With a long flight in my near future I am busy planning which crafts to take with me and how to pack them.  With regret I don't have the project ready I would like to take and rather than hurry the preliminary steps which I know I would regret later I will make myself wait to get into it when I get home.

For this time I will just take a set of pillowcases that I have kept for such a trip. I try to keep a simple project put together in a clear gallon zip lock bag ready to throw in my bag just for this purpose. My travel projects must be small, flat and simple that I don't have to think to hard to work on. I want to be able to work on the project and still visit with people or look around at the scenery. Airlines allow small scissors or nail clippers so sewing projects work well for me.

I always travel with a book also, in case I can't get to sleep at night. Sometimes a motel is noisy, the bed is too hard, at my age hot flashes can be an unwanted guest and frankly sometimes I am too excited to sleep so a good book will relax me.

An oversized canvas bag works great for me as a carry on. I stuff my purse, camera, craft project, book, snack and a set of "undies" all in it and it stays in my possession at all times. That way I am set if my bags don't get to my destination for some reason. I don't ever pack more than will fit in that canvas bag and one large carry on bag that will fit in the overhead compartment so there is no chance of loosing my things but still pack the "undies" out of habit I guess. A girl just never knows.

This trip is to Texas, stay with my in-laws and then into Mexico to OUCH get my teeth pulled by the family dentist. On my numerous trips over I will switch from my purse to a fanny pack, and with my build they look so cute, but for safety's sake I will swallow my pride. Only the necessities will be put in it which means no credit cards and no cell phone. A friend used his cell phone while in Mexico once and somehow his number was tracked, stolen and he then got a very large phone bill the next month. A good lesson for the rest of us.

One more hint I would like to share that I have enjoyed through the years involves bringing smiles to children that I run across on my ventures. I keep small change in a handy pocket, now we all know children should be taught not to talk to or take anything from strangers, but there isn't any rule about my showing a child when I just happen to spot a nickel on the floor and they can pick it up is there. Most of the time the parents don't know I have put it there but if they happen to catch me they go along with it with a smile and silent "thank you." 

If you have traveling plans in your future, be safe and take time to enjoy the little things that bring you pleasure.

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