Yin & Yang

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We all seem to travel a little differently. In most couples, there's usually one organizer and one Mr. Magoo traveler. As you may have guessed, I'm the organizer.

I had booked a trip for Tim and me to visit my son, arranged a house sitter, lined up caregivers for the chickens and the basement cat, and started preparing the house for our time away. Leaving home is always much more relaxing when everything is taken care of before you walk out the door.

I was up early, finishing my travel-prep checklist. The dishes were done, the laundry was clean, the chickens' feed bins were full, the cat's supplies were stocked, the plants were watered, and the house was vacuumed. All that remained was a trip to the dump and putting fresh sheets on the bed before we left. The only problem? Tim was still in it.

When I went upstairs to check on him, I found him lounging comfortably, watching TV and completely unaware that he was the final obstacle standing between me and departure. I immediately informed him that it was time to get up, strip the bed, and accompany me on a quick trip to the dump. No sense leaving garbage and recycling behind while we're away.

Although he didn't exactly spring into action, he eventually moved at a speed best described as "reluctantly cooperative." The bed was stripped, the dump run was completed, and we even squeezed in a stop at the bank.

I had arranged for my mom to drive us to the airport, so when she arrived, I was packed and sitting by the door ready to go. We waited for Tim... but only a few minutes. Apparently, tossing a few items into a backpack qualifies as packing in his world.

At the airport, there was a brief moment of excitement when his birth date didn't match his reservation. Somehow, 11-1 had become 1-11. Oops...that one was on me!  Thankfully, it was a quick fix, and he made it through security without issue.

Meanwhile, I sailed through security first and was rewarded with an unexpected travel bonus. Sitting abandoned in the bin ahead of me was $5 worth of quarters. Naturally, I rescued them from their lonely fate and promptly converted them into a Vitamin Water. Free drink for the win!

Once we were settled on the plane, Tim was delighted to discover that "we" had packed snacks. The "we," of course, was me. But I happily slid a few in his direction and kept a couple for myself.

The flight was quick, and before long my son was waiting to pick us up. Our adventure was officially underway.

Of course, it wouldn't be a Tim travel story without one final twist. Shortly after landing, he realized he had left his glasses on the plane. Fortunately, I had packed a spare pair for him... call me Nostradamus.. 

Oh, how I love that man. Lucky for him, I'm an organizer. Every Yin has their Yang. 

"Behind every relaxed traveler is someone who packed the snacks." — Unknown