To
the end of his days Bilbo could never remember how he found himself outside,
without a hat, a walking-stick or any money, or anything that he usually took
when he went out; leaving his second breakfast half-finished and quite
unwashed-up, pushing his keys into Gandalf’s hands, and running as fast as his
furry feet could carry him down the lane, past the great Mill, across The
Water, and then on for a mile or more.
I can identify with Bilbo as he finds himself
“packed” for his adventure. I hate packing for a trip. All the logistics
involved with laundry, sorting and choosing can overwhelm me with stress before
I even begin. There are serious choices involved: How many outfits do I need;
am I wearing casual, cute or comfy? Do I need extra tops or bottoms just in
case? What about shoes--how many? Will they match my clothes? On top of all that,
I have to pack for me plus three! Oh how I agonize while packing. ”But, what
if?” ”But, just in case.” “But, I need options.”
Packing is not only an ordeal
that consumes so much brain power and time, but no matter how hard I try I
can’t get packed earlier than midnight the day before a trip. And here Bilbo
finds himself with less than fifteen minutes to pack and
be at the meeting point! Oh horror! What a nightmare. I am getting sweaty palms
just thinking about it!
There is, however, some good news! During the
past ten years I have learned to chill out about packing, telling myself that I
can always buy what I need if I forget something. That may work well for
domestic travel, but when it comes to international travel, buying things in a
foreign country can be tricky. As Dwalin says, “don’t worry! You will have to
manage without pocket- handkerchiefs and a good many other things before you
get to the journey’s end.”
Hold things loosely—I am still learning that one.
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