Be Prepared

I hope all of my family and friends are safe asleep and snug in their beds. I hope they are tucked in tightly under the covers, despite it being 86 degrees outside after midnight. Why do I hope these things, do you wonder? Because during the night we may all be flung off the Earth when it stops spinning. The cause of such an Earth-stopping event?

I have packed for vacation! More than 24 hours before I leave, instead of the usual 15 minutes after I should have already left.

Since I am a girl, I was never a boy scout. I have not let that deter me, however. I have packed: an umbrella in case it rains, a jacket in case it's cold, a variety of shoes, toiletries (in the ubiquitous 1 quart ziploc), a tote bag to carry things, band-aids, sunscreen, a veritable pharmacy of OTC meds, camera, books to read, and even clothes.

If you know me, you may not believe it unless you see it. So, here's the proof. Notice my new carry-on luggage. I doubt anyone else will mistake it for their own. Just in case, I made a luggage tag with Erin's picture on it, so that I might take her spirit with me to Europe in a lime-green suitcase. The back of the tag has a quotation from Gandhi.

"You must be the change you want to see in the world."

While Erin may not have been the first person to say those words, she definitely lived them every day.

Lest you think I am ready to hop on the plane, I still have a long list of chores to finish before take-off. Perhaps I can procrastinate a little longer afterall...

Laura