An Infrequent Traveller: Musings on getting around

I have made exactly four sets of airplane trips in my adult life: that is, four trips somewhere and four trips back. Across that decade, several things have changed, and maybe they're more noticeable to an Infrequent Traveller.

Strangely enough, I think airport lineups are getting better. Maybe it was a fluke, but it seemed to me that even the dreaded security and customs lines at Pearson (Toronto) moved quicker and smoother than they did in the past. Is it because passengers are now so familiar with taking shoes off and showing liquids, that things flow better? Or are the agents just moving them through better?

Where I did notice a hangup, more than once, was with the greater number of people bringing carry-on bags, some of those possibly over the size limit, aboard relatively small airplanes. These planes have three seats on the left and two seats on the right, and the overhead compartments are correspondingly deeper on the left. Passengers were having a terrible time finding places for their bags, especially on the smaller side. The airline is obviously aware of this problem, because they were asking for volunteers to check their bags (for free). On the return trip, I took them up on it, because I had a connecting flight with little extra time, and I was happy to have one less thing to trundle through the airport and fight for space with on the plane. (And my carry-on did get to Toronto with no problems.)

Airport food is horrendously expensive, even at the grab-and-go booths. Sometimes you are just stuck with it, so be prepared. But even short flights usually offer free drinks and snacks, so it's not worth paying for airport coffee or pop or bottled water if you're boarding soon anyway. I did buy a sandwich during one stopover, and a fruit salad while running through the Atlanta airport, see above.

It is definitely an advantage these days to have a computer, phone, or other device to keep you current on check-ins and changes. It's also a good idea to have a plan for accessing airport Wifi, if (like me) your life doesn't run with a phone. I put a shortcut to a site called Boingo on my home screen, which helps access public Wifi that doesn't just pop up automatically.

The biggest change, I think, was not in the physical or digital navigation of things but in my own perceptions, and the fact that (even being very Infrequent) I don't get mixed up as much anymore. The first time I ever came back through Toronto, I got hopelessly lost trying to find the shuttle van home. Turned out I was on the wrong floor of the terminal. Now I'm not even sure how I could have done that, because the van counter isn't that hard to find. But I was the kid who got lost coming back from the bathroom on the first day of school, so anything's possible. Moral of the story here: you're not stupid if you get mixed up in a new place; and after two or three times, you are going to feel, if not exactly at home, at least a little more in control.

An Infrequent Traveller, Part Six: In the end

I tried the backpack, etc., and settled for the good old tote bag. I don't know why I was having such a hard time making it work before. Case of nerves?

All set to go and spend time with friends I haven't seen in much too long.

An Infrequent Traveller, Part Three: Dry run, tough choices

This is a practice-pack for my upcoming trip.

First attempt

The blue satchel and the backpack managed to hold most of what I had collected. Clothes and shoes in the backpack, everything else in the satchel. Left out: the water bottle, which was too big. I will probably buy a small bottle of water after Security, and refill it if needed.

First layer in the backpack: a little Kon-Mari helps.

Second layer, ready to zip:

Some stuff for the satchel, which is heavier than I'd like. It has to hold anything that comes out for customs and security: liquids, electronics. 

Liquids bag. Actually the easiest part of the whole thing. 

Second attempt

I thrift-bought the blue satchel just for this trip, but I was not happy with the way it packed. It has two disadvantages: the thick handles and hardware make the bag itself heavy, and there are no shoulder straps. The law society daypack, on the other hand, is very lightweight, has a shoulder strap, and is a bit wider at the base. I was counting it as a potential suitcase rather than tote bag, but it can be either. I hate to say no to the prettier satchel, but shoulder straps and less weight are making this a better choice.

Clothes in the backpack, stuff in the law bag?

Third attempt

Brain wave: clothes in the law bag, everything else in the backpack, which should still fit under the seat.

For now, I'm going with #3.

An Infrequent Traveller, Part Two: What to pack it in

Some infrequent travellers have proper suitcases stored away. I don't, so when I do make a trip somewhere, I have to haul out the possibilities and try to remember how much I managed to get in them last time. 

 On this trip I am limited to one carry-on bag and one personal item.

The backpack, the heavy shoulder bag, or the nylon quick-business-trip deal? (Two of them are freebies from relatives.) I have an older weekend bag, but when it's packed it just barely fits the maximum size for carry-on, and it gets stuck in overhead compartments, not good. So it's a choice of these three, or (at worst) thrifting a carry-on suitcase when I'm volunteering tomorrow.

The new tote/purse or the old one? 

Makeup bags, grocery bags, Ziploc bags, laundry bags?

Here are the necessaries, more or less. (There are a few things I can't show in public.)

10 items of clothing (the rest I'll be wearing)

Sunglasses, tissues, makeup, pillowcase, Daytimer, reading material (could be left at home), two scarves (or maybe just one)

Toiletries, snacks, vitamins, towel, handy magnifying glass, gum to stop ear popping

Hat, extra shoes (could be left at home if absolutely necessary), brush, water bottle, and socks I use for slippers

So here is the suspense story: will it all go in? (And in what?) Stay tuned.

A is for Airplane (Deep in the Heart of AO Conference, May 2016)

A is for airplanes, airports, and Atlanta, where (both times) I just barely made the connecting flight to and from Dallas. The airplanes were fun; the airports, not so much.

B is for bags: two of them.

C is for comfortable shoes, for which I was grateful.

D is for drizzle, which is what we had Thursday. Also for Dawn doing drill (Swedish).

E is for enthusiasm.

F is for fangirls, and not the kind you'd think.

G is for gravy and biscuits. Also for group photos.

H is for hayride and campfire. Also harmony, four-part.

I is for Instagram, where you can see people's #heartofao2016 photos.

J is for joyfully hugging hello.

K is for keys.

L is for long walks and lineups, but you don't mind those when there's interesting company.

M is for music, and Megan Hoyt's new book about it, which I didn't manage to get a copy of at the conference, but it's on the list.

N is for nature study, sometimes unintended.

O is for organized.

P is for PrimePeriwinkle, who is blogging her way through the conference. Also Prufrock...no, Plutarch...no, Prufrock, I meant Prufrock.

Q is for quiet. It wasn't, much, except for early in the morning and late at night.

R is for ready for business.

S is for swag bags, over 200 of them, filled by our crack team of helpers including one under the age of three.

T is for Texas, as in, deep in the heart of.

U is for umbrellas, which Kathy thoughtfully brought along for the drizzle downpour.

V is for van service, which is how I got home from the Toronto airport.

W, X is for WaXahachie. Also for Wristbands.

Y is for y'all.

Z is for Ziploc bags, to keep your socks and everything else organized.

Doing some travelling

(The photos are for the benefit of those of you who like to talk about packing and purses. The purse actually came from a yard sale last weekend. The bigger bag I've had forever.)