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Friday, April 8, 2011

Road Worry.


What to pack on an exciting short-ish weekend road trip?  I have no idea.  

Clean underwear, for sure.  Some pajamas.  My toothbrush.  That’s important.

It should be clear by now I have a problem packing for even the shortest of trips.

I admit it, I’m a chronic over-packer.  So far for my two-day trip to Santa Cruz, I have two pairs of jeans, pajamas, sweatpants, three different kinds of leggings, two different tunics to go with the leggings, two shirts, four pairs of socks, three pairs of shoes, sweatpants, two sweatshirts, and a coat.  For TWO DAYS.  And I can’t bring myself to not bring most of it because I don’t know what I’m going to want to wear or if I’m going to want to change for evening attire at any point.

I need to stop this.  I just don’t know how.

Also, the battery in my camera randomly died completely.  I can’t get it to charge.  At all.  Which means I either have to go buy a battery at some point or take pictures with my phone.  My phone takes pretty sweet photos, but I can’t zoom unless I’m in an app.  I just like being able to use a camera when I’m not taking pictures to text message to people.

Though, I admit, I will be taking a few of those. 

Another concern I have is that I don’t generally take a lot of road trips on my own and I have this crazy (maybe not too crazy) paranoia that something will go wrong during my five-ish hour drive (ten hours, there and back).  Or I’ll get bored and crash my vehicle into a semi or guardrail and become completely trapped in a flaming ball of scalding hot metal with my seatbelt locked and melted into the car and my feet trapped under the pedals so that there is no way I can possibly escape my fiery and hellish impending doom.  Then some tattooed balding man will rip my still beating heart right out of my chest  with his magical bone-penetrating demon fingers.

Kali Ma!  Kali Ma!


Okay, all but the last part of that is something I really fear.  Or being broken down on the side of the highway alone at night with my complete lack of knowledge about cars.

Seriously.

I had my transmission fluid changed the other day, and when they asked me to pop the hood, I FORGOT where my lever thingie was.  I think I’ve used it, like, four times.  And three of those times were because there is a drive-through oil change place really close to my work.

This is why I freak out when I don’t have my cell phone or can’t get signal on it.  I don’t like not being able to solve problems on my own, so I need to be able to call help when I desperately need it.  This is why I have AAA.

Although, by the time AAA shows up, I see myself holding the LED flashlight I keep in my purse between my teeth and almost done changing my tire on my own.  I keep my car manual in my car.  There are instructions on how to do it.  I know how to read them.  Therefore, if it takes longer than 10 minutes, I’m starting without assistance.  As is the case with many things in my life.

Obviously I am oozing patience for other people.

This is going to be a fun drive. 

I hope no one tries to fuck with my on the freeway this time, because I will seriously buy a cattle guard (or manage to steal it off a train; I’m stealthy like that)  and find a way to attach it to my Honda.  Don’t doubt me.  I will use it, bitches.


I’m off to a fabulous weekend at possibly my most favorite place on Earth.  I hope your weekend rocks.    

Unfortunately, you’ll still have to live with the knowledge that mine will be better.

4 comments:

  1. O.O Once again, I feel that I completely understand you. I overpack when I go to class for the day. What if I want to read? What if I get struck by inspiration and need to write something in my journal book? What if I need to draw! (which almost never happens seeing as I can only draw five days a year, but what if that day is one of those days!)

    I get the car fear. I'd be more worried that a lunatic would run me off the road and then he and his mentally abused wife would steal me away to live in the headbox under there bed for years until someone finally finds me at a post office but by then I wouldn't even know my own name so what's the point!

    When you return from your two day trip I'd love to hear which of your clothing you wore!

    <3 Safe travels! But seriously, don't help strangers, even if they have wives... bitches be crazy. Just keep driving and call the cops to help them.

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  2. I over pack too. For spring break I packed EVERY single thing I liked in my closet, including dresses I hadn't worn in years. For a whole 7 days. It was stupid.

    Have fun! Santa Cruz is gorgeous!

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  3. I overpack sometimes, but not with clothes. I usually just pack a couple of outfits where the tops are interchangeable with the bottoms, same deal with shoes, blah blah blah.
    I usually go overboard with toiletries, making sure I have everything I need in case I get a potentially evening-ruining migraine, a broken leg, or explosive diarrhea(anything could happen). I also don't have travel-sized soap bottles, so if I'm not willing to settle for the plain head-n'-shoulders that could be waiting in the shower where I'm staying, or possibly no conditioner, I will take my entire quart-sized container of balsam conditioner along. :P

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  4. @Cheryl- I do the same thing; I bring a little tote bag and a purse to work every day. Just in case I need a Scooby-Doo Band-Aid or start my period two and a half weeks early. Did you know it's not uncommon for dead bodies to be found underneath the mattresses in hotel bedrooms? Fun fact. I'll let you know in a bit about the outfits; I only wore two of them. And I rewore a pair of jeans instead of wearing my clean ones on the drive home. Don't worry, I'm too afraid of being raped to pull over for strangers. My friend told me this weekend you can actually get in trouble for that, anyway. Weird, right?

    @Patty- I think we might have EXACTLY the same problem. Seriously.

    @Tiffany- I'm not as bad with toiletries (though I completely understand). I think it's only because I compulsively steal from the hotels that have Bath & Body Works shampoo and conditioner and I keep a bunch of the miniature bottles in my suitcase. My mom has a designated duffel bag for toiletries as big that's as big as my whole suitcase, though. I think my worst thing is underwear. I will pack seven pairs for a two day trip just in case. Because I apparently think I change my panties three times a day.

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