The goal was simple but the implementation was not: fit everything needed for the four of us to live for two months in as few bags as possible for our planes, shuttles, taxis and golf cart rides to the boat. Clothing, schooling, entertainment (can’t live without at least four thousand Playmobil components), toiletries and personal items sold at a premium in the Bahamas all had to go. Add to that the most important things for this year: boat repair parts and supplies. “We can do it in four bags!” we said. Which swiftly turned to five, and we then found ourselves in the days prior to the big exit swapping items from one bag to another (forty pound limit for each) every time we added something new, like we were playing the shell game over and over but with a bathroom scale for added fun.
To no one’s surprise, we hauled ourselves to the ticket counter with not four, not five, but six giant bags. Total weight of all six? 239.5 pounds. Andy and I high-fived in glee at our Tetris packing prowess, and the gentleman who helped us said that he was surprised we didn’t take a picture of our fine work. And to think, we had a half pound to spare spread among the six- that’s another 39 Playmobil people! (Meanwhile, it’s anyone’s guess as to what is in what bag, and I envision a lot of slow-blinking as we plan the ‘great unpack’.)
It’s nice to finally be on the plane with our very-set amount of things, and the innocently gleeful assumption that we’ve remembered to do everything that we were supposed to do. Every year I forget about the “Last-Minute List”, which is the attempt to see and spend meaningful time with all of our loved ones at exactly the last minute possible. Last meals together before we go, last romps in the snow with friends, last hikes with the dog before she goes to her winter home, and for me, one last chance to do all of the ‘pre-trip’ chores that I’ve been procrastinating for three months. (Refer to bags under my eyes for a testament of last night’s 1am finish. I finally sewed the new V-berth bottom sheet that’s been staring at me from the packing pile for weeks. (Had to shave off those unused corners to save on weight! Kidding- they’re a bear to have to tuck into the bunk, so I get all fancy and customize them.))
We’re so lucky to have so many dear friends and family members nearby; our problem is a good one to have.
We’re now tucked into Phase 1 of the southerly reach: Universal Studios. A Christmas gift to the girls so that we can play en route, we taxied and shuffled those six bags (plus our maxed-out carry ons) through the winding and lengthy expanses of our hotel, where we now crash before tomorrow’s adventure. Which bag has the clothes?!