“Travel is about the journey, not the destination.”

For the Hergenraders, travel is about the packing. The kids (except Sam) love to organize and reorganize their suitcases. Checking into a hotel does not mean jumping on the beds or picking up the anachronistic corded phones. For Catie and Ellie, those first few moments in a hotel all all about admiring and unpacking their carefully-arranged suitcases.

The girls definitely got their list-making, outfit-buying, six-pairs-of-shoes-bringing travel habits from me. M. can pack for a trip in less time than it takes him to say, “Pull your own suitcase.”

So, when it comes to preparing for a three-night hospital stay–one that will start with the birth of our child and probably involve major abdominal surgery, packing my suitcase is no small matter. Three weeks before my due date, and my suitcase is bursting with nightgowns, baby outfits, and appropriate snacks.

In these last few weeks, it’s not just the packing consuming me…the pantry is organized, the refrigerator is clean, the freezer is stocked, and the kids closets are color-coded.

I keep reading on pregnancy websites that this need to organize is “nesting,” and that it’s an early sign of labor. Some even suggest it’s evolutionary–humans have an animal-like need to “feather the nest” for their coming offspring.

It’s not evolutionary. I don’t even think it’s a sign of labor. We’re about to bring a new person into our house. Of course I’m purging, packing, and preparing. It takes me twenty minutes to organize snacks for a day at the mall and three days to pack for a two-day trip. It’s second nature to want the light bulbs replaced, the sheets clean, and the dust bunnies gone.

For me, the packing and the cleaning and the organizing are all part of the journey.

About the author

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.