> CD #60: Travel light
Even during normal times, I suffer from travel anxiety, often obsessively going over in my mind how I will best navigate through airport terminals, get through security without losing anything, find ground transportation, manage my motion sickness, and avoid bringing home bedbugs. I do enjoy visiting new places, but I absolutely hate the logistics of getting there and back. I’ve been waiting my entire adult life for someone to invent a transporter, à la Star Trek. Why are people spending precious time and resources on space travel for billionaires when they could be making regular travel better for me?
Covid, of course, has thrown an additional layer of anxiety on top of it all. I am afraid I’ll test positive before my flight this week and not be able to speak at SXSW, and I am equally afraid of testing positive while I’m there and being stuck in Austin. I’m also apprehensive about wearing a super-tight N95 mask for my 9-hour journey, but again, I want all the protection I can get so I can come home as planned. I will downgrade to a KN95 when I get to Texas and probably dart around nervously my entire time at the festival, looking for good ventilation. Sounds like a fun trip, right? Lol.
I generally pack light because I don’t like to check baggage (see: travel anxiety), but this time I need to fit everything into a small backpack I can shove under the seat in front of me because my ukulele, which I need for my reading, will be in the overhead compartment.
I’m looking at the backpack now and wondering if I’m a fool for even thinking it can carry everything I want for a six-day trip where I’ll be on stage twice and seeing the same people (execs from my job as a copywriter) at least three days in a row. Currently the weather looks like it will range anywhere from a low of 1°C to a high of 26°C. SO NOT HELPFUL, AUSTIN.
I’ll definitely bring my laptop and all its accoutrements, a toiletry bag, curling iron and sketchbook, which means I’ll have limited space for clothing. So here’s what I plan to pack:
A pair of dressy shoes
Two t-shirts and one camisole that can double as a sleep top
A skirt
A pair of dressy shorts that can double as sleep shorts
Tights to wear under the shorts so I can turn them into evening wear
Underwear (can I stuff these inside the ukulele?)
The socks, sneakers, pants, t-shirt, cardigan and light jacket I’ll wear on my body
I bet I’m missing something, but this is probably more than I can comfortably carry already.
Sometimes I can turn the buzzing in my head down just enough to remember it is a privilege to travel, as well as an honour to get up in front of people who actually want to hear what I have to say. I am lucky to be invited anywhere and lucky to have a home I can return to, even if I’m delayed.
So thanks for indulging me and all this pointless complaining. Writing it down has helped lighten my mental load, at least.
:) Teresa
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