First Solo Trip – Los Cabos, Mexico 2017
Logically speaking, traveling solo would mean that you’d need to pack more stuff than when traveling with a partner, no? I won’t be able to share the burden of things like sunscreen and toiletries. I must now pack everything and the kitchen sink. Right?
Lumbering up to the airline check-in desk with my 40 lb suitcase in tow, I am greeted by a smiling clerk who instructs me to place this bulging burden on the scale. We make small talk as she places the destination tag on my bag’s handle and pushes it onto the conveyor belt. I glanced at the tag and quickly did a double-take. It said MZT, which is the airport code for Mazatlan, not Los Cabos. The belt started moving, as did my mouth. “Wait, wait, I’m not going to Mazatlan!” I squealed. Turning on her heel, the clerk managed to grab my suitcase before it disappeared into the luggage abyss. “Whoopsie!”, she says, her toothy airline smile never leaving her face. “Let’s get that all fixed up for you.” With a fresh SJD destination tag, I watch my bag roll away on the belt to begin its own solo journey.
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The flight went smoothly and before I knew it, I was standing at the baggage claim carousel in beautiful San Jose del Cabo. Around and around the carousel went, as I waited and waited. The crowd began to thin and still no sign of my suitcase. I knew I had packed enough of the essentials in my carry-on to avoid an all-out disaster, but I couldn’t help feeling panicked. Finally, as almost all hope was lost, my bag slid down the chute. As I struggled to land the 40-pounder, I made a mental note to search the web for articles about how to travel with only carry-on baggage.
Just a quick pit stop to the washroom, then I’d be on my way to the hotel’s shuttle bus. This pit stop also happened to include my first big lesson of solo travel – with no one to watch my bags for me, my albatross and I were somehow going to have to fit into a bathroom stall.
Strangely enough, with all my careful and thoughtful preparation, this situation had never even crossed my mind. As I’m sure you can imagine, the gymnastics that unfolded next would have certainly gone viral on YouTube. Twisting like a pretzel and crammed in like a sardine, I couldn’t believe I had failed to foresee this predicament.
And so my fate was sealed – for my future travels, I would learn to travel carry-on only.
Six months later, I embarked on my next solo journey – free of the 40 pounder. Although my new travel style took much planning and rearranging, my effort paid off in spades. Not only would I be able to comfortably visit any bathroom, but there were many other bonuses:
- Not having to stand in line at the airline check-in counter
- Knowing my bag was stowed safely above my head, not lost in no-man’s land
- No more elbowing at the luggage carousel
- Being able to decline a porter’s services at the hotel
- The freedom of strolling out of the airport upon my return home, no more waiting!
I must say that this style of packing has given me so much freedom as a solo traveler – I’ve never gone back to checking bags and certainly don’t intend to. In fact, my bags continue to get smaller and lighter as I go!
First lesson? Check.
