Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night with really strange ideas for blogs. Like last night …
I peeked over at the clock. The red light staring back at me in the dark showed it was just after 3 am. I’m pretty sure if I had been a little more awake I would have rolled my eyes. Instead I rolled over, stared at the ceiling and wondered why on Earth I was awake. Then my mind started to wander. One particular thought turned into the idea for a blog:
If you had to take a trip with just ONE item, what would it be? What’s the one thing that is absolutely essential to you when you travel?
As that thought rolled around in my half-asleep brain, I decided a photo ID doesn’t count. I mean, that’s a must for everyone, right? So I mentally stuck my ID in my dream pocket and went on to the next thought.
A toothbrush? Naw, I can pick one of those up anywhere. In fact, I have! Airport convenience shops, a local store, even the front desk of the hotel. That eliminated MOST personal care items – hairbrush, soap, shampoo – anything in my dopp kit.
A change of clothes … or at least underwear? Hmmm … I pondered. Then I realized I’ve washed out socks and underwear in a hotel room sink and dried them overnight. Nope … that’s not my one thing.
A phone! Yeah. That’s it. It allows me to surf the web, stay in touch AND take pictures. Oh wait … what about those really cool places you visit with no cell signal? It happens. Or better yet, how many times have I been frustrated with myself for missing something because my face was stuck in my phone. Nope … not a phone.
Just before I fell back asleep, it hit me. I grabbed my credit card in my mind. There it is, my one thing. It’s a little like getting three wishes from a genie in a bottle and using your third wish for more wishes, right? A credit card can buy you admission to a cool museum, or a ticket for an unplanned side trip. It pays for your food. It buys you fresh, clean clothes and personal care items. It buys you medical care in an emergency. It can even pay for a suitcase to bring all the things you bought back home.
Leaving home for a trip with nothing more than a credit card has, in fact, always been on my bucket list. It’s an intriguing idea. Not sure where to go? Who cares? No need to pack if you aren’t taking anything with you. The world is your oyster.
What about you? What is that one essential thing on your packing list? Are you brave enough to try it? I’m determined to try … stay tuned here … it may happen.
There’s a whole world out there waiting to be explored. Are you brave enough to head out on an adventure with just one thing?
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