Traveling Boxes

June 14, Thursday:  Today I’ve been writing.  Bill’s been working on videos and photos this morning, so we were here when more of the packages that we mailed ourselves arrived.  I think there are only a couple more boxes coming.  We should have labeled what was in each box, so that we only had to open them if we needed something.  We should have also kept track of exactly how many boxes we sent ourselves, so we'd know if we were missing any.  Too many should haves and not enough time, besides the boxes were organized by how things fit best, not logical use, and things were shuffled a few times, so labeling is better in theory than in practice. 


We mailed ourselves boxes using the US Postal Service using their priority, flat-rate boxes, and parcel post; even though it was only $20 for the first three bags per passenger on Alaska Airlines and $50 for each bag their after.  

1. There is a limit to how much, each person was willing to tote in and out of the airport, even with the help of valets.  It is more difficult when you're responsible for a pet, a child, your valuables in your carry-on luggage, etc. 
2. By mailing them, we could also insure things for their actual value, which is great if you plan it so that the mail arrives after you do, because you have a time limit to make a claim on the contents of your package.  
3. It gave us more room when we only had one vehicle.
4. We would have had to buy extra boxes or luggage to take them on the plane.  

Tip we discovered while living out of suitcases and traveling to new places all the time:

• We packed like things together into a fabric grocery bags.  It was important to have the bags look unique when possible.  For example: We packed all the dogs stuff into a red Target bag.  That way we just had to look for the red, dog-stuff bag to find what we needed.  We could then put that bag into a suitcase or a box when it was time to pack again, or if going a short distance we could just throw them in the car as is; and they were easier than boxes because they had handles.
• Fabric insulated coolers make cheap luggage.  We continued to use it for it's intended purpose once we arrive at our destination.  We have one that we purchased at Trader Joe's in California that traveled to Florida then back to California and is now in Hawaii.  I've seen them for sell at Trader Joe's for $6.99.
• I've always loved Rubbermaid boxes, because they last and keep the things inside dry.  They were great for keeping things dry in the back of the car, and they have handles.  We even used one as luggage to Hawaii.    
• For smaller items we packed them into gallon-sized, Ziploc freezer bags.  
• Freezer bags are heavier, so they last longer than regular bags.
• Clear bags make it easy to see what we needed without opening the bag, and we didn't have to label the bag to know the contents.  
• Having sealed plastic bags was great when we traveled from a low elevation to a higher one.  If the expanding air caused a top of a lotion bottle to come off, then the mess was contained to the bag.    

The last one reminds me of the time I went with the Sunset High School band to Oregon to march in the Rose Festival.  I had a small, glass bottle of citronella oil, which I brought along to "confuse" mosquitoes.  The bottle leaked during the plane ride, and all my clothes smelled like citronella the whole trip.  No bites, though.  

It is only 1 p.m. but the sky, which started out sunny today, is already overcast; and the ocean horizon is a blur.  It would get depressing, so I need to get my face in the water where you don’t notice if it is sunny, cloudy, rainy, or voggy.


For more thoughts on Kona Mosquitoes read here.