Travel Heavy - Inherited Curse?

Monday, March 09, 2009 14 comments


I love to travel and explore new places. During my childhood days, if I had to travel. All I had to do was just hop on to a bus or a train along with my parents. I did not worry a bit about packing my bags, dresses, etc. However, things have changed now. These days I spend a lot of time planning and preparing for the travel ahead. I still remember seeing the sign inside the train coaches, ' Less Luggage, More Comfort: Make travel a pleasure'. I wish I can follow that now.


As much as I enjoy the places I visit, I should also admit, I certainly do not enjoy the pain I go through in getting to those places. Sometimes, planning for all the eventualities during the travel could be the primary reason for this. If I am traveling for a week, I carry dresses, clothing and other essentials for at least 10 days. I remember during my first trip to the US, I did not know the baggage count and weight limits. I stuffed every possible item including those heavy engineering books, training manuals in 3 jumbo bags and arrived in Chennai for my flight. Just before I left for the airport, I called up my travel agent to verify the baggage limits. I was almost double the limit! My brother who had come to drop me along with my parents, had to carry a 'spine-knuckling' 50 Kg bag all the way back to Coimbatore. That was the last time he accompanied my parents to drop me in the airport! Amidst all the drama, I still managed to squeeze a big fat chemical engineering handbook in one of my bags. Why did I carry that book? God only knows. Till date I haven't even opened that book!

During my student days, I shopped and accumulated tiny gifts for every single root of my 'banyan' like family tree. What was the consequence of that shopping spree? When I checked in my bags at Detroit airport for my flight to India, my bags were again overweight by 40 Kgs! However, I did not pull stuff out of my bag. I paid $160 baggage fine and decided to carry the entire load along. No wonder the airline was tilted on one side! All of a sudden, passenger plane became a cargo carrier. I landed in India with 6 huge bags and 2 carry-on duffels. Two cars were required to carry my 'cargo' from the airport. Did I learn a lesson from that trip? No way! On my next trip to India, if not so many bags, I still ended up carrying overweight bags. This time I was not prepared to pay the fine. I had become a pauper by then :( Instead, I pulled out the heavy chocolates out of the bags and stuffed them in my carry on bags. It is funny, 2 guys were required to lift my carry-on duffel bag to the boarding area. It was so heavy, at the end of the journey, I had an elongated arm ;)

I became conscious of the baggage weight after that trip and started weighing my bags beforehand to avoid opening my bags and showcasing my dirty laundry in the airport check-in area! Now that I travel with my family, the baggage allowance has increased. Because of this baggage weight is no longer an issue, it is the total number of bags. For a week long trip, we end up carrying things needed for 14 days. Right from the mini-rice cooker to the first aid kit and baby diapers, we carry every possible item for the trip needs. The problem again is because of planning overkill. I prepare a checklist for the travel and the checklist grows to a very long laundry list by the time I start packing for the trip.

It has become harder to travel with 2 kids and 5-6 big bags. If traveling within the US, on top of these bags, those bulky car seats! I am not sure how many times we would have dropped the car seat in the airport area. Thanks to Shreya, she has voluntarily become the 'designated person' to pick up the car seat and put it back on the luggage cart. They keep falling over and over, no matter what we do. I am just waiting for the day when these kids grow up and we stop carrying the car seats along with all the bulky bags. With the added security checks in the airport, it is even more painful. I am glad they opened separate security lines for families traveling with children. Else we used to create a big bottleneck in the security check area. I am hoping one day, I can start traveling light and easy. May be I should stop using those check-lists or at least prepare a smaller checklist.

Until then I have to live with the 'travel heavy' curse. The curse I probably inherited from my previous birth, during which I incurred the wrath of a rishi muni in deep meditation by knocking over his holy stick ('Danda') and water pot ('Kamandalam') with my big fat briefcase!



14 comments: to “ Travel Heavy - Inherited Curse? so far...

  • Magesh Kumar 3/09/2009 3:50 AM
     

    As ever your cartoon is good...I always plan for as less luggage as possible...im still not in your situation and hence cant really comment on that :)

  • Padma 3/09/2009 3:58 AM
     

    Raja!it is a nice post..i remembered my first trip to baroda with aditya...oh!God...train was full with my bags..nowadays i am trying to reduce my luggage...as usual ur cartoon is very nice...i guess,the muni who cursed u was ravi? ...;)keep blogging

  • Nandakumar 3/09/2009 4:19 AM
     

    I have seen two kind of people in the airports.

    One section of people come with heavy loads.right from pillows to pumpkins.

    Another set come simply with one small hand baggage.I hv seen then not even taking on board food.So they are making even their stomack light.I donno how they are managing.

    If you start your tour with 8 luggages you return back with 12 luggages.Bcos u cannot pack used cloths compactly.Add to this the purchases.These purchased items occupy plenty of space in your house also.

    You have to take inventory once in two years and throw unwanted things.The lesson I have learnt is stop purchases when you go out.

    But u cannot control ladies and kids in this respect.Only thing is that you have to throw these items when your wife goes for a vacation and keep silent.If secrets come out after a couple of days,keep your face innocent and if that also fails be prepared for a war.

  • Swetha Viswanathan 3/09/2009 5:41 AM
     

    Vittakka 'world's heaviest baggage check-in family'-nu Guinness records-la vandhuruveenga poliruke:P Hmmm,padikumpodhe kanna kattudhe,ungala check-in panna aasaminga kanna pinnanu kadupayirupaanga:D

  • Rajendra 3/09/2009 7:30 AM
     

    nice blog.
    the cartoon was good. especially the wheels. good thinking:)
    I try to travel light if Padma allows me. Padma on the other hand always travels light. I carry all the loads like a donkey...:(

  • Raja 3/09/2009 5:59 PM
     

    Kumar ..Your points are very valid..We fall in the first category..with pumpkins and pillows! We never compromise on food. I believe a vacation can be a good one only when the stomachs are full and happy.
    However, we do not shop much on vacation, so our return trips are usually lighter.
    By the way, were you successful in the act of innocence after throwing stuff out of your house?

    Magesh..thanks for the comments..Don't worry, there is no escape route..you will go through my situation one day! Whats up with your own blog these days?

  • Raja 3/09/2009 6:10 PM
     

    Padma..your comments about 'Ravi the Rishi' made me roll and laugh!..I have to plead Ravi and see if he can reverse that curse....I know what Ravi would be looking for ..as parikaram! (pay back)

    If my memory is right, you had also taken all of your engineering books to Baroda. Did you open and read them? If not Ravi, who probably carried that for you, has cursed you as well..
    Only difference, in your case (my imagination starts)...you probably bent down to pick something and the curse fell on Rajendra who was standing next to you..no wonder Rajendra is carrying the donkey load these days..
    Rajendra..thanks for your comments..did you notice Advait helping me in pushing the luggage cart ;)

  • Unknown 3/09/2009 6:51 PM
     

    hahaha...Padma I did not realize this runs in the family, I dont mind meeting up with Ravi and pleading on behalf of Raja!!

    I remember when Raja would come to visit us from U.S, we used to rent a matador van to carry all his bags...I once accidentally lifted his huge bags and fell sick for next couple of days...Till date one of my hands is 2 inches longer than the other from his bags :D

    Kichi

  • Padma 3/09/2009 11:24 PM
     

    Hi kichi!I grant u permission;-) to meet ravi and plead on behalf of raja..and lessen his burden ;-)raja!don't believe in rajendra's buruda story of donkey etc..But i also like to carry many items as precaution..which increases the load and breaks the porter's spinal cord :(

  • Prasanna's Pen Speaks ... 3/10/2009 6:31 AM
     

    Raja good post... I Think innum nee escapism frm luggage technique kathkkala. My husband is having good planning skills in travelling.. he used to sent me first along with the kids and heavy luggages of him too... immediately next day he comes only with his laptop bag... Everytime i used to pay penalty charges in chennai station.. now i prepared three separate baggages one for amma veedu, one for mamiar veedu and another one for machinar veedu in local...last week my mamiyar came and gave me that heavy baggage and told me chennailonae marchi poi pettase ochinavu...

  • RAMKI 3/13/2009 5:42 AM
     

    raja our fist visit to us ur friends asked why such heavy luggages to ur parents in singapore air port kichi and ur friend is shcked as if entire cargo in the flight is with us/next trip also we have not learnt lesson .ur mom wanted 2 bottles olive oil .but we didnot buy . thank god .in the airport we look helpless.next trip us we will do same. appa

  • Ravishankar 3/30/2009 5:46 PM
     

    cartoon is good. I always feel Raja and Padma both are fond of carring more luggage

  • Unknown 3/31/2009 4:11 AM
     

    Hi Raja...I was enthusiastically reading your blog since it is a very common event happening in all our families.one of my co sister when she travels to her mom's place with her two children during vacation, always buys 3 tickets.One for her and other for her husband & the other one for her luggages. Everytime she books two autos to go to central and the bags will be occupied with all the essentials to run the next entire year from kitchen items to Pooja things.We all will be wondered and surprised to see the baggages.I just thought of sharing this when i was reading your blog...

  • Raja 3/31/2009 9:11 AM
     

    Anu..welcome to my blog. Thanks for the comments. How do you travel with your family? Do you manage to travel light?
    Interesting co-sister of yours..never thought someone would buy an extra ticket just for the bags!