Packing Nightmares!

The long-suffering likes nothing better than planning our next holiday. Until I met him nearly 30 years ago Guernsey was the furthest I had traveled outside of the British Isles.

Since then most years we have been to a good many destinations in Europe and increasingly further afield with our family, friends or just us two! Mostly a fortnight in duration – once or twice a few days longer – some city breaks a week or less.

Pre accident – ‘When we retire we will….’ Post accident – ‘Live life NOW while we can!’

Three years in the planning – and saving for – my long-suffering has booked and organised the holiday of holidays. We are going on a ‘Road Trip’ – five weeks traveling in a Wilderness motor home across New Zealand taking in the sights of first the North Island followed by the South. From there we fly to Australia for two weeks, Brisbane – visiting family, Sydney, Gold Coast and Whitsunday Islands. Finally from Sydney we fly to Thailand for ten days – the wind down before we get back in the real world once more!

The logistics – both of us are self-employed, eight plus weeks is a long time without pay! The long-suffering works freelance in the media industry on short and long contracts. He is booked sometimes months in advance as one job finishes the next starts. Luckily on our return a new long contract starts, editing the series Monkey Life at Monkey World in Dorset.

Winter is the best time for me to be away from work – often the weather is against me – the gardens I maintain have been put to bed until spring and winter planting design is complete.

Our countdown is now single figures, I cannot ignore the dreaded task of packing any longer….. so what to take?

A whole day! The time it took to put together my ‘capsule wardrobe’.

The negatives – a trashed bedroom, dressing and undressing multiple times all day is exhausting and demoralising the mirror does not lie!

The positives – another thing to tick off the list, I may sleep easier, in the packing process I have culled my wardrobe with…….

Items that no longer fit – too small, too big??
Items past their sell by date – falling apart, discoloured, swimwear so thin as to be transparent – not a good look at my age!
Items bought in shops with mirrors that lie obviously!

Everything, well almost everything is laying on the bed ready, this weekend a practice bag pack will reveal how well I calculated the available space – if a cull is needed, or rubbing hands gleefully an addition can go in!