Baggage
There's a great scene in Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle (my new favorite movie) in which Harold says to Maria, his fantasy love to whom he cannot speak, "You sure have a lot of baggage." So, in case I meet John Cho in an elevator and he secretly desires me, I will not take much luggage with me, to avoid his embarrassment.
I have the most excellent separating and reattaching carry-on. And, I will take a rolling suitcase with the less essential stuff: clothing, my favorite toothpaste stock, guidebooks, etc. Things that I will miss but not cry over. Because things will be lost. It's inevitable. I'll also probably take a duffle with me - of school supplies for the camp in Ghana where the kids don't have jack. Then if I have stuff to bring back from my last stop, I'm set. Which, I don't know where my last stop is, but I'm prepared for what may come.
Things continue to fall into place. Selin has offered her parents' apartment in Istanbul for my extended usage - as well as all her friends and family as guaranteed entertainment, and hook-ups with all eligible bachelors. (Um, sounds like I'd get tired - and sore? - from that vacation!) (And, her parents are cool with it - they offered their apartment to me last year.) And Mahmoud will contact friends and family in Irbid, Jordan, to "take good care of me" - and then he said: "I have to go now, but we will talk more about this issue-you better start buying some veils to wear in Irbid!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" [exclamations his] OK, he has a warped Islamic sense of humor and he's lived in Davis too long. Thanks, man. Anyway, it's all about the social capital in Jordan, he insists (and I absolutely believe), so I feel set. I also need to come up with a good reason why I'm not married with children at my age, so I've decided to either: A) lie about my age (easy to do - everybody assumes I'm early-mid 20's anyway) and say I'm betrothed (note to self: buy nice simple diamond ring to wear convincingly) or B) make up a tragic tale of widowhood and infertility.
Also, did I already say this? Reconnected with an OOOOLD friend (from 20 years ago - we haven't spoken in 17 years) who now just happens to work for the UN in Macedonia, and his wife writes travel guides and is a political consultant. They probably have good connections and ideas of where I should go and how. Plus, it could be fun to stop by and see him and meet her - he and I have never been adults around each other; I wonder if we'd be fond of each other as grown-ups.
This is all good, because one of my biggest fears is that loneliness and exhaustion from constant vigilance that alone travel requires. I like to travel alone, prefer it really, but sometimes it's draining and can be lonely. Ideal travel for me is short-term contacts and then I move along to somebody else. I have very fond memories of when I did that in Europe many years back - with the exception of Austria, where the pastries are fantastic but the people leave something to be desired. Not all Austrians are racist, xenophobic, unfriendly bastards, but too many are and I think I met them all while the kind welcoming ones were in hiding. (And wasn't Hitler Austrian, not German?)
So, Roberta, short answer to your question - yes, mostly a carry-on, and a prayer for a mid-size suitcase to make it, too. All I'll be able to take on the Adventure Center trips is the carry-on with less than 20 kilos, so everything else needs to be disposable. Oy vey.
I have the most excellent separating and reattaching carry-on. And, I will take a rolling suitcase with the less essential stuff: clothing, my favorite toothpaste stock, guidebooks, etc. Things that I will miss but not cry over. Because things will be lost. It's inevitable. I'll also probably take a duffle with me - of school supplies for the camp in Ghana where the kids don't have jack. Then if I have stuff to bring back from my last stop, I'm set. Which, I don't know where my last stop is, but I'm prepared for what may come.
Things continue to fall into place. Selin has offered her parents' apartment in Istanbul for my extended usage - as well as all her friends and family as guaranteed entertainment, and hook-ups with all eligible bachelors. (Um, sounds like I'd get tired - and sore? - from that vacation!) (And, her parents are cool with it - they offered their apartment to me last year.) And Mahmoud will contact friends and family in Irbid, Jordan, to "take good care of me" - and then he said: "I have to go now, but we will talk more about this issue-you better start buying some veils to wear in Irbid!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" [exclamations his] OK, he has a warped Islamic sense of humor and he's lived in Davis too long. Thanks, man. Anyway, it's all about the social capital in Jordan, he insists (and I absolutely believe), so I feel set. I also need to come up with a good reason why I'm not married with children at my age, so I've decided to either: A) lie about my age (easy to do - everybody assumes I'm early-mid 20's anyway) and say I'm betrothed (note to self: buy nice simple diamond ring to wear convincingly) or B) make up a tragic tale of widowhood and infertility.
Also, did I already say this? Reconnected with an OOOOLD friend (from 20 years ago - we haven't spoken in 17 years) who now just happens to work for the UN in Macedonia, and his wife writes travel guides and is a political consultant. They probably have good connections and ideas of where I should go and how. Plus, it could be fun to stop by and see him and meet her - he and I have never been adults around each other; I wonder if we'd be fond of each other as grown-ups.
This is all good, because one of my biggest fears is that loneliness and exhaustion from constant vigilance that alone travel requires. I like to travel alone, prefer it really, but sometimes it's draining and can be lonely. Ideal travel for me is short-term contacts and then I move along to somebody else. I have very fond memories of when I did that in Europe many years back - with the exception of Austria, where the pastries are fantastic but the people leave something to be desired. Not all Austrians are racist, xenophobic, unfriendly bastards, but too many are and I think I met them all while the kind welcoming ones were in hiding. (And wasn't Hitler Austrian, not German?)
So, Roberta, short answer to your question - yes, mostly a carry-on, and a prayer for a mid-size suitcase to make it, too. All I'll be able to take on the Adventure Center trips is the carry-on with less than 20 kilos, so everything else needs to be disposable. Oy vey.
posted by NOLA at 2:19 PM
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