Month: June 2016

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My Traveling Indefinitely Packing List

Section titles leading to a page with more details and pictures. This list is pretty firm, but may get small tweaks at the final minute since I’ve only done one trial run of packing the electronics bag.

Luggage

Carry-on suitcase
Small laptop backpack
Tote as purse/daypack (carried in the suitcase on travel day)
Luggage locks

Outerwear

Fleece zip-up hoodie
Lightweight rain jacket/wind breaker
Chrysalis Cardi

Clothing

Two black medium-weight skirts, ankle length
Two pairs of jeans, one dark wash, one light wash
One pair of dark grey capris
Four tee-shirts
Three three-quarter sleeve tops
One tank top
One black shift dress

Underwear and Accessories

One convertible bra
One bra with underwire
Four soft bras
Four pairs briefs
Four pairs boy shorts
One half slip
One pair long leggings
One pair capri leggings
Five pairs of socks (three long, one short, one fluffy for around the house)
One pair lightweight thermals (top and bottom)
One small scarf
One large scarf (pashmina)
Four head scarves
Earrings
Two spare pairs prescription glasses
Two pairs prescription sunglasses
Wig

Footwear

One pair “dressy” flip-flops
One pair ballet flats
Two pairs hiking sandals (one heavy, one light)

Toiletries and Miscellaneous Items

Blossom cup
Comb
Hair ties
Pumice stone
Nail brush
Nail clippers
Tweezers
Crystal nail file
Wash cloth
Deodorant
Toothpaste
Toothbrush
Sunscreen
Body wash
Body lotion
Ibuprofen
Band-Aids
Polysporin
Wet Wipes
Purell
French Press
Business cards
Pens
Highlighters
Power adapter
Passport, driver’s license, proof of health insurance
Change purse

Electronics

What I need to run my transcription business, including an unlocked phone. I won’t be going into detail about what’s going into the electronics bag.

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I’m Always Surprised When I Find Stuff in Assiniboia

Shopping options in Assiniboia are rather dismal. I never plan on being able to find anything I’m looking for, but sometimes I get surprised. So when I went to town today to run a bunch of errands, I did have at the back of my mind four things that I wish I’d worked harder at getting for my trip, but I wasn’t going to make an effort to look for. I came home with three of the four!

Shopper’s Drugmart had the most unexpected item, a set of luggage locks, and they are better quality for less than the cheapest ones I’d found on Amazon. I’ve been going back and forth on whether or not to get some since they seem rather useless, but I thought I might sleep better on public transportation if there’s a minuscule added layer of security to my bags.

The Bargain!Shop had the second item, I decent pair of earbuds with an inline mic. They’re nowhere as sturdy feeling as the pair I’m using now, but they were super inexpensive and will mean I have a backup. The sound quality appears comparable.

Finally, Slice Athletic Wear is going out of business. I’d never been in the store and rarely go to that end of town, but I passed it on my way down 13 to take the 36 to Willow Bunch and thought they might have a fleece jacket since I’m not 100% satisfied with either one of my current options. Nope, but I did find a much better pair of black leggings than the ones I was about to leave with, which I knew I’d curse my whole time away, for a fraction of what I would have paid for decent leggings online, especially including shipping.

It was a very fruitful run to town. I also dealt with insurance matters for my truck, got my equity cheque from the Co-Op ($41), and had lunch. Then, I drove to Willow Bunch for an event at the museum that will be the subject of its own post later. Now, I have to get back to work!

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Four Days Left Till I Leave Indefinitely

The weekend was a blur of good music, even better food (Caroline made a mean venison stir fry with pesto pasta on Sunday night), and WORK.

I have a bit more work to do by tomorrow night, and then I’m calling it off as I really need to focus on my enormous to-do list.

So today, Monday, I’m finishing up work and volunteer projects.

Tomorrow, Tuesday, is going to be my last running around day. I have to go to Assiniboia to pick up my Co-Op equity cheque, get a few things I’m missing for my toiletries bag, deal with the insurance on the truck, and then go to Willow Bunch for an event at the museum. Then, Charles is going to come over to help tarp the roof, put away the swing, and spread mouse poison in the RV (I have a roommate). And then, I might have to finish a work project.

Wednesday, I get my taxes done, do a deep clean in Miranda, do a final load of laundry,and put away the water hose. This is going to be my last night in my own bed in who knows how long.

Thursday, I’m closing up the property, winterizing Miranda, bringing things to C&C’s for storage, putting away the booster, doing a final walkthrough, finalising my packing, etc. I’ll sleep at C&C’s Thursday night.

It sounds all very neat when laid out like that, but there really is a lot left to do, especially to close up the property even though I’ve only been here less than two months.

Now, I really need to get to work. I’m paying for quitting too early on Saturday…

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Dinner and a Concert

I had a lovely last Saturday night in Saskatchewan!

Charles, Caroline, and I drove to town for dinner and then attended at the Shurniak Gallery in Assiniboia a concert by our friends Saskia and Darrel, The Great Plains. I saw them in Willow Bunch last year and had seen them at the gallery in 2013 as well.

It was lovely to catch up with them and they put on a great show as always. I was so touched that the first song in their set was dedicated to me, my favourite of theirs, “My Father’s Land.” They also do a hilarious song called “Cabin Fever” during which I always lose it when they get to the bit about the propane freezing.

A major rain storm hit while the show was on and the puddles were deep on the highway on the way home. I was relieved to get in to a dry bed. So it looks like I do have my roof leak tamed and doing some additional tarping will just give me peace of mind. Charles has me scheduled for Tuesday night to make sure the roof is secure and to do a few other chores around the property.

Well, I’d better get to bed since I called off early today and I have eight hours of typing to do tomorrow and… I’m invited to supper at C&C’s! Caroline is going to experiment and needs a lab rat. 😀

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Luggage Tetris

Who would have thought that all those hours playing Tetris while procrastinating on my homework would pay off?!

As it turns out, the key to solving my packing woes was pack my clothes flat (instead of rolling) and to only compress one of my compression bags…

All I’m missing for personal items in my suitcase are my French press and my toiletries bag. I am reasonably confident I will be able to fit those into my computer bag. I prefer to travel with my toiletries in the “personal item” anyway, in case I have to check my suitcase and also to hopefully avoid having to open the suitcase at security. Anything that I think is going to scan funny is better off all together in one bag.

So this is the final weight of my suitcase, 9.7KG!

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The suitcase is definitely packed to its limit, but it zipped with ease.

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First layer has a large packing cube, which I had to compress to get the suitcase to close with ease. Next to it are a pair of sandals and below the sandals are my travel purse.

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Take off that layer and you get the other large packing cube, the two small ones, and another pair of shoes (which fit nicely in that groove between the packing cubes).

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And now we get to the magical part… There are basically “ribs” at the bottom of the suitcase for the handle mechanism. Look what fit in the dead space between the ribs! Two spare pairs of glasses, one spare pair of prescription sunglasses, my jewelry box, and another pair of sandals!

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I really don’t think I’ll be able to improve on this and hope that the toiletries bag will fit in the computer bag! Thankfully, I really don’t have much to bring on that end and I know I have a few items that would fit in the space I still have left between the ribs.

What I love about the packing cubes is how little work it is to get to the small items at the very bottom without making a giant mess!

Yes, I will be posting my packing list at some point. 🙂