Chapter 4

"When preparing to travel, lay out all your clothes and all your money. Then take half the clothes and twice the money."
– Susan Heller


Having only booked our vacation six weeks before we were due to leave, there really wasn't that much time on the countdown clock. That also meant there wasn't that much time on the get ready clock.

For all you folks who spend 15 minutes the night before packing, I am making a face at you right now. I dream of being able to pack like that and maybe someday I will. It won't be this year.

Getting ready for this trip was extra complicated, because we had almost nothing useful to pack. We discovered neither of us had swimsuits. When we went to Maui in 2009, Sunshine was sporting a 44" pant waist, now he is in a size 34. We discovered just how much his old swim trunks weren't going to work with some hilarity during an overnight stop at a Holiday Inn. Don't be alarmed, no children were traumatized in the incident. Though not able to brag of nearly as dramatic a change, I was in need of new beach wear as well.

For those of you who live well below the Mason/Dixon line, getting a swimsuit in November is likely of no particular consequence. When you live in the north, be prepared to spend real $$$. For all things summer, we were in a total retail void. The summer stuff was all gone and the 'cruise-wear' wasn't going to be in stores until after Christmas. That left us with specialty shops. Without exaggeration, we could have extended our trip 3 days for what swim suits cost us. Not really part of the budget, but as we weren't booked for c/o, what can you do.

I must admit, shopping before a trip is an activity I generally enjoy. I have been known to be a bit tight when it comes to spending cash, especially on basics that I deem that I can 'make do' without. Underwear has a hole, no problem. Taking underwear with a hole on vacation - I can do better than that. At least half the socks in my drawer can be tied to a purchase before heading on vacation somewhere. Strangely enough, they almost become happy souvenirs. As I pull them on in the morning, I think to myself ah (insert vacation destination here), what a great time that was and it starts the day off right.

Jumping ahead, I have taken a bit of a different approach preparing for our trip this year. Since I started this countdown with well over 200 days to go, I needed to spread out the anticipation. I don't think that there has been a month that has gone by that I haven't bought something that I plan to take to Negril. New sunhat, won't I look cute in Negril. Oh, sunscreen is on sale, better stock up for Negril. Need floaties for the beach, let's by ones we can also take to Negril. The nice thing is, maybe I will actually be able to pack in something less than a week. Also, it is nice that this part of the shopping won't be on the vacation bill.

I get the suitcase out mid-week and start packing. I've read half a dozen times that the key to success in Negril is to bring half the clothes and twice the money. Neither is going to happen, but I do my best.

I did leave two items at home which I found quite liberating - no flat-iron and no make-up for me. They call Negril the capital of casual? That means to me that I can be fresh faced and frizzy haired and the world can just get over it.

Three or four days before we were due to leave, Sunshine came home from work with the sniffles. I am sure there are men out there who are capable of maturity when they are sick. Not so much with Sunshine. He becomes like a petulant four-year old, railing at the universe for placing this pox upon his head. What frustrates me is that he doesn't do anything about it.

What happens when a week before we go on vacation and I start to feel the sniffles? I will take anything and everything that promises to stop the disease in its tracks. I have had mixed results, but I figure, at least am trying. Sunshine's approach? Pour a whiskey and hope it helps. I decided this trip was too important for this laissez-faire attitude and I read him the riot act. He had the good sense to look chagrined and headed off for the pharmacy.

In my world the latest in magic cure-all was, at this point in time, Oil of Oregano. I have half a dozen people at my office that swear by it and claim it works every time. It was a nasty cold season and the stories of miraculous recoveries were flying around like mad. So after three days of Cold-Fx and Oil of Oregano, I'm not sure Sunshine had achieved much. He still has an unpleasant head cold and he is now starting to smell like Mediterranean food and not in a good way. Ironically, he doesn't feel better, but I actually do. Not because I was getting sick, but because he actually tried to do something about it.