Luggage

Luggage, or too much of it, is a big concern by travelers and passengers alike. Once upon a time, people were able to check two or more suitcase and carry on two bags, plus a purse, laptop case, briefcase, etc. No longer is this true. Now it is wise to make sure your luggage is the proper weight and size before leaving home or you may have an unpleasant surprise when you get to the airport.

We were (and probably still are) guilty of trying to pack everything as well as the kitchen sink. We would try to pack for all types of weather. This is why we had winter clothes when it was 107 degrees in Moscow, and only a light jacket for March in Amsterdam. I am very thankful for all of the "traveler's" clothes on the market today because at least you don't spend a lot of your vacation ironing clothes that wrinkled in route.

I have one suitcase that perpetually seems to be overweight when we are coming back, no matter what we try to do. It is a boxy 26-inch Atlantic with extra space that can be unzipped on the lid to give us even more of a chance for excess weight. Of course at the time it was impossible to weigh suitcases when you weren't at home. We have had to go into a corner and switch items from suitcase to suitcase to carry-on to try to get the weight down. Fortunately, we now have a portable scale that we can take on trips so we can weigh the luggage at the hotel before leaving for the airport.

One time in France, I was told that I could not take my backpack and my 21-inch carry-on bag because my backpack was too big. It also doubled as my purse. I ended up going into the restroom and completely repacking since I had items in my 21-inch bag that were irreplaceble gifts and didn't want to trust them to the unfriendly skies of my aircraft carrier. I got the last laugh twice concerning this matter. In my backpack, I had a healthy back bag which I stuffed with all of the items I needed as well as those I thought I needed during the flight. When I got to the first US destination and was going through customs, I was permitted to take the bag I had checked since the remainder of my flight was on a commuter plane and the bag had to go underneath anyway. I was thankful for this because it gave me a chance to change clothes.

In the past, I have come home with more bags than I left with. In Australia, I bought so many stuffed animals and puppets that they wouldn't all fit in my suitcase. A friend was throwing away an old suitcase and I asked her if I could throw it away in the United States because I needed it for all the furry creatures that I had. I also bought a bag on a cruise ship after I bought a silk comforter in China which wouldn't fit in my overweight-prone suitcase with my too-many clothes and extras that I absolutely needed while away from home. Now I would have to pay extra for these additional pieces of luggage.

My husband is always telling me to pack light. He says that we only have two hands and do not need any more to carry than what we can comfortably handle. Our son can go on a two-week trip with only a large backpack and a daypack and get along fine. Now that we have such strict regulations on checked luggage, maybe his warnings will finally sink in. Just so we don't go to Italy in the winter any more with only a light fleece jacket.

Now, what did I forget that I absolutely need? Is it my laptop when there are Internet cafes everywhere in Europe? 2000 watt hair dryer that is absolutely not supposed to run on anything but 110 volt electricity? Three hairbrushes and three types of frizz-controlling serum? Enough medicines to fill a pharmacy? The list goes on and on.