In about ten days, DD#1 and I will be jetting to Europe to join up with her Girl Scout troop for four weeks of tromping the English countryside, scaling Swiss hillsides (not the real mountains. I don’t do mountains), and overall fun with Scouts from around the world. With the amount of going back and forth between venues, it was strongly suggested that we pack lightly. The hard part? Figuring out what I absolutely need for a four week trip.

For starters, I am not a clothes hound, so that part is easy. A few of my favorite pairs of pants (though my absolute faves may be too heavy for summer in warmer climates. Might work in Switzerland…hmmmm…), t-shirts, underfrillies, socks. A pair of hikers I love love love, a pair of casual shoes and *maybe* tennies, if I have room. A jacket and some light-weight rain gear, just in case.

I’m also not one for needing lots of product for face or hair. I don’t wear makeup, though I’m sure some would say I should : ) My only concession is a bottle of Oil of Olay. I love the stuff, and it reminds me of my grandmother. She kept a bottle of it on her dresser and had lovely skin, so there you go. A tube of cleanser will probably find its way into my ditty bag as well.

As for hair, I recently got a “goo and go” cut, specifically for this trip. Yes, it’s short. Very short. But all I have to do is wash it, towel it dry to a degree, goo it and brush it back. Bam. Done. Normally, at home, even when it’s short I’d take a hairdryer to it. But I don’t want to waste luggage space on a hairdryer.

I won’t have my laptop either. Which means (a) no internet, (b) no ebooks, and (c) no access to the manuscripts I’m working on. The lack of internet may be solved by cafes or such along the way, so I might be able to shoot an email to hubby and friends, but I’m not counting on access. I don’t have too many ebooks, but they are convenient when I am traveling with the laptop. No reader, either, so I’ll have to choose a few paperbacks.

The inability to twiddle with my work might seem like it’s much tougher to deal with, but not really. I have 4 weeks to put aside and “forget” one manuscript that is being revised. When I get back, I can see if I like what I’ve done. As for the WIP, 4 weeks of not going back to what I’ve already written to tweak or avoid tackling the newest scenes and finish the darn thing is good. I’ll have my notebook and several pens. If I find myself with relative quiet time (on planes, trains, or any time 20-odd teenage girls are out of the room) I will write. By hand. The old-fashioned way. Why? Because while I can easily give up my hairdryer for a month, there is no way on this earth I can give up writing.

What are your essentials for a trip?