And although I am not packing to go anywhere this week, I muse joyfully that I am at the ready. I’m packed and eager to go 24/7, chomping at the bit, ready for adventure.  Are you, dear Joyful Musers?

My own daughter has been packing for days for her jaunt to go to camp for a month.  I do not pack for her and, truthfully, have never found it necessary to pack for my children.  Sure, I’ll bring the food, the shampoo, the wallet, but as far as determining if they have enough underwear? Pajamas?  Nope.  My girls learned early on to organize themselves.  And as camp beckons, I am not orchestrating gear.  That, my friends, is a life skill I have given my children.

And do they overpack? You bet.  I, too, am  a total overpacker; I bring my own sheets when I’m going to a hotel – especially if I’m driving. Let’s face it, a car is one big suitcase.  I like my own pillows, my own glorious bedding.  When I travel, I do want and, in fact, insist on comfort, on luxury.  But do I need a 5 star hotel? Nope.  Even camping I can make it lovely, cozy, eclectically warm and cheery.  My tent is replete with a side table, a reading lamp, quilts and a throw rug.  I sleep like a rock in my cozy 5 star surroundings.  And I can make a Motel 6 room into something out of the Ritz.

Bags and suitcases are items I find at thrift shops or in the sale table at LL Bean. One of my favorite bags is the one with “Rabons” written on it. I’m not sure who the Rabons are, but the bag works for me and was 75% off at LL Bean. I have another cast off – “Dushi” is the name written in script. And, yes, of course, I refer to it as my “douche bag.” Of course.

So, dear Joyful Musers, may you celebrate your travels, your packing, your journeys, your life.  Insist on comfort, insist on warmth and enjoy your own bags – whether they be Rabons or Dushi.  Fill them with the glorious dreams of potential adventures, sites and joy.

Susan Dromey Heeter, a writer from Dover who recently let her hair go au natural white, debuts her new column “Joyful Musings” at InDepthNH.org. Dromey Heeter is a secondary Spanish Teacher at Dover High School and the mother of two teenage daughters.  Writing has been her passion since her English majoring days at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst.  Dromey Heeter has lived in The Netherlands, Alaska and currently basks in all things New England, including the frigid winters. An avid swimmer, Dromey Heeter’s great passion is to bring back body surfing as most children have no idea how to ride waves without ridiculous boogie boards. She also writes about thrift shopping and all things frugal  in a column called “Budget Vogue” for the New Hampshire Union Leader.