when you read this, i'll be into the second week on my trip to scotland! i'm sure i'm enjoying the fresh air, grass, and the weather not being temperatures that rival hell. i'm probably missing the gym and wondering what's going on at work. i travel a lot, lately a lot more by air, and that really limits what i take with me. i've trimmed it down to just the essentials.
for my trip to scotland, i'm only allowed one carry-on and one suitcase. which is hard for two weeks, for me at least. i'm not taking my laptop because i know i won't be doing any work. i'm bringing my iPad, so that will be enough to take care of anything that i have to do. plus it has books loaded, and a couple movies. i have my kindle (loaded with about 8 books) and two real books (in defense of food by michael pollan and what i was doing while you were breeding). i have a bit of a.d.d. when it comes to reading. i finish all the books, but i tend to read 5-8 at a time. i have my passport and wallet, with cash and my debit card. i have a pouch with my sunglasses and my regular glasses (bifocals, which i refuse to wear at times because they make me feel old). a pouch with all my chargers. my iPod and ear buds. i have 2 iPods, i'm bringing my 160gb iPod classic (which they don't make anymore) for this trip. i have over-the-ear headphones, but i'm leaving them in cambodia for this trip. i'll sleep a majority of the flight, earbuds are just better for that. i have a pouch with toothbrush, toothpaste, facial cleansing wipes, lotion, and hand sanitizer. my journal and a pen. and last, a pouch with extra hand sanitizer and chapstick.
i like to pack things into pouches, so it's organized in my bag. when i need something, i know what pouch it's in and it's easy to grab. that way, i'm not unloading stuff into the seat next to me trying to find my iPod or chapstick.
once everything is organized, this bag is pretty flat, so it will sit nicely under the seat in front of me. i kinda have a love/hate relationship with overhead bins. a) it's a fight to get your stuff and get out of the plane. b) it's just extra luggage. c) but it is nice when i'm taking a lot of stuff back and forth (like when i moved to cambodia).
there you have it. everything i need to keep me entertained for the next 36 hours of travelling.