safe arrival, what I forgot, etc
Apr. 20th, 2006 08:18 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jaeclecticTravelling from the west coast to the east coast just takes a silly long time: got picked up by the shuttle at 9:20AM, arrived at my hotel room about 12 hours later (after midnight EST).
However, I feel very spoiled, having used up my ancient accumulation of frequent flyer miles on a first class ticket -- so it was long hours on an airplane, but in a comfortable seat with fawning flight attendants offering snacks (and free booze which I declined, sadly, except for one glass of wine with dinner -- because although I generally appreciate the concept of free booze, and hate to waste it, I've learned that drinking on the airplane does not enhance my overall travel wellness experience -- I suppose if I were clever I'd ask for lots of stuff and just keep the little bottles... silly me, just thought of that!)
Anyway, arrived at the not-exactly-first-class Holiday Inn Express in beautiful Harmarville PA -- a location chosen because it is close to freeway access both east (where various friends live) and north (where Dad lives) although it turns out I won't see Dad until leg 2 of the trip. This particular hotel also has free high-speed internet, yay!
Of course, being spoiled by wireless, I forgot to bring an ethernet *cable* but this AM (when I went down to gently complain about the bathroom having no shower curtain and a lot of plaster dust due to obvious work in progress on the ceiling) the nice person at the desk lent me a cable (and also moved me to the room next door, where the bathroom is not so unfinished). And forgot to bring my little USB mouse. And forgot to bring the PC lock! At least I did remember the power cord!
So when I head out for lunch, will also look for a computer store :)
Other than that, the only thing I've figured out that I've forgotten was lifesavers for the plane. Fortunately, those are easy to acquire at the airport :)
[Aside: It is of course guaranteed that I will forget something, I just never know what it will be. A good trip is when I don't forget anything that is hard to do without or acquire. When suffering the inevitable packing anxiety, my mantra to retain marginal calm: As long as I remember my passport and my visa card, everything else is optional.]
Oh, and for anyone following along: I ended up packing just two pairs of shoes: my daily walking shoes, plus a pair of sneakers that I can use for exercise (the hotel has a witzy little workout room) and which will serve as backup if the first pair get soaked in a rainstorm or some such.
But at the moment, that doesn't seem a risk: it is beautiful and sunny and warm, and it's about time for me to wander out to my rental car (a PT Cruiser, would you believe?) and set forth.
However, I feel very spoiled, having used up my ancient accumulation of frequent flyer miles on a first class ticket -- so it was long hours on an airplane, but in a comfortable seat with fawning flight attendants offering snacks (and free booze which I declined, sadly, except for one glass of wine with dinner -- because although I generally appreciate the concept of free booze, and hate to waste it, I've learned that drinking on the airplane does not enhance my overall travel wellness experience -- I suppose if I were clever I'd ask for lots of stuff and just keep the little bottles... silly me, just thought of that!)
Anyway, arrived at the not-exactly-first-class Holiday Inn Express in beautiful Harmarville PA -- a location chosen because it is close to freeway access both east (where various friends live) and north (where Dad lives) although it turns out I won't see Dad until leg 2 of the trip. This particular hotel also has free high-speed internet, yay!
Of course, being spoiled by wireless, I forgot to bring an ethernet *cable* but this AM (when I went down to gently complain about the bathroom having no shower curtain and a lot of plaster dust due to obvious work in progress on the ceiling) the nice person at the desk lent me a cable (and also moved me to the room next door, where the bathroom is not so unfinished). And forgot to bring my little USB mouse. And forgot to bring the PC lock! At least I did remember the power cord!
So when I head out for lunch, will also look for a computer store :)
Other than that, the only thing I've figured out that I've forgotten was lifesavers for the plane. Fortunately, those are easy to acquire at the airport :)
[Aside: It is of course guaranteed that I will forget something, I just never know what it will be. A good trip is when I don't forget anything that is hard to do without or acquire. When suffering the inevitable packing anxiety, my mantra to retain marginal calm: As long as I remember my passport and my visa card, everything else is optional.]
Oh, and for anyone following along: I ended up packing just two pairs of shoes: my daily walking shoes, plus a pair of sneakers that I can use for exercise (the hotel has a witzy little workout room) and which will serve as backup if the first pair get soaked in a rainstorm or some such.
But at the moment, that doesn't seem a risk: it is beautiful and sunny and warm, and it's about time for me to wander out to my rental car (a PT Cruiser, would you believe?) and set forth.
