Road Ready

July 14, 2021

Luggage:

Since we so often pack more than we need, and we wanted this trip to be simple and easy, we invested in a couple of backpacks. We went to REI, the outdoor store, and we were measured for the packs to be sure they would be comfortable for us to carry. Our son, Matt, photographed us wearing them, just before he took us to the airport in Austin.

They look huge, but they’re actually pretty manageable. Mine weights 18 pounds fully packed. It’s called a duplex pack; it breaks down into two separate parts. One fits easily under a set, and the other fits in the overhead bin. Dempsey’s doesn’t disassemble, but he carries it comfortably. They have a strap across the chest, and another strap that sits on the hips and takes most of the weight off our backs.

So what did I pack for fifteen weeks? Good question, and the answer developed over the last month in the States. I decided to fill and live out of the backpack, to learn what I wanted to carry, and what I absolutely need to have. Here’s the final breakdown:
3 pairs of trousers, 2 lightweight and 1 warmer pair
6 short-sleeve t-shirts and one long sleeve slightly dressier shirt
2 pairs of shorts, navy and black
7 pairs of socks
Sturdy sneakers
Crocs rubber sandals (a gift from my daughter-in-law 9 years ago!). They look nice enough to wear on the street, and they work as shower or beach shoes.
2 bras
7 pairs of underwear
Bathing suit
1 Turkish towel (good for using as a sarong for midnight trips to the bathroom, drying off when there’s no clean towel provided, and just the right weight to substitute for a blanket on hot nights.
In the other half of the pack:
A small fabric pouch with inexpensive earrings and a bracelet to match my outfits (I’m not dressed until I’m wearing earrings – even if I don’t have a lick of makeup.)
Small bottles of shampoo and conditioner
Deodorant
Moisturizing crème
A few basic makeup items
Sunscreen
Travel size of my favorite hairspray (great for bad hair days)
Bottles of medications and supplements (just the basics) to last 15 weeks

My laptop
Bullet Journal (an indispensable tool to manage every aspect of my life.

A few pens
Computer and iPhone cords, and recharger station for my hearing aids

We both also invested in a flat waist pouch that holds a passport, a phone, credit cards and cash. It uses RFID technology to block thieves from electronically scanning information, and it is made of slash-proof material. Our more experienced friends say the only crime we need to worry about is pickpocketing and petty thievery.

I left my engagement ring and anniversary ring in our safety deposit box, and we are wearing just our wedding rings.

That’s it for luggage – and it has greatly simplified our travel lives.

Transportation:

As soon as we decided on this trip, I started signing up for budget airfare offers. (By the way, cheap tickets are more abundant when you’re not checking luggage, and you know your belongings will arrive when you do.)

I watched as the tickets steadily declined in price, but I didn’t want to wait too long and end up paying a lot. So about a month before we wanted to leave, I paid just over $1700 for two round-trip tickets from Austin, Texas to London.  Since this year is not 2019, the airlines are pulling out all the stops to get Americans to travel.  Prices to countries all over Europe have now fallen to lows of under $500 roundtrip. I wince every time I get one of those offers, but in the big picture, our tickets were reasonable.

We will use European airlines for some trips when time is more important than money or when there isn’t a better way. For example, we hope to go to St. Petersburg. If we go on a ferry from Finland, we won’t need a standard Russian visa (saving us close to a thousand dollars and potentially months of waiting). When the ferry returns to Helsinki, we will fly to our next destination.

Europe is home to a number of budget airlines, and the low prices make my American head spin. There can be a lot of hidden charges, however, and the best deals involve no checking of luggage – another plus for backpacks.

For most of our travel, however, we chose to buy a Senior Global Eurorail pass. Unlike North America (particularly Mexico, where the railroads have been almost completely phased out), Europeans enjoy the ability to travel readily from town to town and city to city, and from one country to another. The rail pass gives us tremendous flexibility. We splurged on First Class. The pass is good for 90 days from the date of activation. It also provides discounts on ferries and other offers.

We reserved a car to use for a week in the U.K. The price was very reasonable, but gas in England and in Europe hovers around $6.00 a gallon. And while a car is often useful, they aren’t well suited for historical cities designed with very narrow curving streets.

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About the Author

Jillian Coleman Wheeler

Hello, and welcome. I’m Jillian Coleman Wheeler, Trauma Recovery Coach, speaker, consultant and writer. I work with individuals and organizations. I offer classes, and I also speak and write about personal development, spirituality, and health and success in life and work. For people suffering depression, I created the Reboot Your Bliss™ process.

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