Packing

Pack for one week, even though you are going for three weeks, I hear that a lot and I follow this advice religiously. Not so, my sister in law, let me beg her again this trip to take this advice. A bar of soap, a small roll of toilet paper? Where am I going, to Timbuktu? The soap at hotels are so small, they're difficult to use, besides I bring a nice piece of scented soap in my luggage to make it smell nice. Toilet paper comes in handy in trains' toilets and other places where there might not any, Sophie, usually brings the handi-wipes, those are great. Of course my pink scarf that goes where ever I go and my money belt. Don't leave home without it.

They don't stamp passports anymore, they just look at it and wave you through, this much traveled passport does not have enough stamp to prove it. Euros, the more the better. I use mostly cash, partly because the mom and pop places I stay in takes only cash, they don't declare the income, partly also because by the time I come back, the trip is almost paid for. I won't have those pesky credit card charges following me home, forget about reward miles, I prefer not to owe anything, my ticket's already paid for in last month's credit card bill. I have also paid twice all my bills, my utility bill, my phone bill and my mortgage, all I've made 2 payments, so when I come back, all my bills are already paid. I have enough money to do this and it makes for a great feeling. I haven't decided on what reading material to bring but I'm bringing "Sicily" guidebook by Rough guide. The hotel arrangements are in bits of paper downloaded from my email, so is my plane ticket, eticket all the way.

A big sketchbook, a little sketchbook, a writing pad, paint brushes, watercolor pencils, pen, pencils, and watercolors, I hope I have time to stop and indulge in these urges to draw and paint a little. Of course my Sony Cybershot camera, memory card and 2 power packs. I still need to get a transformer for recharging that battery pack, I don't want to run out of power. I did, the last trip and ended up using a lot of those one time use cameras, I was buying them at a clip so fast, it's like they were going out of style. And a universal adaptor plug. My goodness, the gadgets I have to bring.

Am I forgetting anything? Have I covered everything? I hope so. I've done this so many times, I've become a seasoned traveler.

All is well at work too, I have arranged for a good relief pharmacist to take my place while I'm gone. That's a relief, my people are being taken care of while I'm away. (Thanks, Jenny, if you are reading this).