Nina had been procrastinating about packing her bag for Thailand for ages. Considering that she ran an organising business, she’d been strangely averse to getting on with the job. Where her case was concerned, she’d left it far too late and now had little choice but to crack on and get it done and dusted. For some reason, she had a funny feeling in the back of her mind about the Thailand trip; she couldn’t really put her finger on what it was, but there was a little part of her, despite her excitement, that didn’t want to go. It was almost as if, now that she lived in Lovely Bay, she didn’t really want to ventureanywhere else much at all. As the long-haul flight got closer, contrary to her earlier anticipation, being stuck in a plane for twelve hours was looking less and less attractive by the minute.
She looked at the piles of clothes on her bed, immediately took her own advice, and started to whittle them down until she was left with a capsule holiday wardrobe. Picking up the travel cubes she always recommended to her clients, she methodically sorted the clothes into different cubes. Her holiday wardrobe for the tropical Thai weather consisted mostly of beautiful linen trousers, cool, flowing blouses, and a few pairs of linen shorts. She’d added a couple of silk camisole tops for the evenings and a new elegant silk wrap dress with a ruffle and was now carefully folding and stacking into the 'going-out/evening' cube.
Finishing off with two different swimming costumes, one white and one black, some flip-flops for around the pool, and a new pair of trainers for day trips, the suitcase was more or less done. As with many things in Nina’s life, the suitcase reflected an organised person; each cube slotted neatly into the case, her toiletries were organised into a clear bag for security checks, and her passport had its own wallet and section in the front of her matching cabin bag. Thrown in at the last minute without much thought, it was not.
Next, she sorted her travelling clothes and grimaced about some of the horrors she’d seen when on trains and planes. Ready for her journey, she had a smart but comfortable pair of chinos, a comfy white T-shirt and a relaxed blazer. Easy, smart, no flip-flops or strappy holiday dress in sight and ready for a twelve-hour flight to the sun.
Nina checked her list to ensure she hadn’t missed anything, methodically checking off with neat ticks as she scanned down. She took an oversized cashmere scarf from the drawer for the air-conditioned environment of the airport and plane, folded it carefully into her cabin bag, and smiled at her organisationskills.Always be prepared,she thought to herself as she continued to finish off the last few bits. Also quite pleased with herself. Maybe just a teeny-tiny bit smug.
As she zipped up her cabin bag, Nina felt a mix of excitement and nerves. The trip to Thailand was pretty huge for her and another step in her journey away from her old life where she’d ploughed around in grief and merely existed in her London flat.
‘Thailand, here we come,’ she said to herself with a chuckle. ‘Hot, hot, hot. La la.’
Robby came up the stairs as she fussed with the cubes in the suitcase, reorganising them for optimal space. ‘Look at you, being all organised.’
‘I know. I procrastinated for so long, and now I’m in my element. I should have done it ages ago.’
‘Ha! You so are.’
‘How’syourpacking going?’ Nina asked.
‘Throw it all in at the last minute and hope for the best,’ Robby joked.
‘Rubbish! No, you don’t. You’re Mr Organised, too.’
‘I was joking. It’s a bit more complicated for me because I need stuff for the holiday part and then I need all my work accoutrements and suchlike.’
‘Yes, true. What are you going to do about that?’
‘Not much I can do. It’s non-negotiable. I need my actual gear and safety stuff, and then I need smart bits for the meetings, and then, yes, the holiday clothes. So I’ve got quite a bit to pack, actually.’ Robby sat on the edge of the bed, looking at Nina’s neatly packed suitcase. ‘You’ve made it look very easy.’
Nina smiled. ‘It’s all about having a system, you know? Plus, once I get going, I love doing this. It's like a puzzle, fitting everything in just right. Yes, I am a saddo. I need to get a life.’
‘I should take a leaf out of your book,’ Robby mused. ‘All joking aside, Idotend to just chuck everything in and hope I haven't forgotten anything important.’
‘That method has its charms, I suppose. I just like it all to be straight in my head and have everything easily accessible once we’re there, without having to rummage through a chaotic case.’
‘Yeah, that does sound good. I hate having to dig around for stuff, especially when I’m looking for my work things.’
‘Cubes are your friend,’ Nina suggested, holding up a travel cube. ‘You could have one for work stuff, one for holiday clothes, and another for your evening wear. It might make things easier.’
‘Not a bad idea. You might have to help me with that, though. I’m not as cube-savvy as you are.’
Nina raised her eyebrows. ‘Is that your roundabout way of asking me to do your packing?’
‘Ha. I’m busted.’
‘It’s a no from me.’
‘Come on. By the looks of that, you’re a packing pro,’ Robby said as he pointed to Nina’s case.
‘You'd better get on with it. You're on your own.’
Robby took her by the waist and kissed her. ‘I was actually thinking of something else, but anyway, up to you.’
Nina giggled, ‘Hmm. Let me see.’
Strapping myself in for a nice mid-afternoon trip to the moon,Nina said to herself.
