Wherever I go I always try to pack as little as possible. As long as I have a toothbrush, underwear and my wallet I figure I’ve got the basics covered. The idea of baggage has little appeal to me on many levels. I like my freedom and don’t want to be weighed down.
However, over and over again I find myself in situations where I wish I had packed a bathing suit. I was staying in the city over the weekend when a close friend of mine had the idea to go to The Turkish Bathhouse. Once again, I was unprepared. I talked to her twice, called another friend to ask if I could borow, and became frustrated with my lack of options. I went and spent most of the time trying to pull a rough, scratchy robe with huge holes around myself while others freely walked around in their one and two piece suits. They were comfortable without robes in the sauna and they jumped freely into the cold pool. I wasn’t jumping in that pool anyway, but that isn’t the point. Neither is the fact that the whole situation had me thinking about germ quantity exposure…
Others were showering off easily over their suits in the coed room while I was trying to figure out how I was going to wash my sweat and the sweat of others off myself without causing a scene or getting into trouble with the management. It ended up involving a couple of friends, a lot of soap, and acrobatics.
This isn’t the first time this has happened. I’ve gone away for training and discovered upon arrival that there was a pool at the hotel. I’ve gone to a friend’s cabin to discover that everyone was going to go swimming in the lake. It’s a simple thing, really. A swimsuit doesn’t take up much space. I won’t be uncomfortably burdened by its addition. I just can’t seem to learn my lesson. Maybe this time is it, after this I will go everywhere with a swimsuit in my bag. Doing this one simple thing will avoid missed opportunities, inconveniences, hassles, and having to borrow or invest in something I already own.
Is there anything in your life that you continually leave out or off? Something you wish you had in your bag? Something that would make your life easier that you continually leave out? Something you leave undone? A hug you forget to give too often or a word you always wish you’d say?
For me, at the moment, it’s just a bikini. Not so profound but important nonetheless. In other moments it’s not saying I love you, bringing my lunch to work, making a phone call, or going to the grocery store. It’s these little things, but they matter.
Advice I Give Myself 