prepare to pack!

suitcases – 31 may 2015

Back when we hit the road a couple or more of times a month, we were expert packers. And when we flew? We haven’t checked a bag in forever. Well, except within Turkey and within Greece. Turkey because of fingernail clipper rules and such other even-more-restictive-than-the-TSA rules. Greece because I was worried about the size of the plane that would take us from Santorini to Athens in a much shorter time than the ferry took us there – but I shouldn’t have worried. That was no island-sized airplane (even though the airport was certainly island sized.).

While I have a perfected packing list built from years of experience and am uber-organized, packing is still a challenge. The girls have changed. They like having their things with them, and that’s no longer one small stuffed animal. They have beauty products to bring. And a flute. And grownup-sized Doc Martens.

But I am still adverse to checking bags. Every time we check, we’re slowed down by baggage claim. A bag gets lost. Something happens. And I grumble.

So I’m a “carry-on only” person. The kids and I have done fine with this for years, but for this upcoming trip, I had told them we could check. Why? Because we have a few hours in NYC and I didn’t want to lug the bags around. (Free luggage check, plus the girls get to bring their stuff. Win-win.)

Unfortunately, I realized yesterday that our layover at JFK is so long that it is not considered a connecting flight. So now I’m faced with both paying to check bags AND with claiming bags. Not something that I’m happy to do.

Quick change of plans. “Girls, we’re carry-on!!!” Reassess the liquids (aka makeup). Reassess the books (Kindle, I love you). Reassess the tripod I just bought (love you, but next trip).

We’ll make it work. Just like we always did. And Delta your “flight changes” disappoint.

At least I got my return trip JFK-LGA transfer fixed. That change was truly ridiculous.