On the road

Many travelers put a lot of thought into packing, to the point they often overthink and overpack. I am one of them, and I have many times in the past overestimated things, thrown good sense to the wind, and departed with heavy luggage. As a result, I have found myself exhausted in strange and not-so-strange lands from having to carry the weight, suffering from near-broken shoulders and calloused feet and hands, especially when traveling solo. 

But sometimes I wonder: Do you really have to pack? When is it okay to let your shoes hang from your backpack? What are the rules for travel? Those were the questions I was asking myself as I pondered the couple standing in front of me inside the bridge while we were waiting to board the aircraft.

I could not avoid staring because there was nowhere else to look but forward inside the claustrophobic bridge, and once in line, you’re supposed to face front not back. And so I was forced to scrutinize the scene ahead of me. 

I counted at least three pairs of footwear around the woman’s backpack, two dangling and one in the side pocket. The rubber shoes had traces of dried mud and were stuffed with stuff. A bottle of pills? A gadget? It seemed that every little bit of space was occupied. For his part, the man had a water bottle and a small bag dangling from his pack, but he was also pushing a piece of black luggage.

The thought crossed my mind that she might be sick, that they had to hurriedly depart the city (Honolulu) and lacked the time for a more organized exit. This was 2022, after all, and the pandemic had not yet been declared over, although restrictions were being eased. People were on revenge-travel mode, which, I thought, probably explained the couple in front of me. If this was their vengeance, were they were taking it out on me and other passengers who they would be bumping into? I was sure they had not intended to fly this way, and I continued to silently search for an explanation, or for someone to blame.

At that point, I could only blame the airline, which charges at least $30 for every checked in bag. Unless you enjoy some perk or benefit, traveling by air within the U.S. usually means having to deal with baggage fees, which a Filipino traveler like me would not be used to. Philippine Airlines entitles to you to check in your bags, but that’s because its fare is higher. The other big Philippine airline is Cebu Pacific which is considered a budget airline, and imposes fees, although at much lower rates of Php 200 to 400 ($4 to 8) per.

On a recent trip within the Philippines, however, I flew Cebu Pacific, with 10 kilograms of baggage space purchased for me by my sponsor. Being the avid pasalubong (gift) shopper that I am, I assumed that the 10 kilos meant I could have two pieces of checked-in baggage not to exceed the weight. I was wrong, but that’s a story for another post. 

Come to think of it, bringing only a carry-on bag is a good way of simplifying packing. Knowing you have only so much space would make you plan your wardrobe more carefully. If I were to vacation in Oahu and mull footwear, for example, I’d probably ditch the crocs and the flat sandals and just bring the thicker-soled open sandals and rubber shoes. I don’t know.  I don’t really want to put myself in other people’s shoes, and I’m sure there’s a very good reason they do what they do. ###

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• The featured photo shows the aquamarine waters of Oahu near the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport.