Saturday, March 27, 2010

counting

If I am allowed 15 kilos to send through (33 lbs), and 10 kilos (22 lbs) to carry on, and he’s allowed only 10 Kilos to carry on (being the frugal person that he is), and if my little suitcase weighs 10 pounds and my laptop is 4 and his is 7, but my cameras, at 3+, more than make up the difference, and if my clothes weigh 6 and his weigh 5 (I know, I know, but he’s just not that fussy about how he looks), but if, in addition, a carryon cannot exceed a width of 20 cms, then what exactly can I take, and how many bottles of wine can I bring back?

These calculations have pushed me on and off the scale all day long, with a tape measure and a calculator nearby.

If you have ever flown the discount airline, RyanAir, you’ll understand. Their flights are so cheap... unless you step off the straight and defined. You want to sit next to your traveling companion? It’ll cost you! You have a duffle bag that’s more than 8 inches wide? Oh, now you’ve just doubled your airfare! And so on.

Ed is, of course, tickled at having to travel ultralight. I’m okay with light on the way there, but less than okay with knowing that one bottle of wine weighs 3 pounds. How will that affect the flight back?

But numbers are just that and the more significant calculation is, I think, about minutes: how many minutes does it take for a bus to... alright, I’ll not review these travel details now.

Tomorrow Ed and I are crossing the ocean and making many complicated connections. At the end of it all, by Monday night, we should be almost there. Where I have long wanted to go.

I’ll write as we navigate the complicated but thrilling for me trip. Spring break. Yes, break.

Finally.