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My dad taught me how to pack my luggage

Dad always packs certain items and now I do so, too. I pack in an empty laundry bag to carry back my dirty clothes.

I am known to carry my world in my bag. Research that claims an average woman's handbag weighs as much as a small dog or five sacks of sugar is probably based on people like me. So, in my bag, you'll find everything that you may need or think you would need on a regular day. Think: a coffee mug, a spoon and then a fork, extra pair of shoes, headphones, books, a ketchup sachet (just in case), a cardigan (Dubai gets cold without notice, nobody likes getting stuck in air-conditioned environs for hours), medicines (not just Pandaol) and band-aids, a pouch with pens and highlighters; in addition to the regulars like sanitiser, wet wipes... You get the drift? I haven't dared to weigh my bag yet but my shoulders have not complained to date so I must be under the limits and doing something right. I like spending my day with this organised and compartmentalised accessory. It goes without saying that when I am on a vacation, I never, ever miss carrying an item that I may need. I bundle up the stuff so well that if I were to be abandoned on an island with my rucksack, I will do better than just survive. You see, packing is a skill set and a gift, and well, I seem to have learned it from my dad, the vacation-packing guru, one amongst the many titles he owns.
Over the years, I have watched dad pack his suitcase each time he headed for a work trip. I noticed how he rolled, and not folded the towels. I watched him secure items that could leak in double plastic bags with an elastic band around. I was mighty impressed by how smartly he dealt with liquids - body lotions or cough syrups. But, I have to admit I didn't know I had it within me or that I owed it to him. Until recently, when last month I group-travelled with five others and my checked-in luggage was under the limit and I was the only one not hunting around for a travel adaptor or a Panadol or sitting atop my suitcase to be able to close it - among other things.
Dad always packs certain items and now I do so, too. I pack in an empty laundry bag to carry back my dirty clothes. Ziplocs are now our friends, not elastic bands. And he's done so all these years without referring to listicles titled Smart Packing Tips. So, in my bag there is a docket that holds Xerox copies of important documents that one may need in case of an untoward situation. I have the currency in place. I steer away from gadget overload and know how to cut down on footwear. I have space kept aside for shopping on destination, as well.
Of course, while on vacations I pack with ease and perfection, following the rules I picked up from the person I observed and hence learnt. It's a different story when I fly back from home. Dad wants me to take all that he thinks I may need and I don't interfere. He knows me too well! So, be it pretty stationery items or right-size coffee mugs, stencils to make a Rangoli pattern for Diwali or just about any random item (mum's pretty saree, the Fabindia coasters, the canvas I painted as a kid) I've been eyeing to take with me from 'home' - he measures it up. I sit back knowing that not only will he fit it all in but will also ensure that it all lands in perfect condition. And just when he's done, he brings out the weighing scale.
I'd never let this change, even though now I officially can't run away from the 'adult' title. I like to watch him help and teach me as if I am still his little girl. It reminds me of how I never took a wrong notebook to school or how my school projects, irrespective of their shapes and material used, always reached in shape at the exhibits. Yes, we've come a long way from school bags to four-wheel trolley suitcases, but I like it when he puts the luggage tag on my suitcases. The tag is always of a colour I can identify from a distance on the conveyor belt. And the contact details, of course, just in case. It brings a smile to my face and makes me feel safe even before I board the flight. Yes, indeed, I take pride in the fact that my dad taught me how to pack well.
-purva@khaleejtimes.com