I require stuff when I fly

(Here’s a side note before I even start this post. I contemplated writing a second work post today, because I’m on a flight home from Dallas, and am still on the high of the day. But I promised I wouldn’t talk work, and I think it’s a little obnoxious for me to scream, “I loooove my job,” ever other post.)

(But, wait, it was a big day! I’d be lying to you if I didn’t tell you I was excited about it! We’re doing lots of new stuff and I was part of the two-person team that did a four-hour long presentation to the board on a lot of it. I think the presentation rocked, if I do say so myself. And the board seemed pretty into it! Even the social media stuff. Most had never heard of Twitter, but when I threw up there three … yes, THREE… awesome interactions with some of our 140 followers in the first two days of being on Twitter, they perked up! So, I’m still riding high from it all.)






But I won’t post about work. Like, at all.

Instead, I’ll tell you about how much stuff I require when I fly. Because it’s a lot. I need to pare (pair?) it down a bit. Ok, a lot.

I have my Bose noise-canceling headphones. Totally frivolous and unnecessary (redundant), but really, really nice to have! Right now I’m listening to Coldplay and can’t hear a darn thing around me outside of Viva la Vida. The headphones aren’t really heavy, but they are rather bulky.

I have my laptop. And we all know it’s less than 3 pounds. But then the power cords add a bit. And while my work bag (which you all know I heart with a true passion) is oh-so-stylish, it doesn’t exactly have the most supportive straps.

So then I also need a magazine (rarely, with that other stuff, will a book fit in my bag also), my wallet, camera (I need to start pulling that sucker out a bit more, don’t I?), my Ziploc baggie of liquids, a bottle of water (even in first class I’m not that trusting of water on an airplane), and heaven forbid any work materials that are too important to the meeting I’m going to to risk checking, and it adds up!

I wonder if I didn’t travel as much as I do, if I’d require less stuff, or more. I mean, I know exactly what I need and what I don’t need now. I know I can get away with a particular length magazine, or that carrying snacks isn’t really necessary, or that I can’t do without a wrap for my shoulders (typed bitterly as I sit here, with an airline blanket around my shoulders, trying not to think so much about that, since I forgot one this trip).

But maybe if I didn’t travel as much I wouldn’t even own the headphones, or work wouldn’t have furnished me with a laptop (or two, whatev) to carry.

I just hope that I’m efficient with it all. It’s all got a place, and I still think, with having to take the laptop and liquids out of my bag at the security checkpoint, I’m faster than most.

But my shoulders and back do start to hurt from lugging it all around. So maybe I’ll cut back on some of the stuff for the next trip.

Or maybe I’ll just get a massage.