Tag: packing

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Traveling to Boston for NCTE: Departure and Arrival

Water Taxi from Airport to Hotel – in Boston Harbor -it’s the best way to arrive in Boston in warm months (note to self: it’s cold and windy on the water in November)

yesterday we came

to the big city: Boston

but our hearts are home

Nothing grounds me, pulling on my rural roots and centering my belonging more than putting on my sweatpants, wrapping up in a jacket, and throwing on my dew-proof duck boots for a walk with the dogs in November on the Johnson Funny Farm, one hour south of Atlanta, Georgia but as rural as Little Red Riding Hood’s deep woods with all the mystery. I smell the wet earth of morning wafting up from beneath the pine straw, see the falling leaves and misty haze through the thicket, and hear the lone woodpecker overhead, calling to us from the towering Loblolly pines. I’ll carry the country silence of my Sunday morning walk with the boys close to my heart all week as we travel. I’ll miss them, and I will pull up these blog photos below many times while I’m away. The one with Ollie trying to be a stowaway will bring tears by the end of the weekend.

I know that there is much to look forward to in the city beyond the NCTE Conference, where I, along with my writing group, will be presenting our latest series of books for teachers on Thursday. We’ll see the nation’s history unfold along the Freedom Trail if the weather permits, and from there, following the NCTE Convention, we’ll explore several New England states and share Thanksgiving Dinner at Plimoth Plantation as we see The Thanksgiving Story come to life on stage.

As we share in our love of travel, though, there is nothing that compares to coming home. To being home. To belonging, and to feeling the sanctuary of our space here in rural Georgia with our three rescue schnoodles – Ollie, who walks with his nose up, sniffing the air all around him, Fitz, who walks with his nose to the ground, sniffing what has been there before him, and Boo Radley, whose nose and eyes are always directly ahead so that he doesn’t miss a thing. It seems silly, really, to have to walk these boys on a leash in all this space, but out here we never know what wildlife we’ll encounter, and they are prone to chase everything from deer to cattle and donkeys that get loose from nearby pastures. We don’t take any chances.

As we fly out on this work conference and extended adventure, it is comforting to know that our return ticket will bring us right back where we belong.

This is what country folks look like when we take walks on the farm.
Noses: on ground, in air, straight ahead
A few sounds of the country
Ollie confirms that his people are leaving on a trip and looks for space to fit in
Sharing dinner before the conference frenzy begins (From L-R: Tammi Belko, Dawn Lanca-Potter, Kim Johnson, Sarah Donovan, Leilya Pitre, and Denise Krebs at Layla’s American Tavern, Boston)
Sarah Donovan and me – Sarah’s writing group at http://www.ethicalela.com saved my life as I struggled with grief over the death of my mother in 2015. And we’ve been writing ever since.
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June 15 – Route 66 Trip Planning: A Savvier Traveler

Several years ago when I traveled to Europe with a group of students for ten days, I realized that the recurring motif of 3s throughout so much of life holds true for travel as well and makes traveling with only a carry-on possible even for lengthy trips. Three bottoms and three tops yield nine outfits, and that’s more than enough clothing to take me through a week along Route 66 – and these items will fit with room to spare in one small bag.

Two friends in my writing groups have lost their checked luggage in the past few months. When we all gathered for an NCTE presentation in Anaheim, California last November, our Louisiana writer’s bags failed to turn up at the airport; she had to go buy all new clothes for the trip, right down to underwear, makeup, and a toothbrush. Our Michigan friend seemed to have it worse – – she’d flown to Italy and ended up borrowing clothes – – even for the wedding she was there to attend.

So I’m more than a little particular about not checking any bags, fearing I’ll end up on one side of the continent and my belongings on the other.

Before I decided to purchase my Coleman carry-on, I searched several major airlines’ websites to find out their maximum luggage dimensions for carry-ons. I took the smallest dimensions and made the decision to purchase a small hard-shell bag that could stand up to me. Solid swivel wheels, a thick exterior, and a non-flimsy expandable handle were the three most important features, and I also inspected it to be sure it had a stealthy zipper. I landed on a Coleman with a tactical flair.

My personal bag is one that I carry only on the airplane to get the maximum ride for space; once I get where I’m going, I whip out my Travelon backpack with its locking features and use this for daily excursions. The clasps that fasten the bag shut mean I don’t have to worry as much about theft, and the RFID protection gives an added layer of peace of mind. For this trip, I’m also adding a crossbody bag from Travelon, recommended by my traveling friend Glenda from Idaho. I’ll put the crossbody in the backpack and the backpack in the personal bag so that I have a range of bag options for any outing.

Crossbody/Fanny Pack Convertible bag recommended by my friend Glenda

I’m still seeking travel hacks, and some friends have emailed and texted me some great suggestions recently. I appreciate all of the voices of experience and the tips. Please share any packing ideas in the comments – I’m always looking for ways to become a savvier traveler!

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June 5 – Route 66 Planning – Day 5

We’re ready to begin packing for our Route 66 trip later this month. I’m counting down the days, planning as I go so that our trip has a better chance of fewer hiccups.

Today I’m adding pre-addressed mailing labels and a roll of postcard stamps to my list. Whenever I travel, I love sending postcards, but I often find it time-consuming to address postcards and write them while on the road. A few years ago, I began purchasing blank mailing labels and addressing them ahead of time, and throwing in a roll of postcard stamps and a couple of pens in a Ziploc bag each time I travel (I also roll my pens with several layers of Duck Tape, using the barrel as the tape core just in case we need to repair something). This stays in my backpack so that if a store sells postcards, I can purchase them right there, write a quick message, stamp and label them, and ask if they have any outgoing mail. I did this in record time in Luckenbach, Texas in February 2022 so that I could get the Luckenbach postmark from their tiny post office rather than mailing them from a different location later.

Addressing labels at home before the trip saves a lot of time!

It makes sending mail from the road more efficient, and I like to send the grandchildren postcards so that they can see where we are in the world and learn a little history of the places we visit. Perhaps, too, they’ll catch a case of travel fever and we’ll be able to take them to a couple of places that spark their interest.

My love of travel hacks started years ago when I read on Pinterest that I should travel with my makeup and moisturizer in contact lens cases, and I realized that if I found ways of scaling back, I could travel with nothing but a carry-on bag. The hardest part is deciding which pair of shoes to take.

Other than pens rolled in Duck Tape, makeup in contact lens cases, and pre-addressed mailing labels, what are some of your favorite travel hacks? I can use all the handy tips you’re willing to share in the comments.