Earl and I leave tomorrow on a three week trip that takes us to rainy England, the barren northern coast of France, and then south to sunny Spain and Portugal on our way to crossing the Atlantic in November and stopping in Bermuda before disembarking in Ft. Lauderdale, FL.
We need waterproof clothing for London and possibly the Atlantic. But in between we might encounter sunnier skies and warmer weather. In fact, I’ve checked and the temperatures for this trip range from the low 40s to the mid 80s.
Since Earl and I take only what we can carry, it’s a challenge to be prepared for all kinds of weather. No wonder my suitcase is confused, almost schizophrenic.
I was confused too, until I decided that one-third of the suitcase’s space would be devoted to cold clothing, while another third would contain gear that could be either hot or cold, and the last third would hope to see eighty degrees in Bermuda where I can don a swimsuit under shorts.
The winter third includes wool slacks, a cashmere sweater, and my Gortex® raingear. The middle third includes a pair of jeans, various tops, and my sweatshirt that says “Earth without ART is just EH.” I suspect this will mark me as a silly American, but no matter.
The Bermuda third has a swim suit, goggles, sunscreen lotion, and brightly colored T-shirts There’s also the requisite formal dress, the one that compacts into the size of a tissue, with a couple scarves for vanity and variety. Of course, I also need underwear, shoes, cosmetics, my computer, iPod and Kindle.
It’s a good thing I’ve been working with a trainer, because the real issue isn’t stuffing everything into my bag – I’m good at that. Rather it’s being able to hoist the bag into the overhead compartment above my seat without wrenching anything underneath it.
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