Packing for a Trip

Mandi and I have become pretty masterful packers in our first year of marriage together. We each have our defined roles when packing for a trip and most of the prep work we have down to a science. I'll be the first one to admit that Mandi does most of the packing, but I'll tell you just like I tell her, we play to our strengths. It generally goes a little something like this...

At some point both of us decide that we've procrastinated enough and it's time to actually pack for our trip. At about this same time Mandi always says, "Why don't you get a treatment in and I'll pack us?". I still haven't figured out exactly why this is, but I'd guess that has something to do with me getting in the way more than helping. While I'm doing a treatment, Mandi puts all of our clothes into neat little piles on the bed and also gets our dopp kits all ready and packed. After the treatment, it's my job to look over what's being taken a decide what we can do to lighten the load. I'm a pretty light packer by nature and I always end up thinking that I've brought to much. On the other hand, Mandi tends to pack with the anticipation of any and all events occurring on our trip. No, I kid, it's not that bad. I think that she'd be the first one to tell you however that she tends to over pre-pack with the best of them.

After whittling down the clothes on the bed, we stuff them into our suitcase and it's on to the next task. At this time I'll generally start getting all of my medicine together and putting it all in my special little travel case. In this case you can find - albuterol, atrovent, Pulmozyme, Cayston, 7%, Zenpep, Advair, Mandi's pre-natal vitamins and my "dailies" (a smorgasbord of various vitamins, supplements and antibiotics). This bag ALWAYS goes on the plane with me on my carry-on along with my compressor. Almost all other things that airline can lose could be replaced immediately, but it would be tough to replace all of that. (And just as a side note, I've never been sweated about bringing my medicine on board with me and I've never carried a doctor's note).

Finally, the morning of the trip, after doing my first treatment of the day, it's time to pack up the compressor and vest. My life has been much easier since getting the travel roller bag for the vest and I would highly suggest it for any and every one. After the treatments are packed we load them into the car and are coming down the home stretch. We both go back into the house and give it a once over making sure everything is locked and unplugged. When everything has passed the test, we both go over a checklist as we make our way to the car. If we both agree that we haven't forgot anything (who really never forgets to pack something?) it's off to the airport.

Once we get to the airport, now that's a whole different blog...