It’s amazing seeing the world through a child’s eyes. Getting from my front porch to the world, not as amazing. Traveling with small children required months of planning, military precision, and a U-Haul. I looked forward to the day when I’d just be able to throw a few things in a bag and hit the open road. I’m still waiting for that day.

This weekend I’m heading out for a Writer’s Conference. Besides doing the pre-packing laundry and getting the oil changed in the car, I’ve had to add a few items to my checklist.

My husband asked me last week if I had shaved my legs. I told him, “No, I’m saving up the hair for next Thursday.” This makes perfect sense to me. As I’m getting older, I have fewer hairs on my legs and less dexterity for the gymnastics involved in shaving. A four-day weekend requires split-second timing for maximum stubble-free effectiveness.

Naturally, I had to get my gray roots touched up, but I also had to reposition facial hair. Since my eyebrows seem to be migrating to my lip, this would require some serious plucking. One conference a few years ago was at a fancy hotel which included fluffy bathrobes, morning newspaper, and a lighted magnifying mirror. One quick look in the mirror had me sprinting for the hotel gift shop, panting “Tweezers. I need tweezers!” So yesterday I plucked my lip-brows and contorted myself to where I could find my solitary chin whisker. Done!

Packing involves a boatload of pills, multiple layers of clothing for hot-flash preparedness, a shoebox full of skin care products and cosmetics, and my ergonomic neck pillow. One of the few things I don’t need anymore is the diaper bag, … but give it time.