excess baggage

I just arrived in Portland and it is wet.  It is a good thing I packed my rain jacket, my umbrella and 42 pounds worth of other stuff.  Literally. Efficient, utilitarian packing is usually my goal, but this trip was tough.  I’m out for 9 days, likely without an opportunity to do laundry, so I definitely had to be sure to pack enough underwear.  It’s a business trip and I’ll be meeting with the same people three different times, so I had to pack enough business-wear.  That, of course, also meant more pairs of shoes and my promotional materials, which makes more stuff than I am already comfortable dragging around with me.  But since I don’t plan to wear a business suit for 9 days, I had to pack casual wear, and a meeting with family meant that I had to pack something a little nicer too.  Factor in the weather – wet, with temperature variations from 70 to 40 degrees – and I was forced to bring my bigger suitcase.  Bigger, by-the-way, means it does not fit in the overhead bin, which now equals more money for American Airlines.  Who, after charging me extra for just one checked bag, didn’t even offer me a snack on the entire length of my journey across the country.  Six hours, no peanuts.  WTF.

Yes, I am aware that was way more information about my packing rationale than you cared to know.  I blame the jet lag and hunger pains.