I finally had the medications in hand, I sat for hours one day loading 150 days worth (not that we’re going to be gone that long...I always take extra) of morning and evening pills into 300 tiny bags. Oh. So. Very. Tedious.
Once medications were packed, I turned my attention to toiletries. I was packing in order of less walking required to most, and most of my toiletries were already set aside. As my online purchases were delivered, G would open them, tell me what they were, and stick them with the suitcases in the sewing room. Repeat, often. When I finally made it in there myself, I was shocked by how big that pile of (mostly) toiletries had grown. Apparently, I have a weakness...oh, who am I fooling? I definitely have a weakness.
Speaking of weaknesses, as always, Fungirl Across America and Beyond’s musings on daily life and travel had me in stitches while I was down after surgery, especially when she showed us the 10+ full-sized hair products she had packed for a three week trip to Europe. I laughed and laughed...until I took a look at what’s going in my own suitcase. Hair products are simple for me: Shampoo. Conditioner. A drop of hair oil. But sunscreens are a different story. I have sunscreens for all occasions and body parts, and don’t leave our inside cabin each morning without being covered in about four layers of a variety of products.
From left to right:
Black Jack Lemon Lip Balm SPF25
Vanicream Water Resistant Lip Balm SPF30 (for the beach)
SuperGoop powder sunscreen SPF45 (plus 2 refills)
It CC Cream SPF50
It Face Powder SPF50
Neutrogena Ultra Sheer SPF55
Australian Gold Tinted Sunscreen SPF50
Coppertone Kids SPF50, mineral based so it won't harm Nemo (for the beach)
Banana Boat Sport Spray SPF50+ (for the beach)
And these don’t even include my non-sun related skin care regimen. Yes, of course I have an acute need for each and every one of these products; I’m just three months away from turning 60! Fungirl, now it’s your turn to laugh and laugh (about my packing, not my age. I’m still coming to terms with that!). ;-)
I’ve gathered my clothes together in just the last few days. I’ve actually gotten pretty good at this “four seasons of extended travel packing” exercise over the past three years. Despite having more packing space, I’m not taking that many more clothes than last year, now that I’ve learned how little I can get by with. In addition, I'm lucky, at this point, to even have three pairs of footwear (one pair of sneakers and two pairs of sandals) I can get on “that” foot, so I’m packing lightly there, too. Still, clothes, shoes...and Tilley hats for even more sun protection filled one suitcase by themselves, and I held my breath as G wrestled that bag down the stairs and weighed it. Just 38 pounds; not bad at all.
While I’m leaving my fins behind (I can’t imagine squeezing my foot into them right now), I’m filling a second suitcase with my snorkel gear, all those toiletries, an entire case of 3” Coban, a collapsible cane for when I’m past the crutches stage, two walking sticks for when I’m past the cane stage, the over the door shoe rack and an old full-sized Waterpik (replaced by a new one during Prime Days in July, it will be left behind when we disembark). G’s second suitcase will hold the suction shower bins, the wall magnets, the floaties, the beach tarp, the soft cooler/beach bag and the winter gear we’ll need on our return, which seems to always be snowy. And then there’s the list of items we’ll be purchasing in Honolulu (currently 24 items long).
Build an annex on that inside cabin, we’re moving in!