Does everything in life boil down to suitcases? My other blog was about putting down the bags I have been carrying through life. Now I need to distill the next six months of my life into a carry-on bag and one checked piece of luggage. Traveling alone presents a certain set of problems in terms of luggage logistics. It's not like there is a partner to watch your bags while you go to the restroom. Your suitcases have to come into the stall with you. So, I want to minimize the number of bags I have to juggle and yet be prepared for almost any weather eventuality. One checked bag and one carry-on. I HAVE to take my laptop as part of my carry-on. I will put in a change of undies and toiletries in there and all the rest goes into the checked suitcase. I also don't want to have it so heavy that I can't manage to wheel it from the airport to the train station.
Fortunately, Jason, my Carcassonne landlord has very kindly offered to allow me to ship a box to his house, and he will see to it that the box comes to the apartment. I checked with the post office about size and weight restrictions. The box can weigh no more than 66 pounds and needs to be no bigger than 108" combined length, width and height. I have no intention of shipping 66 pounds... I would like to keep my weight around 15 pounds. That will cost around $70 to ship, which seems reasonable. Into that will go my winter boots and an extra pair of shoes. Perhaps my table easel. Will I really need that? Maybe I would be better off to use the space for clothing. But I would rather take writing and art supplies. Remember, Charlotte, the goal is to travel lightly.
I also have to remember that I will be on the East Coast for a week. I will want to do laundry there before taking off to France; I don't want to take dirty clothes to France.
Oh brother, I just had a trial run for packing the box....20 pounds. It will cost $85 to send it, probably, which is still considerably less than what it would cost to check the suitcase on all the legs of the trip coming and going. But that gives me three pair of shoes, my bedroom slippers and my winter boots and my bathrobe, which while it doesn't weigh much, is very bulky. Won't the French douaniers be pleased to open this? I took out the blank notebooks, which weigh as much as a pair of shoes. I will put them into the laptop bag, along with my camera and my address book.
The time for decisions about what clothes to take is rapidly running out. I have decided not to take my heavy winter coat. I checked the Carcassonne weather, and I believe that I can get by with some layers and my raincoat. There's a washer/dryer in the apartment, so I don't have to pack tons of clothing. A couple of pairs of jeans, a skirt or two, some sweaters and maybe a few short-sleeved shirts for the spring should do it. It's not as if I am going to the jungle or desert, someplace without stores. If the weather is THAT dire, I will just stay home!
There is only one household item I am taking with me--my kitchen knives. I ordered a knife roll--polka dots no less--to bring my kitchen knives with me. I can not live in a kitchen for six months without sharp knives. I ordered it from Sur La Table, one of my favorite kitchen ware supply stores. www.surlatable.com (Somewhere I saw it referred to as knife luggage.) I will be able to chop and dice all those wonderful southern France vegetables as I learn to cook like a Frenchwoman.
Isn't this the essential question-- If I can live for six months with just these things, what am doing with all the things that I am leaving behind in Brookings? Do I really need them? If not, why am I hanging on to them?
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I would welcome any insight.