Friday, June 12, 2015

365 True Things: 76/Packing


Tomorrow morning at 9:30, we fly off to Norway, via New Jersey! In about nine hours, at 2:45 a.m., we get picked up by the SFO shuttle. (There is a 5 a.m. shuttle too, but I didn't want to cut it too short, in case there's traffic, and then there are those interminable TSA lines. I do not like to stress any more that I have to on a travel day.) Presumably, we'll try to get some sleep before our ride arrives. Which gives me, oh, four hours still to pack! No problem!

I remember the old days when you watched the weather report in the newspaper the week before a trip, hoping to discern a trend. That didn't allow for much refinement. If, say, you were traveling somewhere in the mountains of Norway, the only city you'd get would be Oslo. Packing was a matter of guesswork.

Just now, I checked the weather for Oslo and my sister-in-law's home valley, where we'll spend a few days: 60s for Oslo, 40s for Folldal. That helps. I'll definitely be layering up. And packing for sunshine. And rain. And wind on a boat as we sail down a fjord. Even some snow, possibly, on a three-day hut-to-hut hike. If I get there and find I've overpacked, I can leave stuff in the car. No sweat.

When it comes to packing, clothing is pretty straightforward. It's the diversions that I have to consider with care. But how wonderful it is that we can now pack an entire library on a Kindle! I am bringing a few old-fashioned books as well, and a bunch of New Yorkers for everyone's reading pleasure. And lots of camera equipment: that's the heavy part of my packing. Binoculars; my phone; GPS unit, for geocaching; iPod so I can tune out to music (or Norwegian lessons). And chargers and cords galore.

And my laptop, of course, so I can continue this blog-a-day challenge. I may not be posting every day, but I will be writing. 

As long as I'm awake enough in the middle of the night to remember to pack my toiletries bag, I think I'm set. Let the shuttle come.



1 comment:

cynthia newberry martin said...

Sounds so fun--except for the 2:45 shuttle part!