I'm not a big fan of the Holidays. It isn't that I dislike them, but that I really haven't looked forward to them much since I was a kid. One of the reasons for that, I believe, is that I've really never established some of those holiday traditions that many people look forward to. I do not mean to get into the reasons for that here; it's just to set the context for what I was thinking last week when an idea sprung to mind.
I had an idea last week that something that might be a good exercise at the end of the year would be to pack a bag. I've gotten relatively good over this past year of packing everything I think I will need for a week or two into one carry-on and one "personal item" (a laptop case). I say "relatively good" because that is in relation to how terrible I used to be at it. I've generally learned to follow the "less-is-more" and "you aren't going to need it (YAGNI)" maxims. If I discover I forgot to pack something I might need (this past year that included t-shirts and underwear) it's simple enough to just run out and get it. It's been much better, I've found, to run out and get what I may have forgotten as opposed to packing way too much as I used to.
(I should add the small caveat that there are a few things like eyeglasses and medicines that it's much better to not forget. Also for me, forgetting some piece of apparel is much easier to swallow if there is a Nordstrom or Nordstrom Rack nearby. I can make do with a J.C. Penny's or Target as well. If I really have to, I'll take my chances by paying a hobo to go into a Kohl's or Walmart to purchase something for me if I'm seriously desperate.)
Back to this genius thought of mine - So what if I had to pack a bag of all the personal possessions I wanted to keep? I like the idea of condensing down everything I own to what I can personally carry. Living part-time in the condo gives both Jen and I this desire to want to pare down. In a small space, you find you can get by with less. I also am a bit nostalgic for the days when I did minimalist camping, packing everything into a backpack. It simply struck me that it might be an interesting exercise to pack a bag of anything I wanted to keep on New Year's Eve each year and see how maybe that changed year to year.
There are a few assumptions:
First, Jen and Buck both have legs and can carry their own bags, so I can already assume they are coming with and I don't need to find a really big bag. For Bucky we've already determined that would be little saddlebags that fit over his back. One side would have a big chicken breast in it and the other would be stuffed with mini tennis balls.
Second, I'm assuming I have enough cash/credit and that the destination will have a Target for whatever necessities might get left behind (I'm still taking eyeglasses and medications enough for the short-term.)
Third, I'm assuming that I don't know my ultimate destination, but also that I can wear somewhat appropriate clothes to at least get me there. That is, I won't simply assume that I will just end up in Cape Canaveral and so don't need to pack anything I may want but already have there. I similarly won't assume I will end up in Antarctica and need to plan for that kind of voyage. Assuming a destination could change year to year, which would affect what I'd pack and kind of defeat the exercise. I'm assuming I'll have on appropriate clothes for travelling in including probably a non-distinct sweater or sweatshirt and jacket. If there is some special one that I want to ensure to take, I will put that into the bag. I'm also assuming that my wallet and passport will be on my person.
Fourth, I'm going to assume for right now that I am going to pack my standard rolling carry-on. Just the one bag. I'm assuming it need to be something that I can carry or at least roll down the street and that I can get onto most forms of public transportation. There are larger things that I might want to take. I am thinking specifically of my bike. I love my bike and would really hate leaving it behind. However, if I REALLY loved my bike enough I might forgo everything else and get one of those bags you can put a disassembled bike into so long as that were the only thing I took. That's not the case here, at least this year. (If I were getting more complex, I'd probably plan on making my escape on bike and packing that with all my possessions, but I want to keep this simple.)
Fifth, I'm going to assume I have an appropriate amount of time to get these things together and also assume that they are things I already possess. No placing orders on Amazon to get some wireless earbuds I always wanted or something. In light of the fires that swept through Superior and Louisville, this seems a particularly good year to try this exercise, but I don't want to equate this with the tragedy those people are facing. The flames yesterday moved astoundingly fast giving people no time to even grab bags in some cases, let alone go through some thought exercise of what they would or wouldn't keep. And it isn't like these are things that I would pack a bag for just in case I faced something as horrible as what those people faced and are facing. Yes, this is an exercise in appreciating what one has, even little things. The fires last night, instead of being some admonishment for putting value in things like having a nice home and comfortable bed, should be a reminder to us of how quickly possessions can be taken away. It's useful to think, "What would I save if the house were on fire," in doing this exercise, but I really want to stress that I realize that people in that situation weren't actually given much choice.
With that, I am going to wrap up this entry and work on packing my bag. I'll let you know what I came up with in my next entry.
