Yesterday I spent a very LONG day in the car. It wasn’t the worst day I’ve spent in a car, we didn’t get a speeding ticket or get into an accident, but it was three days before Christmas, I was sick, and it was 13 hours in an f-ing car, for God’s sake.  We were on our way down south for a “relaxing holiday respite”.  I’m keeping my fingers crossed.

Preparing for that 13-hour car trip and 10 days down in South Carolina was not a simple task.

Chores I do beforehand:  Lots of laundry, make lists, shop for gifts, go to doctor’s appointments, pay bills, run errands, clean house, water plants, organize, organize, organize…

Important things I have learned to do before ANY trip from friends in recovery: Go to lots of meetings beforehand, touch base with my sponsor and other program friends, return phone calls, plan to attend meetings while away. Pray, Breathe, Meditate. Take it Easy and Keep it Simple. Oh, and pack program literature. Plenty of it.

I have gotten very good at doing most of these things, I’ve practiced them enough that they’ve become Second Nature. What I’m having trouble with is Keeping it Simple. I’m getting a little better at that but it’s progress not perfection, right?

Things I pack: 

For the Dogs: food, water for the car trip, leashes, harnesses, seat belts, poop bags, toys, grooming tools.

For the Humans during the car ride: water, soda, yogurt, trail mix, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, protein bars.

For me: clothes, toiletries, vitamins, medicine, shoes, Too many Books, electronic Devices (think computer, iPhone, Kindle, camera), bills I need to pay.

For the Kitchen: Mark Bittman‘s How to Cook Everything Cookbook, spices, nuts and chocolate for baking, cereal, fruit, yogurt,  Kitchen-Aide Mixer, protein powder, greens, almond milk.

For the Holidays: Menorah and candles, Christmas gifts, stocking stuffers, Holiday cards I need to write and send out.

For Recovery: AA Big Book, Melody Beattie‘s “The Language of Letting Go: Daily Meditations on Codependency”, “How Al-Anon Works for Families and Friends of Alcoholics”, Al-Anon’s “Courage to Change”.

We mix it up around here. My husband throws all his stuff in a little bag that I think he uses for his biking gear. Go figure.

There was plenty more that I did to prepare for the trip but nobody needs to hear about that. So today I’m here at the beach writing this blog from my king-size comfy bed. (Note to self, try not to write too much on the computer in bed, its bad for the back) When I lose my concentration, I look out at the water to see if there are any boats passing by or dolphins playing and swimming. I don’t see many dolphins in December in the sound, many of them have migrated to warmer waters.

I woke up exhausted and still sick (the Z-pack and Flonase aren’t covering all the bases) from all the planning and the 13-hour traffic-y car trip but the day is wide open and I have no plans other than writing this blog entry and taking an afternoon beach walk with my husband, D, and our dogs.

D did all the driving on the trip, he doesn’t seem to mind it but I know it’s tiring and stressful for him, and I don’t really relax sitting in the “death seat”. I’m convinced that one of these days we’ll end up flattened by a 16-wheeler or my husband won’t see the car in his blind spot while switching lanes and we’ll be the catalyst for a 16-car pileup. I think if I keep watch I can save us from disaster. Control and Delusion are my middle names. Oh and Anxiety, I’m very familiar with Anxiety.

(Go to Packing my Sober Suitcase, Part 2 – this post got way too long)