Just My Type

When To Pack Or Not To Unpack, That Is The Question

By Mary Ellen

“To be or not to be, that is the question.” —Prince Hamlet

That oft-quoted line from Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” is from the soliloquy where the title character contemplates life and death, pondering whether to suffer the pain and unfairness of living opposed to choosing a more permanent alternative. What does that have to do with packing? Not much. Except for when preparing for a trip, one must also make a choice. A choice of when to pack or not to unpack.

COVID-19 shut down the world for a year, with most of us donning masks and suffering from a serious case of cabin fever due to self-confinement. Except for doctor appointments, food shopping, and other essential excursions, vacations, family reunions, business trips, etc. were all put on hold. Now that restrictions have eased a bit, though, the travel bug is spreading, and the formerly housebound can’t wait to get on a plane, train, or automobile and contribute some much-needed revenue to the ailing tourism industry.

Which begs the question, when does one begin packing? I must admit, I am a procrastinator when it comes to filling my suitcase. I make a mental list of what I will need—a list that changes daily—and typically wait until a few days before our itinerary begins to gather my clothes, shoes, and personal items. Thankfully, most hotels supply hair dryers and irons. Not that I iron anymore, thanks to permanent press clothing, but that does free up a lot of space in my luggage.

On the other hand, my wonderful husband, or WH, is very organized. He begins making a checklist and starts to fill his suitcase four weeks before our planned departure. I’m not being critical by saying that. On the contrary, I admire this quality. But there are, of course, pros and cons to preparing that far in advance.

For example, my WH might ask, “Sweetheart, where is the toothpaste I bought last week? I want to put it in my carry-on bag.”

“Oh, that was for the trip?” I reply sheepishly, knowing full well I’ve already used about half the tube. “No problem,” he replies. “I’ll just buy another one.” Or... “Honey, have you seen my new blue shirt?” “Didn’t you pack that already?” “I looked but couldn’t find it.” He then shops for a replacement. Two days later, he finds his blue shirt. Now he has two. Good thing blue is his favorite color.

There are also times when a particular item has been put in our baggage so early that it is literally buried beneath our travel wardrobe. We both know we have it but are reluctant to unload the entire piece of luggage to check, and purchase another just in case. We end up spending more, but better safe than sorry I always say.

Unpacking after a vacation has its own set of issues. Although 90 percent of that tedious chore is often completed in the first 24 hours after we return, the other 10 percent, well, remains to be seen—or more accurately, put away.

There is a small carry-on case that is often the last thing to be emptied. Usually placed on the dining room table, it can sit there for up to a week. After a while, it blends in, transformed into a faux still life called “Early American Toiletries.” Our footwear occupies several locations in the house until placed back on a shoe rack, and our “Vintage Shoe Collection” remains on display until we wear them again. While most of our clothing goes directly in the laundry, some items adorn the backs of chairs giving our home a “shabby chic thrift shop” sort-of look.

Now, none of this is terrible, just temporary. “Don’t sweat the small stuff” comes to mind when I look around knowing that our house will return to normal eventually. The main thing is to count our blessings and be thankful we always make it back to our beautiful home safe and sound, just as we left it. Yes, life is good.