Am I Really This Awesome?
Dec. 23rd, 2009 09:49 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
tabular_rasaI finally got to packing up for my trip home on Friday. I laid out everything that I needed: about six days' worth of clothes (Robert said I could do laundry at his place, so I'll do that at the halfway point); a couple toiletries and beauty supplies (comb, bobby pins, hair ties, makeup, tweezers, etc); my hair straightener; a buttload of gifts (mostly candy); a couple books; some snacks; my ipod; and my purse with my wallet, passport, American and Japanese phones, and flight itineraries. I'll be wearing my coat and my boots.
I realized, looking at the fairly small piles on the bed and the floor, that they might fit in two carry-on-sized bags, and I could go without checking anything.
So I got out my cherry bag (my trusty carry-on since sophomore year of college) and emptied out the purple polka-dot bag I use for carrying things to school . . . and everything fit!
So Friday I will fly to the US with no checked bags, merely two regulation-size carry-ons with my purse stuffed inside one for check-in. I AM AWESOME.
This is absolutely beyond crazy to me. Flying with only a carry-on is a rare luxury for me; so used heaving half my life around in two checked bags + two carry-ons for various lengthy stays overseas (as for my semester abroad and my arrival in Japan for JET), I find whipping through the airport with a single suitcase and a purse to be the most relaxing and liberating feeling ever. Considering I barely ever even travel domestically with no checked bags-- even going home for breaks during college I usually ended up checking one-- I definitely never expected to go without a checked bag for an international flight. It astounds me that I can do this!
And the best part is, this is probably the best thing that could have happened to me to relieve the stress of my massively-long flight itinerary on Friday. With checked bags, I would have had to go through baggage claim and re-check my bags twice before finally picking them up at my final destination: once at the domestic Haneda airport in Tokyo before boarding the shuttle for Narita International Airport, and again in LA for customs before boarding the first of my two flights bound for Indiana. Passing between so many hands I could easily see my luggage missing a connection. Since there's always the possibility of delays, lost luggage, and general confusion during travels (especially this time of year), the less hassle I have to go through with baggage, the better. With my bags on me, all I need to worry about is getting me to the right place.
Of course, I'm really hoping that I'm not just happening to overlook something major that I will need a checked bag for. I did have to sacrifice a couple of presents containing gels and liquids, which unfortunately means that part of Robert's Christmas present won't make it over with me /-: I'll have to send it to him when I get back, perhaps as part of a larger Christmas-Valentine's Day present package to console him when it's been two months since he's seen me and he's hankering for more. (So far, we've been able to see each other about every two months-- which is unfortunately not a pattern we can keep up for the next two years /-:). My quart-sized-Ziploc-bag-full-of-less-than-ten-items-of-three-oz-or-less-each contains deoderant, chapstick, lip gloss (for holiday parties!), foundation, concealer, leave-in conditioner, hair gel, toothpaste, and eye drops. Since that's nine I might actually add a dose of Nyquil in a random travel container, to try to knock myself out for part of the flight >.< I won't wear my contacts on the flight so I don't need contact solution, and I don't need shampoo, conditioner, lotion, or soap with me because there will be stuff at my family's to use when I am there (I can share contact solution with my mom and lotion and soap with my siblings for three days, and though the shampoo and conditioner in the bathroom won't be my shampoo and conditioner it will work for the time being-- and hence the straightener, since Tory's shampoo is not designed for wavy hair). I'll also use shoes I left behind at the house when I don't want to wear my boots.
Making due with the supplies at my family's house means I won't need to check bags for the flight back to LA, either-- which actually saves me money since Delta/Northwest charges for checked bags on domestic flights. Once in LA I'll need to buy shampoo, conditioner, lotion, and things right away, but these are things I was intended to get anyway so I'll just crack into them to use while I'm there and carry them back with me when I return home.
I will have to check bags (probably just one) on the way back since I will be carrying bag large supplies of gels and liquids like shampoo, conditioner, hair gel, and leave-in conditioner, but it's not as stressful since they merely need to make it from San Francisco to Tokyo (a direct flight) one day and from Tokyo to Hagi (also a direct flight) the next. There's much less opportunity for them to get lost or left behind, and since the SF-Tokyo flight is international with no domestic legs and Japan isn't assholes about checking bags for domestic flights I won't ever be charged for the checked bags. I stuck a collapsible eco-bag inside one of my bags, so I'll use that as my second carry-on full of clothes and check one of the larger, sturdy bags with all of my liquid and gel goodies from the US. If I get so much stuff that even that won't cut it, I'll just buy a crappy duffel to use for a checked bag. It's totally worth it to have the stress-free (and charge-free!) trip on Friday.
I suppose there's a possibility they'll balk at me having two bags on Friday, when technically the rule is "one regulation-size carry-on and one small hand-held item such as a purse or laptop bag," but my purple polka-dot bag is actually smaller than my laptop bag, which even stuffed full (nearly overflowing, actually) I have carried overseas in addition to my cherry bag twice without a problem. If this happens, I'll just check one of them and I'll be no worse off than I was intending before.
I realized, looking at the fairly small piles on the bed and the floor, that they might fit in two carry-on-sized bags, and I could go without checking anything.
So I got out my cherry bag (my trusty carry-on since sophomore year of college) and emptied out the purple polka-dot bag I use for carrying things to school . . . and everything fit!
So Friday I will fly to the US with no checked bags, merely two regulation-size carry-ons with my purse stuffed inside one for check-in. I AM AWESOME.
This is absolutely beyond crazy to me. Flying with only a carry-on is a rare luxury for me; so used heaving half my life around in two checked bags + two carry-ons for various lengthy stays overseas (as for my semester abroad and my arrival in Japan for JET), I find whipping through the airport with a single suitcase and a purse to be the most relaxing and liberating feeling ever. Considering I barely ever even travel domestically with no checked bags-- even going home for breaks during college I usually ended up checking one-- I definitely never expected to go without a checked bag for an international flight. It astounds me that I can do this!
And the best part is, this is probably the best thing that could have happened to me to relieve the stress of my massively-long flight itinerary on Friday. With checked bags, I would have had to go through baggage claim and re-check my bags twice before finally picking them up at my final destination: once at the domestic Haneda airport in Tokyo before boarding the shuttle for Narita International Airport, and again in LA for customs before boarding the first of my two flights bound for Indiana. Passing between so many hands I could easily see my luggage missing a connection. Since there's always the possibility of delays, lost luggage, and general confusion during travels (especially this time of year), the less hassle I have to go through with baggage, the better. With my bags on me, all I need to worry about is getting me to the right place.
Of course, I'm really hoping that I'm not just happening to overlook something major that I will need a checked bag for. I did have to sacrifice a couple of presents containing gels and liquids, which unfortunately means that part of Robert's Christmas present won't make it over with me /-: I'll have to send it to him when I get back, perhaps as part of a larger Christmas-Valentine's Day present package to console him when it's been two months since he's seen me and he's hankering for more. (So far, we've been able to see each other about every two months-- which is unfortunately not a pattern we can keep up for the next two years /-:). My quart-sized-Ziploc-bag-full-of-less-than-ten-items-of-three-oz-or-less-each contains deoderant, chapstick, lip gloss (for holiday parties!), foundation, concealer, leave-in conditioner, hair gel, toothpaste, and eye drops. Since that's nine I might actually add a dose of Nyquil in a random travel container, to try to knock myself out for part of the flight >.< I won't wear my contacts on the flight so I don't need contact solution, and I don't need shampoo, conditioner, lotion, or soap with me because there will be stuff at my family's to use when I am there (I can share contact solution with my mom and lotion and soap with my siblings for three days, and though the shampoo and conditioner in the bathroom won't be my shampoo and conditioner it will work for the time being-- and hence the straightener, since Tory's shampoo is not designed for wavy hair). I'll also use shoes I left behind at the house when I don't want to wear my boots.
Making due with the supplies at my family's house means I won't need to check bags for the flight back to LA, either-- which actually saves me money since Delta/Northwest charges for checked bags on domestic flights. Once in LA I'll need to buy shampoo, conditioner, lotion, and things right away, but these are things I was intended to get anyway so I'll just crack into them to use while I'm there and carry them back with me when I return home.
I will have to check bags (probably just one) on the way back since I will be carrying bag large supplies of gels and liquids like shampoo, conditioner, hair gel, and leave-in conditioner, but it's not as stressful since they merely need to make it from San Francisco to Tokyo (a direct flight) one day and from Tokyo to Hagi (also a direct flight) the next. There's much less opportunity for them to get lost or left behind, and since the SF-Tokyo flight is international with no domestic legs and Japan isn't assholes about checking bags for domestic flights I won't ever be charged for the checked bags. I stuck a collapsible eco-bag inside one of my bags, so I'll use that as my second carry-on full of clothes and check one of the larger, sturdy bags with all of my liquid and gel goodies from the US. If I get so much stuff that even that won't cut it, I'll just buy a crappy duffel to use for a checked bag. It's totally worth it to have the stress-free (and charge-free!) trip on Friday.
I suppose there's a possibility they'll balk at me having two bags on Friday, when technically the rule is "one regulation-size carry-on and one small hand-held item such as a purse or laptop bag," but my purple polka-dot bag is actually smaller than my laptop bag, which even stuffed full (nearly overflowing, actually) I have carried overseas in addition to my cherry bag twice without a problem. If this happens, I'll just check one of them and I'll be no worse off than I was intending before.
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no subject
Date: 2009-12-23 03:01 pm (UTC)2) I hate checking in bags as well. Even for the cruise I INSISTED on carrying my stuff around all the time rather than checking in.
3) I am curious as to why would you want to straighten your gorgeous wavy hair. Generic y'all, not just you specifically. I love wavy and curly hair. I never blow-dry mine unless I need to get it dry. One of the few things I dislike about winter (and like about the more humid days conversely) is the effect on my hair.
no subject
Date: 2009-12-23 04:04 pm (UTC)I do like my wavy hair, and I actually am a huge proponent of embracing one's natural hair texture-- especially since I was in denial about the texture of my hair for so long. Back in high school and early college I used to straighten my hair every day because it was the only way to tame it; I didn't know the fundamentals of taking care of textured hair, like not combing it when dry or using deep conditioners. (Plus my mom encouraged-- and still encourages-- me to wear it straight, since being a child of the 70s that's *prettiest* to her). I love the texture of my hair now that I know how to take care of it, and so these days, I straighten my hair maybe once a month and I blowdry even less.
However, being without my normal conditioner-- my sister sometimes doesn't even have conditioner in the bathroom, and when she does it's usually the clarifying, stripping kind, which is pretty much the opposite of what I need-- and my hair will be frizzier and puffier. It's actually quite crazy how much of a difference it makes. So I'll either straighten it or tie it back for the time I'm home since it will keep it tame.
no subject
Date: 2009-12-23 05:05 pm (UTC)Also, I have a feeling we have similar hair so PLEASE HELP ME. If you can offer any advice, I'll snatch it up because something has got to be better than what I'm doing.
When my hair is good, I like it a lot. I like long, slightly wavy hair. It's just that I tend to either have a)extremely greasy hair or b)extremely frizzy breakaway hair which mostly depends on how often I wash it. If it's everyday, Hello Frizzies! And if I go longer than 24 hours, it looks horribly greasy. Sometimes it looks horribly greasy even when I DO wash it.
I know I am using the wrong shampoo. I am just using the cheap stuff right now. I don't mind buying the good stuff, I just don't know what the good stuff IS.
I blow dry my hair only when necessary and I never brush it. I have various products like leave-in conditioner, hair defrizzer/shiner, hair straightening gel, and stronghold gel depending on what my hair needs. Sometimes this works and sometimes it just adds to the yucky grease look. :(
Help?
no subject
Date: 2009-12-23 05:15 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-12-23 11:07 pm (UTC)Look for a moisturizing conditioner (and maybe the shampoo that goes with it), like those designed for curly, damaged, or color-treated hair (in spite of not necessarily having any of those features). It need not be expensive; my favorite brands are Sunsilk (either Captivating Curls or Hydra TLC) and Herbal Essences (Totally Twisted or, if you live in Japan, Mermaid Moisture :-P). I've never tried a really expensive shampoo or conditioner so maybe those work even better-- but these work for me, much better than the Whatever Suave Scent Happens To Be On Sale I did in high school. I once saw a chart (perhaps on the Herbal Essences website) that showed how conditioners are actually designed for different types of hair. People with really fine hair at risk of going flat need conditioners that don't create a lot of weight, but people with frizz need that weight.
When you shampoo, focus the shampoo on your roots where it gets oily (it will work its way down to the tips during rinsing, and they need it less anyway), but focus the conditioner on the lower half of your hair-- avoid the roots, because it will make it greasy.
I use leave-in conditioner (either one of the Sunsilk TLC cremes or Garnier Fructis) on my wet hair right after my shower, and then a big glob of hair gel (Herbal Essences) to scrunch it when I want to wear wavy. I occasionally use hairspray when I tie it back.
My *secret* lol is mostly just conditioning and keeping my hair healthy. As I mentioned I only rarely straighten my hair and blow dry it even less, and while I do wash it every day I condition the heck out of it to make up for it. Good luck! ^_^
no subject
Date: 2009-12-23 03:54 pm (UTC)2. You are awesome.
3. You are lovely and awesome.
4. I'm so glad you'll be doing carry-on only, my always preferred method of travel. Remember when I had to drag that suitcase around Tokyo? Ugh.....
5. I agree with "eternitat" about your hair. Then again, your hair looks lovely in every way imaginable. No matter what you do with it, you're gorgeous!
6. Did I mention you are lovely and awesome?
no subject
Date: 2009-12-23 04:44 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-12-24 02:21 am (UTC)2) No, you're awesome.
3) You're lovely and awesome! :-P
4) Yeah . . . Sometimes you just have to have the bigger bag, though. Three weeks is way too much for just a carry-on, unless you really want to live without. Plus I made you bring over way too much stuff for me >.<
5) Heehee, this is why I can never ask you advice about how I look :-P because I can't go wrong with you! Lol.
6) I don't mind if you repeat it :-P I just hope you don't mind if I also add that you, also, are lovely and awesome .