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Home / Tips & ideas / The journey / Packing for a Trip with Friends

Packing for a Trip with Friends

June 27, 2013 by Gretta Schifano 4 Comments

Suitcases. Copyright Gretta Schifano

I need to pack for a trip which I’ve been looking forward to for a year. I’m setting off tomorrow, early, but I haven’t even thought about what to take because it’s a Trip with Friends. This is completely different to a Trip with Children. Packing for that kind of trip involves several open suitcases stationed at the end of my bed for days before we leave. The suitcases are there to receive whatever I think we need to take, as and when it occurs to me, and the contents will change many times before we set off.

I’ve had some memorable flights with my children. One which stands out is when our then infant daughter started throwing up as the plane took off from Athens. We arrived in London practically naked, our vomit-covered clothes pulsating in a plastic bag. One flight from London to New York was very special because the four of us were upgraded to Business Class. Wah-hay! I thought, as the check-in lady told us about the upgrade, and assured me that, yes, it was for the whole flight and yes, it was for all four of us and no, we wouldn’t have to pay a surcharge. This was terribly exciting for me, never having experienced anything other than economy, and everything went swimmingly until the youngest was struck by terrible ear pain and screamed at the top of his voice for the last two hours of the flight. We’ve never been upgraded since.

So, we now take a fair bit of hand luggage on family trips. Besides the obvious passport, tickets, money and something to read, we take: spare clothes in case of vomit; Calpol and Nurofen in case of ear pain; plastic bags in case of vomit; sucky sweets in case of ear pain; wet wipes in case of vomit and, of course, underwear and swimsuits in case the luggage gets lost. It’s always best to look on the bright side.

But I won’t need to take any of that for the trip with my friends tomorrow. One friend lives in Italy and three of us fly over to spend a weekend with her at around this time every year. There are no men or children on this trip, just the four of us – and it couldn’t be more relaxing. I know I’ll wear whatever’s comfortable, we’ll tease each other kindly and talk and talk and talk, and we’ll eat and drink whatever and whenever we like. (I’m a firm believer that Prosecco and chocolate make a perfect snack at any time. Except for just before the school run, obviously.) Our relationships pre-date children, husbands, careers or the lack of them. We’ve lived and travelled together in various combinations. We’ve grown up together and supported each other through weddings, births, divorce, miscarriages and the deaths of loved ones. So it doesn’t matter what I pack or what I take as hand luggage or what I wear because I’ll be spending time with true friends. Besides, we’re all too old for Calpol and if we throw up we’ll probably manage not to get it on our clothes.

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Categories: The journey
Tags: family travel, packing

About Gretta Schifano

I'm a freelance journalist and blogger specialising in family travel with teenagers, trips when parents manage to travel without their kids, and 50+ travel. I also write about vegetarian travel, parenting teenagers, adoption, SEN, ADHD and anxiety. My work's been published by the Financial Times, Guardian, Independent, National Geographic Traveller, Lonely Planet and others. I've lived and worked in Italy and Spain and am now based in rural south-east England with my husband, adoptive and birth kids and our dog. I previously worked as a social action radio producer for the BBC.

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Comments

  1. Jenny/Mum says

    June 27, 2013 at 7:56 pm

    Sounds lovely, have a great time- you deserve it!

    Reply
    • Gretta says

      June 27, 2013 at 9:44 pm

      Thank you! xx

      Reply
  2. Trish says

    June 27, 2013 at 2:40 pm

    Sounds the perfect trip. I think Prosecco and chocolate are ideal partners. Have fun x

    Reply
    • Gretta says

      June 27, 2013 at 5:15 pm

      I can’t wait – but I’d better start packing soon!

      Reply

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This is a personal blog written and edited by me, Gretta Schifano. Sometimes I’m given products or sent on trips to review, but I always make this clear and give my honest opinion. See my About page for full details.

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