The Little Suitcase That Could

This is my little red suitcase (and Jeanne, I hope you're reading). And this is the story of how it said, "I think I can, I think I can," and how it could. Be forewarned - this story is a bit long, so grab a snack and read on.

It all starts over a year ago. Steve, in all his timeshare wheeling and dealing, said that he could get a one-bedroom at Disney's Old Key West in Orlando for a week in May 2011 (Friday-Friday). It sounded like a great idea, so I said, "Book it, Steve-o," (only meaningful for you who remember Hawaii Five-O in the old days). He did, and that's where it began - even before I got the little red suitcase.

Fast forward a few weeks, and Disney announced the date for Expedition Everest Challenge 2011. Guess what - it would be on the Saturday of the week that Steve had already booked. Since we usually arrive on the Thursday before these races, we reserved the room an extra day early and now we had an 9-day vacation on the calendar.

Fast foward a few more weeks, and Bay to Breakers announced the date for the 100th anniversary of that event. Guess what - it would be on the Sunday following our Disney vacation. We did this race several years ago and it was amazing. Partly because it's in San Francisco and a real party event, and partly because there's a bunch called "Bare to Breakers" that run it, and they run it nekkid!! I had no camera when I ran it the first time and was determined that I would run it again, camera in hand, so I knew I had to run the 100th anniversary. Besides, they were also going to give out finisher medals this year, so this was truly a must-do. It did involve flying from Orlando to San Francisco, not something I was looking forward to, but a girl's got to do what a girl's got to do - you know, to run with the nekkids. So, we booked San Francisco from Thursday through Monday (technically our Disney vacay would be not be up until that Friday, but there was no way I was going to fly on Friday the 13th, so we left a day early). Now, in case you're not keeping track, we've gone from an 8-day trip to a 9-day trip to a 12-day trip.

Fast forward a few months and now Disney has announced new itineraries for their ship, The Wonder. It will be on the West Coast during the spring of 2011, and then in May, it will head to ALASKA!! I've always thought I'd go on an Alaskan cruise, and now Disney is going to have them? Along with the nekkid runners, this was a no-brainer. And, guess what - I'll be in California during that time, which is only a couple of hours flight to Vancouver, where the cruise departs (so I wouldn't have to make that long flight multiple times). The only problem is that the nekkid runner race is on Sunday, which is usually when cruises depart. But guess what - I checked out the website, and the Alaska cruises leave on TUESDAYS!!! So, I can run and take pictures, rest up, fly to Vancouver the next day and have a day to tour, and then cruise away on Tuesday.

Well, at first I was going to do it. Then I decided I'd better not, since I would be gone for nearly two weeks with Disney World/San Francisco. Besides, I'm also on Lindley pickup duty a few days a week. So I just decided to let it go until 2012. But guess what - Maribeth would be in town for Lindley duty, and the week I'm cruising is when Lynnette's schedule changes and she gets off work earlier. So I decided to consider it again, and Molly said she'd go along, so guess what - I booked it. Now, I've extended my vacation from 7 to 8 to 11 to 19 days. Or, if it makes it easier, I flew out of Nashville on May 5 and will return on May 24.

By this time, I've purchased the little red suitcase (on a random pass-thru the Tumi outlet in Vidalia, Georgia). It is a carry-on which I hoped would fit in any overhead luggage compartment. When I started planning my current vacation, I decided to use this suitcase, since I would only fly Southwest (which allows me to check two bags free) once, and would be flying other airlines (which allow me to carry on a suitcase for free - anything checked requires it's own payment). I am cheap (I must have money for Disney stuff), and this was my way of saving money.

Which brings me (finally) to the point of my story. I packed for 19 days in a carry-on bag. Keep in mind that I also have to pack for climates from Florida (think 90 degrees) to San Francisco (think windy 50 degrees) to Alaska (think brrr when it gets dark). I also have to pack running shoes for two races, something "nice" (and that requires a little more than "clean") for the formal dinner aboard the ship, and any other assorted clothing that I might need. And yes, I put the shoes in front of the suitcase to give you some perspective, and no, my feet are not that big.

But guess what - I did it! Sure, the seams look a bit stressed (sort of like the seams of my bathing suit when I put it on), but so far they've held. I probably have no room for any souvenirs, which may be a good thing - I certainly don't need more stuff (fat chance, though). But maybe the best thing is that I've seen what I may actually need, and it's not that much. Of course, the little red suitcase probably thinks I could use even less!

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Today's blessings: Breakfast at Dottie's Cafe with Steve and bus riding; lunch at In-N-Out; Bay to Breakers packet pickup; nice bike lady who stopped to see if we needed directions; funny cable car driver; bush scare man; potatoes and clam chowder via Steve