So H and I are going away for a week to a all inclusive adult resort where it is warm and sunny. We are leaving tomorrow.
So this is what I am doing tonight. Painting toe nails because I didn’t have time to get a pedi. Plucking and shaping my eyebrows because I do not usually wax. Shaving the area you need to shave if you are going to wear a bathing suit, including legs. Haha Putting on a Jergans Glow so that my lily white skin dies not blind someone.
My H is just packing. And complaining about how hard it is because he isn’t sure if this shirt or that is better!
Haha. What is wrong with this picture? I guess I am too vane.
I would have written, H is checking the weather at destination(s) for the umpteenth time and double-checking his packing list and packing.
I will be double-checking Rx supplies that we are bringing and throwing things into suitcase, confirming all reservations, lining up transportation to/from airport and at destination, and reminding neighbors to mind our house.
Yes, it is like the story of the dad who says “good nite” and heads for bed, while the wife does about 6 more things to set things up for the next day before she can turn in. Hmmmm.
One trip, H ignored my warnings that Yellowstone had snow every month of the year and only packed a sweatshirt and windbreaker for our June trip. He was FREEZING, as it did indeed snow while we were there and he had to borrow clothes from our kids! He had been more careful about packing enough warm clothing since. =D>
H keeps announcing, “I’m just bringing what I’m wearing.” Then he won’t pack the roller bag I bought for him. On the morning before we leave, he’ll start packing and asking for my advice about each item–which he will argue against and disregard. In the end, he will not pack his nice clothes, but will fill his bag with old, worn T-shirts, old polo shirts and old cargo shorts (GAK) in a hand-carry bag. Once on the plane, he’ll ask me where we’re staying and if we have a rental car. After we check-in he will admit he needed resort clothing and we will spend the first day shopping for decent clothing that he already has at home. We’ll argue and I’ll make a massage appointment–for MYSELF! B-)
Speaking of traveling with kids, it cracks me up to travel with our dog.
When we fly, I have to count her crate as one of my bags. Very annoying. And somehow I always end up being the dog wrangler. It falls to me to squeeze her into her carrier moments before we step on the plane (no small feat). And I’m the one who makes sure we have her food, travel bowls, calming supplements, etc.
Our kids have packed pretty well for themselves from grade school! S is an excellent packer now. D is pretty decent but never brings enough warm clothes and inevitably borrows half my warm wardrobe!
I guess it beats buying stuff she already has, but someday, I want her to improve (fortunately, I overpack because I don’t trust and don’t like shopping while traveling and HATE buying when things are full price).
Mr R is always packed at least the night before. Me? 20 minutes before I have to leave, I start stuffing things into my carry on. My philosophy is that as long as I have my meds, laptop, phone charger, and a bathing suit (assuming it’s a swim place), everything else is more or less replaceable.
Both of the men in my family (Mr R and my dad) pack WAY more than the women (my mom and me).
He also packs all the toiletries because I tend to forget things.
I am married to a metro-sexual. So just reverse all that. It took me 10 minutes to get ready and pack for our month long trip last November. H ran around for a full week like a chicken with his head cut off and still was not ready five minutes before we had to leave.
morrismm - hold hands, play in the water, don’t have too much rum punch on the catamaran tour and have a blast! And when you make your pedicure appointment at the spa, make sure to make one for your H. I had to drag H kicking and screaming, but after all was said and done, he loved it and they even talked him into buying some products.
My youngest dd learned early to pack carefully. One summer when we were going to Northern Michigan, she forgot to pack any long pants. The only store around was Kmart. She never forgot to pack them again.
Yea, for Father’s Day at Yellowstone, we bought H a VERY colorful (orange and red patterned) and warm pullover fleece that he’s rarely worn since. It was a memorable momento!
I pack the night before I leave, however, it generally takes from 5-10 min. However, my suitcase is always in a state of half packed, since travel is my life. The vanity stuff? Forget it, who cares, I want to be comfortable and casual.
H is the one who double checks all travel arrangements and prints boarding passes,etc.
I make the dog care arrangements.
One of us asks a neighbor to pick up mail and paper.
I have never packed for H. Not ever. My kids packed their own clothes from the time they were in elementary school. (I did check to make sure they included essentials).
I can pack quickly if I have to, I prefer a staging area in another bedroom to gather everything and then see what I need to go buy. Then when I see how I way over packed I start taking things out and being realistic about how much I really need. Then I make sure my carryon has everything I need for the first 24 hours in case my luggage goes missing.
I can’t tell you how many times my husband has run out of underwear or didn’t bring something basic.
I pack the toiletries last before leaving.
I taught my kids how to pack by first telling them x amount of underwear, x bathing suits, etc.
@eyeamom, one of kids’ bedrooms (said kid has grown and flown), is currently my staging area. I’m two weeks out from a two week Asia journey. Rather than leave notes to myself with “don’t forgets”, I throw everything on the bed as I think of it. As I get closer to the date, I will look at clothes and add them to the staging piles before deciding what makes the final cut.
I go through this process for longer trips, even though for years I’ve had a well honed list of “Items to Pack”. It includes everything from underwear to each individual toiletry item. As I actually put these in the bag, I check things off. Some of the more unusual items will have already made it to my staging area before being packed - fail safe system (I hope). I am almost always fully packed the night before unless I maybe have a very late afternoon or evening flight, then it is first thing in the AM.
Hubby, by contrast, packs the morning of departure - even if the cab to the airport is at 6 AM. This drives me batty - our first real fight was when I realized how he was going to pack for our honeymoon. Neither of us has changed a bit through the years.
