Packing for Inflammation Instead of Nightlife

As you know, hubby and I went away for a long weekend a few weeks ago . We had such a wonderful time with great friends.

So this is not about that.

What this is about…

Is slightly alarming.

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Have you ever thought about packing to go on a trip?

Of course you have.

If you’ve ever gone anywhere overnight, you’ve thought about what to pack.

For decades I have filled my suitcase – ok suitcases – with at least two outfits for each day.

Because a girl never really knows who she is going to be on vacation.

Will I feel all frilly and dressy?

Will I want to give casual but effortlessly put together?

Will I suddenly become someone who wears linen?

Who knows?

And of course there were matching undergarments for each outfit.

And shoes

Matching shoes.  Beautiful shoes.

The kind clearly designed by people who hate women.

And selfie worthy accessories:

Jewelry, big colorful matching sunglasses, belts, coordinated lipsticks.

And one wrinkled hoodie with loose soft lounge pants…

for emotion support or… hangover recovery.

And hubby packed the same way.  

Not with the same precision and purpose,

obviously.

But still:

this shirt goes with those pants,

that require this coordinated belt,

those shoes

one dressy, one casual, because he is, after all, a man —

And matching socks.

Repeat for every day.

Then add backup options.

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Back then we packed for:

Possibilities,

Aesthetics,

Bad decisions,

And absolutely nothing related to comfort.

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Now that we are both in our sixties and “semi-retired”…

I’ve noticed a shift…

A seismic shift.

No more stylin’ and profilin.’

No more “who will I be today?”

No more shoes specifically designed for maximum discomfort.

These days?

 Comfort is the new cute.

And honestly…

I regret nothing.

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At some point in life vacations became less about fearless adventure

And more about sustainable adventure…

with adequate support.

Now we travel with:

comfortable clothes,

comfortable shoes,

and one slightly dressier outfit that still has to work with comfortable shoes.

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Somewhere along the way, our luggage stopped giving vacation night life…

and started giving disaster preparedness training.

An entire section of each suitcase is dedicated to supplements:

Magnesium,

Vitamin C,

Vitamins D and K
(apparently they travel better together),

this for hair,

that for joints,

and multiple items devoted to what can only be described as “digestive negotiations.”

Mine are sorted into tiny, labeled baggies, because apparently my memory occasionally reboots without warning.

Hubby’s are organized in one of those giant round pill dispensers that looks less like vacation prep and more like a weeklong hostage situation. 

And of course, acetaminophen.   Lots of acetaminophen in its own family-sized bottle.

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And somehow…

despite all of this preparation…

one of us still forgot their extra emergency underwear.

Apparently even disaster preparedness has its limits.

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However, we did remember:

special pillows,

travel socks,

comfortable shoes,

and enough supplements to stabilize a small rural community. 

At that point, looking at our luggage, I realized we had not packed for a four-day weekend.

We packed like settlers crossing dangerous territory. 

Just one digestive issue away from circling the wagons.

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What is the deal with old-er people and their special pillows?

There was a time in my life when I could sleep anywhere:

on the floor,

squeezed two  to a sofa,

half hanging off a motel bed,

or sitting upright in a car with one shoe in my lap (don’t ask).  

Now?

If my neck angle is wrong for six minutes, I need a massage.

And the socks.

Why do we now have travel-specific socks?

Not cute socks.

Not fashionable socks.

Supportive socks.

Socks engineered by orthopedic scientists and..

probably Lucifer.

Honestly, the entire trip could collapse into chaos, but if hubby’s feet and ankles feel supported, the man becomes nearly indestructible.

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I think that’s how you know you’re getting older.

You stop packing for possibilities…

and start packing for recovery.

Not because the adventure is over.

Just because you’d like to enjoy it when you get there.

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So if you’ve started noticing your own packing evolution…

If you now pack for inflammation instead of night life…

If your suitcase contains enough supplements to alarm TSA…

Welcome to The Third Act.

Pull up a chair.

But not one that’s too low to the ground.

-Pattie

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If you’re enjoying these stories from my Third Act — the adventures, the chaos, the questionable decisions, and apparently now… the orthopedic travel phase 😂 — I’d love for you to subscribe. (You can do that now without registering for WordPress.)

And if you already travel with your own pillow or a suspicious number of supplements…

trust me.

You’re among friends.