Sunday 12 November 2017

Mosaic Monday # 61 - leaving on a jet plane

By the time most of you start checking in for Mosaic Monday this week the SP & I will be heading to the UK, via Calais & the Eurotunnel, before boarding that jet plane for a 10 day winter break in Paphos, Cyprus.
I can almost feel that warm sunshine on my face already.

Cypriot blues

Whilst we're gone M'selle Fleur will be enjoying a staycation at home with her two besties June and Leighton.
We love to travel and over the years I've collected quite an assortment of suitcases, totes and carry on bags, some have been more successful than others.
A very useful back pack which was great to have on the plane over to Florida in July became a cumbersome nightmare in WDW. Every time that I needed my camera, or iPhone, or a tissue, or just about anything out of it, down it came and our progress around the park came to a halt.
After the first half a dozen times this happened I decided that enough was enough!
A quick trip to TJ's, on the way home to our rental villa, was in order to find a replacement bag.
This is it, a Baggallini black nylon cross body bag.


It has a stylish camo pattern and turquoise lining with plenty of pockets to hold everything you need. Waterproof too, which came in handy on some of those theme park rides! The wide cross body strap allows the bag to be carried comfortably with the weight evenly distributed leaving both hands free.
When we travel by air I always check a suitcase no matter how long a trip we take, I've never been adept at packing light.
However, if that suitcase should get lost along the way to our destination I like to have certain things on the plane with me and I thought why not see if I can get everything that I'll need during the flight into the Baggallini?


My carry on bag checklist;
Both of our passports
Purse with cash & credit card. Ditto the SP's wallet
Enough meds for the entire trip.
Copy of passports and medical prescriptions.
Kindle paper white, iPhone & charger; ear buds.
Halo, (a.k.a. Angel Annie) my cherished Beanie Baby. Almost 20 years old and very well travelled she was a gift from a dear friend who is sadly no longer with us.
Jewellery, not expensive items but the memories attached to each piece are priceless.
A pair of Toms flats to slip on during the flight.
Note pad & pen to jot down ideas for potential blog topics!
Necessary liquid items, to make the flight more pleasant, go into a carry on approved see through bag.
(I always follow the 3-1-1 rule when packing liquids. Liquids must be under 3.4 ounces, fit in 1 quart-sized plastic bag, 1 bag per passenger.)
Antibacterial/antiseptic hand sanitizer gel, to take care of anything unsavoury that my hands might come into contact with.
Ayurvedic eye drops to refresh tired eyes.
Dr Bach's Rescue Remedy to comfort & reassure should things get bumpy.
L'Occitane lip balm to soothe.
Because our flight leaves very early in the morning I will probably board the plane sans makeup (shock horror), before we land I'll nip to the loo and freshen up a little. The airlines we fly with nowadays don't hand out little travel bags of useful items so I always pack a disposable toothbrush/paste. Olay's 7 Total Effects BB cream, Burts Bees "Redwood Forest" lip crayon and a light swipe of black mascara should banish any signs of fatigue.
These are the "must haves" that went into the Baggallini for this trip, no problem fitting everything inside with even room to spare for a snack or some travel sweets.

Larger items such as my iPad, holiday travel file, assorted cables & adapters plus a Longchamp Pliage Tote (in case of impulse purchases in Duty Free) will go into the Senior Partner's larger carry on bag.


Next week my Mosaic Monday post will, hopefully, be coming to you from a cabana by the beach, watch this space............




23 comments:

  1. Oh, do enjoy the sunshine, Maggie. It's dreadfully dark here today, with heavy skies and some rain. Baggalini makes some very useful bags. I have one that use as a purse when we travel. Your en route bag holds many of the same things mine does.

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  2. Have a wonderful, warm and sunny vacation, Maggie! I was away last week in warm Arizona visiting family and attending a wedding and packed my carry on bag much as you did.....love the roomy Baggalini bags.

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  3. I love your carry on bag - what is the dimensions - it seems to hold a lot. It would be great to see it on your shoulder perhaps to gauge the size. I always try to squeeze way too much into my carry on bag, and then it weighs a tonne. But it does usually have 2 cameras in it! Happy travels. Enjoy the sunshine! I do envy you people in Europe who only have a hop, skip and a jump to a completely different country :)

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  4. Enjoy the sunshine...
    Happy holidays!
    Ruby

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  5. Enjoy your break, Maggie! Paphos is lovely and certainly has much better weather than Normandy this time of the year...

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  6. You are a very efficient packer. Have a grand time in the warm sunshine.

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  7. Can't beat Baggallini for their awesome travel (and I use them at home too) bags! They are great and really not expensive. A few of mine have traveled around the world for several years and still look like new - I doubt they will ever wear out!

    Enjoy lovely Greece Maggie - safe travels and have fun!
    Mary -

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  8. Dear Maggie,
    Have a wonderful vacation in the sunshine.
    Thank you for host. I am glad to join you again.

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  9. And don't forget your camera to take lots of photos, Maggie! Bon voyage!

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  10. Oh my goodness what a wonderful entry and so full of excellent ideas. I also fraught when it comes to my carry on bag. I have to have my camera which is large and heavy as well as an extra lens, my lap top and that enough has to go and is so heavy. Everything else has to be light and evenly distributed and it never seems to be with the bags I have. I am going to look into something like what you have here, it is lovely as well as useful. Have a blessed journey, stay safe...I am a little envious, for it has been three years since our last long distance travels...however I did have that special week in Florida last February...shhh Hugs

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  11. A cabana by the sea, a baggallini and Halo ... sounds perfect to me!!!!!!

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  12. Have a wonderful holiday. Great tote bag.
    Joy

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  13. How nice that you are off to some sunshine. I love Baggallini! Enjoy!

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  14. Your new bag is wonderful and I should probably print out your list of necessities for travel. I like to carry essentials with me and I keep trying different bags. We usually travel in a car so it's a little different but my biggest complaint lately is having too big a bag and not being able to find what I need. I hope you have a beautiful trip...I'm sure you will. (we are traveling right now too so I'll catch up with you later!) Sweet hugs, Diane

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  15. Cyprus sounds delightful! I don't pack light either, because I'm always running out of some clothing item and then I wind up wasting my precious vacation in a department store!

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  16. Sounds divine, Maggie and loads of fun. Your travel list is much like mine! And don't you love Baggalini? I carry their purses and bags all the time. So light but strong and very flex for every situation! Have a marvelous time!

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  17. Beautiful sceneries in your Cypriot blues mosaic!
    Have a wonderful holiday!

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  18. Maggie - I am imagining you on a sunny terrace overlooking the cerulean ocean, a refreshing beverage in hand. So thrilled for you, and filled with anticipation for your upcoming photos. Enjoy your break!

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  19. I love Baggallini and I'm getting mine ready for a trip in December, mostly the same items as you plus my camera. Enjoy your trip.

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  20. Sounds wonderful! I hope you have a fabulous time! And it was fun to see your bag and packing list for it. I LOVE packing lists. :-)

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  21. Have a wonderful vacation! I love your checklist. I have one that is similar. :) Kit

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