trip_preparation_status()

[anotheranon]

I started packing tonight. Most of the costume stuff is in either a flat bag or folded in my suitcase. "Everyday" clothes and toiletries come last. I'm making a list and checking it upteen times given that my last trip I managed to leave all of my toiletries here, hanging in their travel bag ready to go :P Map is printed and perused - lots of driving on the same roads for long stretches of time.

I must admit I'm a little nervous - I've never driven this long/far by myself before. I'm reciting all of the things that could go wrong - flat tire, car wreck, getting lost - as a kind of litany against paranoia; I figure if I can imagine it I can anticipate it and keep it from happening. Or something.

Looking forward to being on the road alone, but only if nothing goes wrong and I remember all the essentials.

Comments

[wendyzski.livejournal.com]

Driving alone is cool - you get to turn up the radio and sing real loud!

My last long road-trip alone, I took along my rubber duckie, and used her as an excuse to take pictures. I have pictures of duckie with tollbooth attendants, other faire acts, in the hotel, looking at a big soybean field (aka the midwest's excuse for 'scenery'), sitting on the "Welcome to NJ" sign, with the friends I stayed overnite in Cleveland, in front of my mom's face (she hates having her picture took) etc. It was a great way to take pictures along the way that just weren't out-the-window shots.

Then I put all the pix in a small scrapbook entitled "Duckies Across America"

[jlsjlsjls.livejournal.com]

I love cross-country driving ... you get to see the country and you don't have to worry about whether your luggage is gonna make it (twice I've had my suitcase not show up after flights, so I tend to like being able to see where it is) :P

[anotheranon.livejournal.com]

Ooh! You just reminded me to pack my camera!

And re: loud radio - man, I am looking for the most obnoxious CDs in my collection for this trip - no one to quibble at my selections!

[anotheranon.livejournal.com]

Exactly re: the luggage - also as I'm packing quite a lot and the competition costume absolutely, positively cannot get lost, this is definitely a benefit!

And I'm sure I will love cross-country driving - as long as nothing goes wrong. I have a mental image of breaking down in the middle of nowhere, unable to even tell the nice 911 dispatchers where I am (there, exorcised yet another travel demon). If all goes well, it should be fun :)

[semmie17.livejournal.com]

Just remember that Semmie has driven across this country and across Canada many, many times, and every time something has happened (aka, "gone wrong") she's had a lovely adventure and met many interesting people. Opportunity knocks, yes, but sometime opportunity blows out tires in order to get your attention. Travel is the best way to remind you that being a control-freak is a waste of life, aka, "party time". :)

[tommdroid.livejournal.com]

I want to drive somewhere too!!

am lacking a drivers licence though...

I'm green as a treefrog out of envy, and calculate the probability for you having a marvellous trip to be very high :))

[anotheranon.livejournal.com]

Acknowledged, and somewhere in the back of my mind I know that I can't anticipate and "fix" everything! I'm trying to do all my control freaking now so I can just enjoy the drive while it's actually happening!

[quasigeostrophy.livejournal.com]

Good luck and have fun!!