Written on: May 3, 2013
Yes, I know we're experienced travelers. However, I'd been hearing so much about the uncleanliness of conditions in China from the air to the water to the bird flu that it made me uneasy even after the reassurances from Air & Sea Tour.
"You're overdoing it," said Art with a shake of his head.
"The tour person said they don't have CVS in China." I reminded him.
Then our son called to ask how our preparations were going for our trip.
"Mom is totally overpacking," Art tattled on me. "She's got a third of her suitcase filled with everything from the drugstore."
I sent Jon a photo of my drugstore supplies that I bought and the things the hospital gave us.
"First of all, why do you have things in boxes," admonished Jon. You don't need the whole box. You're going to be there for only 16 days. The oral rehydration packets are unnecessary. They give those to cholera victims. Airborne won't protect you. Why are you packing TWO bags of Ricola?"
And so on and so forth.
So I repacked and reduced what I'm bringing. I didn't tell him about the masks, the big bottle of hand santizer or the anti-bacterial wipes I'm also bringing.
One of the most important things I'm bringing is my travel journal. I've filled quite a few from our travels in the past few years. I write in it every night.
I also carry a little notebook to jot down information as we travel throughout the day. They are invaluable when I'm writing my blog posts later and putting together our travel album.
And now the clothes.....
POSTSCRIPT:
Thank you so much for all your kind comments, everybody! I'm now sorting though 18 GB (approximately 4,500) photos and videos and getting organized back home in Hawaii. I'm working on blog posts of the trip and putting together our digital photo album. I'm afraid I'll be tied up for a length of time before I can catch up with all your adventures. Please forgive me and know I am thinking about you.
I tried to take a peek at the blog in China, but blogs and Facebook are verboten there. It felt weird to be cut off from all of you. Sigh...
Have a wonderful, peaceful Memorial Day everybody.
Yes, I know we're experienced travelers. However, I'd been hearing so much about the uncleanliness of conditions in China from the air to the water to the bird flu that it made me uneasy even after the reassurances from Air & Sea Tour.
"You're overdoing it," said Art with a shake of his head.
"The tour person said they don't have CVS in China." I reminded him.
Then our son called to ask how our preparations were going for our trip.
"Mom is totally overpacking," Art tattled on me. "She's got a third of her suitcase filled with everything from the drugstore."
I sent Jon a photo of my drugstore supplies that I bought and the things the hospital gave us.
"First of all, why do you have things in boxes," admonished Jon. You don't need the whole box. You're going to be there for only 16 days. The oral rehydration packets are unnecessary. They give those to cholera victims. Airborne won't protect you. Why are you packing TWO bags of Ricola?"
And so on and so forth.
So I repacked and reduced what I'm bringing. I didn't tell him about the masks, the big bottle of hand santizer or the anti-bacterial wipes I'm also bringing.
I also carry a little notebook to jot down information as we travel throughout the day. They are invaluable when I'm writing my blog posts later and putting together our travel album.
And now the clothes.....
POSTSCRIPT:
Thank you so much for all your kind comments, everybody! I'm now sorting though 18 GB (approximately 4,500) photos and videos and getting organized back home in Hawaii. I'm working on blog posts of the trip and putting together our digital photo album. I'm afraid I'll be tied up for a length of time before I can catch up with all your adventures. Please forgive me and know I am thinking about you.
I tried to take a peek at the blog in China, but blogs and Facebook are verboten there. It felt weird to be cut off from all of you. Sigh...
Have a wonderful, peaceful Memorial Day everybody.
Can't wait to see the pictures! A travel journal is a must for me too. I tend to over pack too, even traveling to the cabin every weekend. Carla
ReplyDeleteDid you have to open even one of those ziploks and use the stuff? But I guess it gives a secure feeling, having it near, just in case.
ReplyDeleteNo blogs or Facebook, feh. What a strange country.
Yep, I take contents out of boxes and stuff the baggie inside a shoe to pack, so my suitcase is brick solid heavy. China would be a bit concerning though. Even scarier to not have types of computer access. Hope you had some good adventures. DrumMajor
ReplyDeleteWhy do I suspect you are a bit of a worrier when it comes to health issues? :)
ReplyDeleteThe good news is you are alive and well and ready to tell!
Got anything for insomnia? It's 4:30 AM here and I've been awake since 3:30. I finally just got up to put an end to tossing and turning. I see that it's beginning to get light already. I'd better go back to bed and try again, before it's actually time to get up.
I pack the way you pack trying to make sure I have whatever medications I might need because they might not be available where we travel. I break them out of the boxes and blister packs to consolidate space. I put them into labelled "snack bags" plastic, ziplocks so they take less space and weight.The only thing I used from my "medicine collection" last trip was the Imodium and the Pepto. We used a lot of hand sanitizer too. I always pack the surgeon's face masks, but have never used them. I find tissues and antihistamines more useful on my seasonal allergies.
ReplyDeleteGreat that you have Jon for advice, lol. Seriously it is great to be prepared.
ReplyDeleteI still have some Chinese remedies in my medicine cabinet from my last trip to China. Other than needing somebody to help me buy stuff (since I can't read the labels), the Chinese remedy for bursitis was much better than anything I could buy here. Nowhere could I find hand sanitizer, so that was a good thing to take along! I look forward to your pictures and hearing about your adventure! I always enjoy your trip descriptions, Kay.
ReplyDeletehappy you are home save and healthy-looking forward to your china posts...
ReplyDeleteYou will have to let us know what you actually used of all that you took. I am like you and always seem to pack way too much of everything.
ReplyDeletePacking for travel is one of the biggest bones of contention between Ron and me. I do not want to be without any necessity and he thinks anything we leave without can be acquired elsewhere. I just wish I could be as sure. Jon is a good helper for you and seems to have given good advice. (Did Art pay him?)
ReplyDeleteI did hear about China dissing blogger when they had their fallout with google.
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to your travel blogs. I can't believe China can hold a candle to Japan (regarding history or anything else) given the Commmunist Cultural Revolution a few decades ago. Don't much care for all the new stuff they are building over there. (My SIL and nephew traveled there extensively and sent many photos a few years ago.) Hope you saw the Panda preserve. Dianne
ReplyDeleteGlad to know you made it back, safe and sound. I often thought, when reading your post, that you must have written this weeks ahead as I was pretty sure you had said you would be in China in May. Your overpacking is very funny. Of course, this is the reason I do not travel out of the country. I make a terrible tourist. I want to know where everything is and how to do all the things I want to do ahead of time.
ReplyDeleteWelcome home! I can hardly wait to read about your experiences and see your pictures.
ReplyDeleteI love your traveling drugstore! And since you seem to have packed almost exactly everything I would pack, I would love to travel with you in case I ran out of things. LOL I do have to say that because none of my stomach remedies were working on my trip to Germany a few years ago, I went to one of their pharmacies and made the discovery of a lifetime. Their remedies for many of my stomach problems, Iberogast, really helped me. Now I order it from Germany.
ReplyDeleteI'm looking forward to reading more.
4500 photos? That may take you into fall, even though you do not have fall there!
ReplyDeleteTotally cracked up at Jon's comment. Good to know you were ready for cholera:)) I have no room to talk however. I pride myself on being prepared for any circumstance.
ReplyDeleteI carried all that stuff and we were still inside the US!!! :)
ReplyDeleteHome Safe! Ku`u Home! So glad. Yes, we missed YOU too. Can't wait till you settle in and unpack some of your treasures (pics & stories)
ReplyDeleteFond ALOHA from Town Side
Comfort Spiral
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Thank you everybody! I'm working on Day 6 of the 16 Day China Trip for my blog and it's a slow process since I can't be at my computer all day. Sigh.
ReplyDeleteYou illustrate your travels so very well. I too take a small travel journal.....my laptop. LOL Since I can't write any more, like you I need to record what I've done every day. I'm so appreciating your trip and looking forward to more days.
ReplyDeleteI think it is a male thing to rib their spouses about overpacking...husband scolds me every time we pack for a trip, though last trip he had to eat his words lol We rely on Ester C whenever a cold virus strikes but because of his stingy packing practices he packed only the few remaining pills from the old bottle and left the new unopened bottle at home. Well, during the trip he got sick and we ran out of Ester C. Those pills are pretty pricey so he refrained from buying another bottle, thinking only about the bottle he should have brought.
ReplyDeleteL...w
I agree with L...w, Gregg always teases me about overpacking. Taking the travel journal is a great idea.
ReplyDelete