Overpreparation

I’ve always had a problem with over-preparing. This manifested strongly during family vacations. A three-day trip often involved a large suitcase, a small suitcase, a cooler and a computer bag, and that’s just for me. We needed larger vehicles to handle the things we took with us. What if we needed something? What if I one outfit was too cold, too warm, too formal, or too casual? The end result was needing an entire luggage cart stacked to eye level just to get from the car to the hotel room.

I’ve gotten better over the years. I can actually travel for three days with just a carry-on sized bag, for the most part. I guess I figure I can always stop at a store or a pharmacy if I need something I didn’t bring. That doesn’t really apply to our Indonesia trip because I don’t know what I’ll be able to find there, and it’s a 10-day trip. I’m not big on re-wearing outfits before they’re washed. Our destination, despite being near the equator, can have cooler nights. I also have to bring a suit to attend a wedding.

For clothing, Diana and I each took half of two large suitcases, with roughly the same amount and types of clothing inside. That way, if one gets lost, we still have clothes to wear. I have four pairs of shoes – two pairs of running shoes and two pairs of dress shoes. The suit and tie is in my carry-on, as are two casual outfits.

Then there are my medical needs. I need insulin, oral medication, pump supplies, extra batteries, test strips and blood glucose tester, in addition to the prescription and over-the-counter meds recommended by the travel doctor. I have to bring extra bottles of glucose tablets in case my sugar goes low, which it does frequently. My CPAP machine needs to fit in with the carry-on goods, too.

Let’s not forget the environmental and hygiene products. I need bug spray, sun screen, wipes for my hands and different wipes for my CPAP, since I won’t be able to wash it in the tap water.

I tried to weed out a few things this evening to lighten the load, but it’s still more than I’ve packed in a very long time. I’m realizing that despite the difficulty of transporting all that stuff, there’s a comfort in having it all with me. I hope I feel the same when I’m lugging it all through the airport.