The nightmare of packing and unpacking
IF YOU WOULD LIVE ON A DESERT ISLAND WHAT WOULD YOU BRING WITH YOU?
This is how I think every time when I have to start a new contract. Usually, I am away for 4-5 months and living in a tiny space almost at the size of a matchbox called crew cabin.
Space measures about 4 square meters and has to be shared with another female crew. The dresser or the closet fits just the minimal stuff. At home, I use the same space only for underwear but here fits all my 5 months life.
As I hate packing usually I leave this process for the very last 1-2 days before departure. Usually, the travels take me to remote places where the usual toiletries and cosmetics are a luxury that cost much or in some places even nonexistent. So I have to make a stock of things that I can't live without such as my favorite shampoo, toothpaste, face cream etc.
Another challenge is the fact that with so many countries visited in such a short period of time as a tourist/traveler intends I can go from summer season to spring and winter within days or weeks. That means proper clothes for any of the seasons mentioned. It has to be one luggage as more than one can't store it in the cabin with 40 kilos allowance due to airline restrictions.
I have to admit that that though I am quite a simple person, not much attracted to fashion as I have my own characteristic style it is still a big challenge packing. Usually, for 2 weeks travel my luggage can reach maximum 17 kilograms if I really want to exaggerate packing.
When I go on vacation with the girls not only that they exceed their allowance but they also ask me the take some of their stuff. One of my girlfriends, beautiful and stylish woman usually goes on vacation with the flat iron! Well, that's something that I would never do! Last 12 months of my life I've learned to live without a hairdryer! I have to travel light also because I have the bad habit of shopping for home decorations. I went last year in Africa and came with 20 kilograms of wood. In different shapes and colors, came with two mahogany Masai one meter each. I couldn't help it! I thought it was a good deal not to buy fridge magnets and went beyond the dangerous border of a traveler and a shopaholic.
As I write this article I'm sitting on a plane traveling for two weeks to visit my husband home country England and my luggage was 12 kilograms. That's a performance. Anyway, the point is people pack weird stuff in their luggage. As the plane takes off, just from the luggage compartment on top of me starts dropping liquid, weird color, thinking is the wine I take off my seatbelt to check what's going on. I'm not going to wait for the safety sign that I can remove my seat-belt, open the compartment and nothing visible just this pinkish color liquid. The flight attendant shouts on the PA system to sit down and I go nuts as this liquid is dropping faster. Took a few paper tissues and try to wipe off the area, attendant again asks me to sit down. I went ballistic!!!
As a good citizen, I sat down and wait. Once the seat-belt sign was off the flight attendant approaches me asking what's the problem and I explain nicely that there is liquid dropping on my clothes from the above compartment and that is the reason why I lifted myself from the chair during take off. Suddenly I was persona non-Grata of the aircraft! All eyes on me!
He identifies the owner of the bag, young Romanian guy, about 30 years old, leather jacket, short hair with a small ponytail as this famous football player that I don't know his name that started this hysteria of this horrible haircut and he is asked if there is any liquid in his bag. With theatrical face, he answers no but still, he is asked to remove the bag from the top and check the inside as the bag was wet.
After minutes the attendant comes with apologies explaining what was in the bag. A frozen hen that started defrosting!!!! Who in the world travels with frozen meat on the airplane in the handbag??? And then going to London, that there are no more chickens left in England? Is the homegrown hen the new delicacy over there? Were the hens first on the Brexit hit-list? Is it such a crazy thought that there is a hen smuggling ring coming from Romania to the United Kingdom?
This is how I think every time when I have to start a new contract. Usually, I am away for 4-5 months and living in a tiny space almost at the size of a matchbox called crew cabin.
Space measures about 4 square meters and has to be shared with another female crew. The dresser or the closet fits just the minimal stuff. At home, I use the same space only for underwear but here fits all my 5 months life.
As I hate packing usually I leave this process for the very last 1-2 days before departure. Usually, the travels take me to remote places where the usual toiletries and cosmetics are a luxury that cost much or in some places even nonexistent. So I have to make a stock of things that I can't live without such as my favorite shampoo, toothpaste, face cream etc.
Another challenge is the fact that with so many countries visited in such a short period of time as a tourist/traveler intends I can go from summer season to spring and winter within days or weeks. That means proper clothes for any of the seasons mentioned. It has to be one luggage as more than one can't store it in the cabin with 40 kilos allowance due to airline restrictions.
I have to admit that that though I am quite a simple person, not much attracted to fashion as I have my own characteristic style it is still a big challenge packing. Usually, for 2 weeks travel my luggage can reach maximum 17 kilograms if I really want to exaggerate packing.
When I go on vacation with the girls not only that they exceed their allowance but they also ask me the take some of their stuff. One of my girlfriends, beautiful and stylish woman usually goes on vacation with the flat iron! Well, that's something that I would never do! Last 12 months of my life I've learned to live without a hairdryer! I have to travel light also because I have the bad habit of shopping for home decorations. I went last year in Africa and came with 20 kilograms of wood. In different shapes and colors, came with two mahogany Masai one meter each. I couldn't help it! I thought it was a good deal not to buy fridge magnets and went beyond the dangerous border of a traveler and a shopaholic.
As I write this article I'm sitting on a plane traveling for two weeks to visit my husband home country England and my luggage was 12 kilograms. That's a performance. Anyway, the point is people pack weird stuff in their luggage. As the plane takes off, just from the luggage compartment on top of me starts dropping liquid, weird color, thinking is the wine I take off my seatbelt to check what's going on. I'm not going to wait for the safety sign that I can remove my seat-belt, open the compartment and nothing visible just this pinkish color liquid. The flight attendant shouts on the PA system to sit down and I go nuts as this liquid is dropping faster. Took a few paper tissues and try to wipe off the area, attendant again asks me to sit down. I went ballistic!!!
As a good citizen, I sat down and wait. Once the seat-belt sign was off the flight attendant approaches me asking what's the problem and I explain nicely that there is liquid dropping on my clothes from the above compartment and that is the reason why I lifted myself from the chair during take off. Suddenly I was persona non-Grata of the aircraft! All eyes on me!
He identifies the owner of the bag, young Romanian guy, about 30 years old, leather jacket, short hair with a small ponytail as this famous football player that I don't know his name that started this hysteria of this horrible haircut and he is asked if there is any liquid in his bag. With theatrical face, he answers no but still, he is asked to remove the bag from the top and check the inside as the bag was wet.
After minutes the attendant comes with apologies explaining what was in the bag. A frozen hen that started defrosting!!!! Who in the world travels with frozen meat on the airplane in the handbag??? And then going to London, that there are no more chickens left in England? Is the homegrown hen the new delicacy over there? Were the hens first on the Brexit hit-list? Is it such a crazy thought that there is a hen smuggling ring coming from Romania to the United Kingdom?
Comments
Post a Comment
Have you been here?