My Least Favorite Thing about Traveling

As much as i LOVE to travel - and, make no mistake, I do love to travel - I truly hate the packing and unpacking part.  In twelve days we are leaving 90 degreee plus temperatures to go to London for a Trans-atlantic cruise.  Today's high temperature in London is 72; in Dublin, which is one of our ports, the high will be 64; and in Reykjavik, Iceland, another port we will be visiting, the high today is 57.  So, the dilemma begins.

What do we pack?  We'll be cruising glaciers in Iceland and are then going to Greenland, where it will be even colder.  Do we take heavier jackets?  Or do we take clothes we can layer?  Do I take gloves and hats?  Do I take swimsuits and flip-flops for the ship's Sanctuary and Thermal Suite? 

I remember a few years ago on our first trip to Italy, the Brentwood Six thought it would be a great idea to ship our dirty clothes back home.  Each couple boxed up dirty underwear, socks and clothes and shipped them back home via UPS.  Great idea!!!  WRONG!!!  When we got the bill for our great idea, it was $189 for a box of smelly, dirty clothes that still had to be washed.  UGH!!!

The following year when we went to Germany and Switzerland, we all took our oldest underwear and socks, even old washcloths (most hotels in Europe have hand towels, but no facecloths) and threw them away as we used them each day.  You can just imagine the housekeeping staffs at our hotels when they would empty our trash cans and find dirty underwear, socks and washcloths. 

This weekend will be spent getting out warmer clothes, choosing and sorting them and trying NOT to take everything we "might" need while we are gone.  For Pete's sake, there's a laundry on the ship and we will be at sea on seven different days!!!  I think I can find my way there.....