Scenes From My Life

Growing up, I usually traveled by car. Several times every year, my parents loaded me, my siblings, and the occasional cousin into the car. We would set off for a variety of points around the country to visit family and friends. This led to occasionally close quarters. . . and the need for careful packing. With at least five people in the car, luggage overload was a real possibility. Today, I do a fair amount of travel by airplane. I find the luggage restrictions to be much like they were during my childhood travels. Between cramped airplanes and overloaded cars, smart packing is a definite must. There are four simple points to remember when packing for a trip. The first is to consider your destination. Pack those items that are necessary for the time and place to which you are traveling. If you are visiting Maine in January, chances are slim that you will need beachwear. Likewise, if you visit Las Vegas at the same time of year, a heavy...

In March of 2004, I made a week-long trip to Arizona, for a good friend’s wedding. When I left Atlanta, temperatures had been in the high 60’s and it had been raining for days. I flew into Phoenix, where it was bright, sunny and the daytime temperatures hovered in the low-90’s. At night, it never got below 70. Following the wedding, another friend and I drove to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, where the skies were clear and daytime temperatures were in the 40’s and 50’s. At night, it dipped to near-freezing levels. Following a few more days in 90-plus degree weather in Phoenix, I returned to Atlanta. My return flight had a connection in Detroit, Michigan. The plane landed, only to be greeted by falling snow and temperatures in the low 30’s. The plane had to be de-iced before it could take off again. A few hours later, I landed in Atlanta, where it was 70 and pouring rain.