Holiday – all that I can’t leave behind

After this recent trip to Finland it has come to my attention that I don’t so much self-cater as over-cater. I may be able to cast off the cares of everyday life (well, it’s poetic, that’s a start), but it’s clear I can’t shrug off the bulk-buy mentality even if we’re only away for four days and the apartment provides a ‘starter pack’ of the basics.

This has never been so clear as yesterday morning. Early, so early, if the early bird catches the worm our plane was a truly tasty morsel indeed, I swung the suitcase onto the self-check carousel only to be alerted to the fact it was 2kg over the allowed weight when in principle we were only returning with what we’d taken (and a jumper from H&M which was only 3 Euros but that couldn’t contribute much, now could it), and it had been perfectly fine on the outbound leg.

Dividing and conquering was the order of the day, so the other bag was opened to redistribute contents of the excessive one. It then became clear where the problem primarily lay. The dishwasher tablets purchased in bulk for a four-day Finnish sojourn ‘because they were the cheapest per-unit option’, therefore mostly unused, lay accusingly on top of the DVD box set of The Pacific. Nestled next to it was a tube of clingfilm, because it was ‘better than the Value stuff from Tesco so it has to come home’. And, while not contributing to weight, but definitely contributing to bulk within the bag, a just-opened eight-roll pack of toilet paper, with only the one missing, because ‘what’s the point of buying a four-pack when someone might get a cold or have a stomach ‘issue”.

As a result I flew home with hand luggage  of a pack of dishwasher tablets and some bog roll, which is distinctly less rock n’ roll than an eye mask and some facial moisturising spritzer, and a copy of Take A Break (the latter ok may not be rock n’ roll, but its fun, and flight-appropriate). Actually I have only ever carried one of those three items in my carry-on baggage, but I like to rewrite history where my single-days travelling is concerned.