pack it in, baby!

in the ever increasingly complex world of global air travel, we have found at least one solution to the plethora of problems that confound adventurers.

packing.

or, lack thereof.

long before the era of 3 ounce containers was ushered we, our family humbly submitted to venturing forth with carry-ons only. it was a perfect storm of sorts. firstly, we were going to india for spring break; two adults and three children on eight flights in ten days. how to schlepp all that was needed?

luckily, on one of my many jaunts to target, i passed the small-ish luggage zone. five colorful carry-on pieces, in astonishingly vivid colors, presented themselves to me. the perfect size, and the more-than-perfect price of 9.99 USD each.

"how will we fit everything in", child a decried. "there's no room for my stuff", joined in child b. child c sat there mortified, joined by wife who was at once astonished by my brazen audacity to even suggest the scheme and was concurrently equally fascinated by the idea.

could five jews from suburban new york really pull it off? yes, we could, we did, and we have been doing so ever since that fateful trip. we are a curious crew, swiftly moving into position when we embark - overhead bins open, we scale seats to jam these tiny packages into the dark recesses. we get the dirty looks, even though we barely take up any space and certainly don't encroach on anyone else's square footage (jealousy rears it's ugly head). yep, we've got the system beat.

we are often found passing through cdg, where all of the security workers know us as we stroll through with our bags - we're hard to miss. fuchsia, lime green, tangerine, scarlet, and deep blue - that's us. we even picked up sardonic luggage tags to match both the color and the message.

we don't do laundry. we don't iron. we don't shop. we only bring one pair of shoes. here's the rest of the recipe for a ten day voyage:

1 pair black pants (twill) or long black peasant skirt, for evening
3 dark polyester hipster tops, for evening
1 pair black shoes: mens (rubber souled shiny target loafer or high top all black leather sneakers) & womens (target wedge boots or steve madden platforms) - for day and night
1 jet-black zippered hoodie, tight fitting (like a pullover sweater)
2 pair of jeans
10 pair underwear, 10 socks
10 daytime t-shirts
1 black belt
2 bathing suits (weather permitting)
1 pair rubber flip-flops
1 mini umbrella
cosmetics: 1 small rollon anti-perspirant, 1 tube moisturizer, minimal makeup, nail file, clipper, 1 tube mini-toothpaste, 1 toothbrush, 1 comb, hair elastics, 1 tiny tube sunscreen if needed (no cologne, perfume, nail polish, blush, etc.! - and no cheating!)

yes, it fits. we've done this numerous times - the girls wear their hair curly, we clean the shoes at night before dinner (get the dust off with a handcloth and water), and i can promise you we've gone from day to night with nary a problem. we've dined at guy savoy in paris, all outfitted in black, looking quite chic just off the plane from mumbai. you're all in it together.

and the best part - no waiting for your bags, no time wasted unpacking, no problems fitting your luggage in a rental car or taxi, no mess in the room, and no decisions (read: arguments) about what to wear.

voila!

try it, you'll like it!

h