Take with Me

Pre-Travel.  No checked baggage.  Clothing in suitcase.  Other stuff in backpack.  What to take depends on a blend of what I'd like to do while away and what I'm likely to do while away.  Laptop goes on the trip.  It's my connection to the world.  Torah photocopies go, as I really need to squeeze in some practice.  I took drawing pencils.  I don't know if I will do any sketching but they don't take up much room.  I had to look for these but found them.  Harmonica doesn't take up a lot of room.  I'd be willing to buy some drawing pencils in Florida, wouldn't be willing to buy another harmonica.  Bunch of chargers.  The bulky one for my laptop.  Phone charger, wall and car.  Good camera battery charger.  Need waterproof case for my phone.  Spare glasses.  Travel documents.  I keep a full set of planning pens in my backpack with a notepad.  Semi-Annual planning grid should get worked on while away.  Smallest umbrella that I have.  Fanny pack, the leather one.  Earbuds.  My medicines.  Filled the pill case this week. Take the bottles of each in backpack, partly to fill case for coming week and partly to avoid challenge from TSA.  Sunglasses, though I could get some at a place in Florida.  Car cup cell phone holder, though mine is clearly deteriorating.

I'm ambivalent as to how to allocate the week.  Three visits:  cemetery, which is the incentive to make the trip, visit friend, visit cousin.  On trips to DC and Mammoth Cave, the destination was tourist attractions, whether public buildings or unique nature.  Florida is more mixed.  Everglades day trip likely as unique nature.  Maybe intercoastal waterway.  There don't seem to be public museums on the scale of those in the northeastern cities.  There's culture, be it Cuban or Art Deco of Miami, or a Kosher restaurant.  There is relaxation, hard to come by in DC with it's very basic motel or Kentucky spent mostly in the car with a few targeted stops for the University or distilleries serving more as respite than recreation.  Florida has welcome weather, a beach, a pool, probably outdoor lounge chairs.  We have beaches at home, though more a day trip than a block or two walk, without the option of departing for lunch and heading back later.  I cannot remember the last time I went to something resembling a resort.  The cruise ships, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and Phoenix in the last decade or two, so having that element of resort mingled with places  to drive to seems the right vacation mix for now.  

I'm not mentally in vacation mode, but still have a couple days to get there.