Day 907 shared space

 

The suitcase is ready. My side is packed and neatly organized, like a well-structured game of Tetris, each item placed with military precision. Now, I wait for Tim to get his act together and start packing. The clock is ticking, and I’m hearing the same thing every day: “I’ll pack tomorrow” or “It’s too cold to pack.” Well, tomorrow’s now today, and “cold” or not, it has to get done. Miami is calling, and so is the need to fit everything into one suitcase, and embrace our shared space. 

The dream is for Tim and I to fit all our clothes into one large suitcase, avoiding the dreaded overhead-bin scramble. I truly believe it’s possible, but he’s going to need to get on board with my packing master plan if this is going to work. And since I’m officially on vacation (because, hey, I’m not going back to work anytime soon), I’m already basking in the pre-vacation glow. You know the glow—the one that comes with ticking off all the to-do list items before you leave.

First on the agenda? House prep. Nothing says "I'm ready for vacation" like cleaning out the chicken coop and making sure the house is in decent shape for the house sitter. Throw in a few last-minute errands (because, of course, there are always last-minute errands), and I’m feeling accomplished. But, the real cherry on top of the pre-vacation to-do list? A pedicure with my friend Donna. You better believe we’re getting our toes beach-ready. Miami, here we come, and our toes will be on point and most likely, pink. 

Carol and Ray are already ahead of us, flying into Miami today. They’ll be scouting out the best places to eat and dance. I’m living vicariously through their research—hopefully, they’ll find a spot that has both good food and good vibes. After all, if you’re in Miami, you’ve gotta do some dancing, right?

Now, let’s talk about my virtual treadmill runs, which, in case you’ve been following along, have been set to the Miami bike path. I’ve spent countless mornings sweating it out, pretending I’m breezing through South Beach, imagining the sun, the palm trees, the ocean breeze. In no time, I’ll be there in real life, and curious to see what I recognize from my morning runs. I may even have to take my own video to relive on cold mornings.  It could be a new trend: "virtual running locations you can then visit in real life." It could catch on, right? I’m already thinking about my next location—though I have no idea where my favorite virtual run actually is on the map. Guess I’ll look into that once I’m back.

But back to the packing drama and my procrastinating husband. He’s going to need to get his suitcase packed today. Cold weather? Don’t care. We’re flying early, but landing in Miami by 10:30 AM? Totally worth it. And once we’re there, we’ll be in our tiny cruise cabin, living the dream of sharing close quarters for an entire week. Thank goodness we actually like each other. The real saving grace here is the balcony—because let’s be honest, we’re going to need a spot for some solo moments. I can already picture it: while Tim snoozes in the morning, I’ll be soaking in the sunrise from the balcony, sipping my coffee, and breathing in that fresh ocean air. It’s going to be bliss.

So, as the packing deadline approaches, I’m getting more and more creative with how I might sneak in a few extra items. If Tim doesn’t pick up the pace, I might just "accidentally" throw some of my things into all that lovely empty space. Consider it a proactive packing strategy.

The countdown is on, and I have a feeling this trip is going to be full of laughs, sunshine, and as always, early mornings. It’s almost time to go soak up the sun—and if Tim doesn’t hurry up and pack, time to get packing for him too! Let’s hope we can get it all packed up with at least two inches of free space for vacation purchases!