I packed a lot (and I do mean a lot!) of obvious things (clothing, boots, toiletries, etc), but that’s not what I’m referring to. I thought I’d list some of the things that weren’t so obvious, but I felt were ‘pack-worthy’, that is to say deserved space in the luggage.
Technology: Apart from the obvious (earbuds, cables, etc…) I did throw in my GoPro, a cell phone stand, my Rocketbook, and two flash drives with TV series, from MM, without which I would have had a very rough two weeks in October before getting wifi.
Books: I know bringing books in luggage sounds insane, but I was rather proud of myself for limiting them to: three Scottish travel books, the Reid Family Cookbook, my favourite Canadian cookbook Cellar & Silver, and my English/French & English/German pocket dictionaries. (Quite an accomplishment for me – you should have seen the pile I had started with.)
Pictures/Photos: Sibling 1 tucked some old family photos she had had mounted into my carry-on luggage (because I needed yet another reason to cry as I was leaving) and Sibling 2 painted an amazing picture of Scout. These items were the first things I set up in my hotel rooms, and in my house.
The Dog: Scout travelled with her blanket (which I had had her brother sleep on for the weeks leading up to our departure, my shirt (which I wore whilst working around the house then didn’t launder) and 5 lbs of food. I packed her bowls, 5 of her favourite toys, a couple of leashes and her grooming kit. I don’t know how much comfort the blanket & shirt brought her on her voyage, but the shirt went in the garbage and the blanket into the washer the minute she landed.
Personal: I packed a few quirky items (and for a couple of them, I’m not really sure why I chose to bring them). But they all make me smile. A stuffed teddy rabbit called Monsieur Lapin my parents gave me when I was in hospital (I was 33 and we’re not French). A Maple Leaf pin from a good friend, made from the copper that once was part of the roof of the Canadian Parliament Buildings. Kampot white pepper, which I bought in Cambodia – it’s the only food I brought with me. And a cheque book?! I have no idea why.