Friday, July 25, 2008

Friday Five: What you Absolutely, Positively Can't Leave Home Without

I wasn't going to do the Friday Five this week, honest. We just got back from Paris (not a road trip, I know), are home but lurking about anonymously in the area, but I must say that Singing Owl over at Revgals really got me with this one:


We will be at a chaplain's convention when you all are answering the Friday Five Questions. I'll look forward to reading your answers next week when I get home. At the moment we are trying to get the car loaded so we can hit the road, so this will be a simple F.F. This running around madly in order to leave has me wondering: what are the five things you simply must have when you are away from home? And why? Any history or goofy things, or stories?


1. book(s). For the short trip to Paris, the challenge was to pack light (only carry-ons), so I had to pare down my obsessive need to bring many different books just in case. I brought a book to read on the plane (Les Miserables: only 1100 pages to go!), a small devotional, and our DK Paris Guidebook. We discovered that people all over the world have the DK Paris Guidebook in many different languages.

2. Comfortable shoes. The shoes I brought to Paris, ufortunately, weren't comfortable enough. I thought they were (Danskos and sturdy sandals), but I still had terribly sore feet by the end of our second day there. I am considering investing in some SAS Tennis Shoes. (now I feel old.

3. New Digital Camera! I have often gone places and FORGOTTEN my camera. And on the trip to New York, I forgot to put FILM in the camera. But we now have a new digital camera (first one) and had a lot of fun taking pictures, getting used to how they come out and experimenting.


4. I always take pain reliever, (like tylenol or advil) and on this trip I, for the first time, put in one imitrex, in case I would get a migraine. Thankfully, I didn't need to use it.

5. Curling Iron. I can get by without almost anything else, beauty-wise, (or else buy something in the drug store) but I really need my curling iron! Bad news: we didn't take a European adapter to Paris. Good news: the hotel had one.

Also: on this trip, we needed not cash or travelers checks, but a special debit card you can load up and put into machines all over Paris to change your dollars into Euro. It worked great! But I must say: right now our dollars do not buy many Euros. We also needed passports (couldn't forget those).

15 comments:

Di said...

The debit card sounds very nifty.

Anonymous said...

Great play! And yeah - the best way to get currency overseas these days is with a debit or ATM card, rather than exchanging or using travelers' checks.

Happy Friday, and welcome home!
warriormare

RevDrKate said...

Welcome home. I empathize with the shoes thing since my list is largely blister oriented!

Auntie Knickers said...

I had left pain reliever off my list, I suppose on the theory that one could buy it. But I do usually take it. I'm impressed you're reading Les Miserables! I would often take a book about the place I was going, also -- maybe not such a long one! Try one of Cara Black's mysteries set in Paris now that you've been there (or was it not your first trip?)

Annie's Mom said...

Welcome home! Your trip to Paris sounds wonderful. Amen about comfortable shoes - I finally went out and paid the money for a really good pair of trekking shoes for our most recent vacation, and they were FANTASTIC.

Diane M. Roth said...

chorus -- I wouldn't mind a recommendation.

Ruth Hull Chatlien said...

I'm bad about packing too many books too. When we went to Paris, I took a novel in French. What I didn't realize ahead of time was how weary my brain was going to grow of dealing with a second language. In the airport on the way home, I bought a lightweight English mystery to read on the plane . . . and found a new author I liked that way.

BTW, I emailed you a question this morning. I'm just letting you know in case it went into the spam folder. I'd like to use a photo of Scout in a dog parable next week, but I want your permission first.

Lindy said...

Good play. The camera is the one thing I never leave behind.

How did Scout cope without her guardians?

Do let us know what chorus says about the shoes.

Lindy

Ivy said...

Okay, now I have to change mine. I forgot what my daughter refers to as our "pharmacy!" Great play!

Jan said...

The debit card sounds useful.

I took "Les Miserables" when I went to Korea a few years ago to visit AE, but I've never finished it. I am impressed that you're so close to the end. Shoes ARE important. . . I'm worried about fitting everything in one suitcase for our trip to WA in two weeks, which also includes our 40th high school reunion, so different pairs of shoes are needed!

Barbara B. said...

Yes, those guidebooks are essential!
You should try Tevas on your tootsies! :)

Unknown said...

Sounds like you had a great time, but ooh who needs sore feet. I too am impressed you are reading Les Miserables.

Lori said...

I could never travel that light! Sorry about your sore feet. That's really icky in a walking city like Paris!

Ditto on the debit cards. Makes it so much easier to spend money. Or Monet? ha ha.

Billie Greenwood said...

Very enjoyable post!
I wear my Keens everyday, everywhere.
I'm headed to Postville, IA tomorrow for a rally headed by Catholic & Jewish groups. It's not Paris, but...

Diane M. Roth said...

border explorer -- I will have to look into Keens.