Well, we got through Thanksgiving. Still grateful for that. Miss it actually. It kind of came and went so quickly. Even the leftovers. Hopefully we remembered some of the things we are grateful for like the fact that Christmas is coming next and we will get a chance to see more people during the season than many of us see in a year.
According to AAA, 47.9 million people just traveled more than 50 miles to share Thanksgiving with someone worth the trip.
AAA expects about 98 million of your closest friends and relatives to hit the road for Christmas. That’s a lot of luggage and fruit cake, not to mention the cards, gifts and warm memories and eggnog to be made. In the spirit of what’s old is new again, it can be entertaining to remember how people used to travel – holidays or not.
Many people have always loved sharing the holidays with people they know for a long time and people they love. (They aren’t always the same, alas). People used to pack their clothes in steamer trunks and hat boxes and jewelry boxes with their hard covers and handles. It took a long time to reach their destinations so they wanted to make the most of it and usually stayed for weeks. Today, twelve days is considered a long vacation. Back then, packing for weeks with so many different kinds of events meant that organizing your wardrobe was a three day affair. Black tie events, parties, more parties. PIcnics. Many with the same people. This meant that mix and match wouldn’t make it. Oh, all the accessories. If you watched Scandal recently, you saw how each outfit in Olivia Pope’s First Mistress’ closet was set out with shoes and all appropriate accessories. Traveling back then required the same attention to detail, let alone calendars filled with parties, programs and events. Tissue paper separated garments to keep them fresh and pressed. Good thing the rich people with steamer trunks had someone to do their packing. Or not.
But let’s skip to the not so olden days. We still packed travel irons with abbreviated handles, hair dryers, some with adaptors for foreign countries, sewing kits, suit hangers and books. Just the weight of it all. In the better hotels, men used to put their brogues outside their doors and in the morning, their shoes would be there all cleaned and What does it mean?. Women went to the hotel beauty parlor to prepare for the evening event. They didn’t have blow bars. Women used curling irons and rollers. They sat under hair dryers that looked like metal helmets while a uniformed manicurist filed and buffed their nails.
Packing today is so different. We throw or roll up a bunch of bottoms and tops. Some may match, some not. We throw them into soft sided, light weight bags to avoid checking them and paying even more money to the airlines. What we do pack carefully are electronics and chargers.
Still, there are some important basics to remember so you are not left out in the cold:
- Roll your own – clothes that is – to save space and don’t laugh, ironing. Right.
- Pack important and expensive items like jewelry and medications in your carry on, or on your person.
- Pack items you may need in case your luggage, should you check it gets lost.
- Be prepared for security checks. Do you really want to walk barefoot in an airport security line? Yuck. Actually, that’s a good place to have your GoGo’s ready. Or, you can wear them barefoot while security check, better than flip flops.
- Make sure your passport is valid. Some countries, like South Africa, require you to have 6 months longer than your departure date. Always check ahead with the State Department.
- Check the weather. Weather Underground/ Wunderground a great source. I have used often and always have the right clothes. Others do not. Sorry for them.
- Keep copies of your passport in a different place. Also your identity papers in case your wallet is lost or stolen, which happens a lot while taking pictures of exotic sights. Or Aunt Edith after her 4th eggnog.
- Bring baggies for wet bathing suits, muddy hiking boots or leftovers. Also so creams don’t mush out all over your toothbrush.
- Reading materials (more electronics) It’s great that Kindle doesn’t require WiFi on board. Viewing materials.
- Snacks and breakfast bars/energy bars. You never know.
- PIN numbers for credit cards in many countries. While the US is starting to use chips, miraculously, we are not requiring PIN numbers yet. The banks are requiring the chips. It’s up to the retailers to ask for PINS. So it goes.
- Stuff socks into shoes. doesn’t make sense to me Wear the heaviest shoes in transit. Stuff gifts into your GoGo’s especially if they are the gift. Lucky person, that one.
- Pack two days ahead. The day before your trip, take out half of what you packed out because you need to
- LEAVE ROOM FOR GIFTS AND SOUVENIRS on the way home. Take one of those bags that fold into 3 inch squares.
Remember this:
Nothing is perfect. Not even the trip you planned so carefully 6 months ago. When it hits the fan, and it will, you can smile and think to yourself, “ah, this is the one,” and go on from there. Happy, full of the warmth and joy you were seeking for yourself and the ones you love.
Happy Holidays everybody. And don’t forget your Gogo’s.
GoGoGolosh 