Off I Go

I don't suppose it's quite fair to drop off the face of the planet without a word of explanation.

I also hardly think it's fair-game to expect a girl who is leaving for Romania in two days to be able to have written much of note in the weeks leading up to her departure.

That is my alibis. Leaky as a sieve and it would hardly stand up in court, but I know you to be of a forgiving nature so I suppose you will let me slide this once. And notice I haven't only been neglecting this blog: none of my blogs have seen anything of me of late, and that is the best way I could find to handle the fact that life has had no time to include blogging or writing. I have done so little writing that it's embarrassing. Thus, the second reason I have left The Inkpen Authoress to shift for itself: I thought that there is nothing more idiotic than speaking when you have nothing to say. Since I haven't written lately, there is not much honesty or wisdom in pretending I have and hoping I can fool the lot of you. But you are writers and you can't be easily fooled.

I will become a world-traveler over the weekend. Sarah teases me about saying I am "going to Europe," but two stops in Paris, two in Budapest, and two weeks in Romania seem to me to constitute the expression. I may never make it back to Europe in my life (though let's hope I do) so it behooves me to make good what of it I expect to see while gone. I have high expectations. Of course I'm nervous. Of course I'm stressed. Of course I feel an awful lot like Bilbo leaving Bag End and wondering if perhaps home wasn't nicer than an adventure after all. But I know that God has lead me this far and He will lead me beyond, and so i am looking forward to my Continental Fling.

So what does a writer pack for her Gallivanting? I hoped you would ask.

This writer brings:

• Altoids (which thrill her because of No Mere Mortals) and Tic-Tacs (because the white ones smell just like a baby-doll she owned as a child) and Trident Original Gum (because its taste is associated with her brother who is a comfort and is not going on the trip)
• A leather travel journal and no less than 4 extra-fine-tip G2 pens
• A Severe Mercy by Sheldon Vanauken and The Hawk and The Dove Trilogy by Penelope Wilcock, and Winnie-The-Pooh. (her fellow-travelers will laugh at her, but she thinks it might come in handy one night when Home seems very far away)
• Clothes and clothes and clothes because she doesn't like to be seen out of fashion
• Her brand new sheep's leather Baccini hobo-tote which makes her feel positively European, and was a gift from the almost-sister-in-law's-sister
• A tape-measure because no one knows when someone will want one
• A Sharpie because again, someone will want one and she will be Mary Poppins and have it to their Astonishment and Surprise
• Lemon Luna-Bars because she doesn't want the trouble of trying to exchange money in the Parisian Airport to buy lunch during a one-hour layover in which she must switch airlines and find her new flight
• Celestial Seasonings herbal-tea sampler which includes Peppermint tea (for anyone's upset stomach), Sleepytime Tea (in case anyone has insomnia), Camomile tea (in case anyone is stressed and needs to take a relaxer), and some other obscure variety which will definitely come in handy.
• Striped neon stocks (which are a comfort since they are perfectly absurd)
• Toenails painted like slices of watermelon (which is a comfort for the former reason)
• Light, natural eyeshadow and mascara (because she won't be among people who wear much makeup but she still wants a face)
• Comfortable shoes (so she can climb those possible castle-ruins without blisters ruining her concentration)
• Sweaters (because who doesn't like a cute, cozy sweater?)
• Copious amounts of hairpins (because this writer has a lot of hair that always will blow in the wrong direction)
• Jeggings (because as much as she hates them,{and looks wretched in them} they were all Walmart had left of the leggings she was told to bring to wear under her skirts against the cold weather)
• Plum-colored Peacoat (because it's news, and it's chic, and it's something she has always wanted)

As a writer, what do you carry when you're on holiday? I would love to hear in the comments, and I will see you all in two week's time with lots to report from the Continent! :)