Traveling, again
Tomorrow we’re off to Atlanta for a few days. John and my dad have a date to attend a vintage motorcycle festival at the Barber Motorsports Museum, aka Man Dreamland. It’s a great excuse to spend time with family, as my aunt lives close-by in beautiful Alabama.
Our last airplane experience nearly did me in. We had to drag both the girls’ carseats, a stroller, a big duffel of clothes, a folding hammock (another story), plus assorted carrying stuff, through rental car shuttles and to the most inefficient check-in line on earth. Genius that I am, I threw my souvenir Maine wildflower honey and some coffee in John’s carry on, which made for more drama. Bomb dust and explosive gel, eh? The coffee made it home, the honey was disqualified.
This trip will be far saner. My parents have accumulated two carseats and a stroller along with toiletries, baby junk, and even extra clothes. We need very little.
When we came back from Boston John looked at our pile of stuff and sighed, “We’ll never be able to live on a boat.” I took the opposite approach- that our whole little life for 2 weeks was wrapped up in a duffel and a few carry-ons. If we managed to have such a good time with just that stuff, think what we can do on the boat.
It’s truly nicer to have a few nice things that work well, than many junky things that fall apart. I’m still learning that with the clothes I buy, but when it comes to the rest of our life- kitchen stuff, vehicles, tools, toys -we have it down to a science.
ps- turtle from our visit to the Turtle Hospital last weekend. Turtles just seem to be the appropriate model for efficient world traveler.
Yup. I agree. Turtles carry their homes on their backs. Sounds like totally efficient boat living to me!
Not to worry about living aboard the boat. It has to be FAR easier than traveling the not-so-friendly-any-more skies.
When we flew to Chicago in July, the airport (aka Homeland Security) idiots threw out my toothpaste that I had hurriedly thrown into my carry-on rather than the checked luggage. Toothpaste? Are you kidding me? Pretty darned easy for an old lady like me to make a bomb inside of a tube of toothpaste, eh? Why do the airport idiots (aka Homeland Security) hate dental hygiene?
And god forbid you should avail yourself of some fabulous local honey. It might just heal your wound or give you pleasure on your morning slice of toast or something.
Once the girls grow out of their need for strollers, diapers and carseats, it truly does get easier to travel.
As long as you don’t have to go through airports.
Or car rental lines.
I think I broke a record in July. Two HOURS in line for a car at O-Hare. Their “computers were down.”
Oy vey.
I kept getting out of line to let families with babies in strollers and front packs go next.
Once you get on that boat, stay there.
Let everyone else come to you. It’s the least they can do
LOVE the turtle imagery with this tale — we have thought long and hard about re-naming our boat with something turtle-y