Traveling light

Yesterday morning, halfway to the airport to board a plane with my three oldest kids for a week's vacation with my in-laws, I realized I didn't have my purse.

I didn't have my purse. Driver's license, credit card, iPod, cell phone.

We were too far away to make it back home and get to the airport on time. Michael quickly helped me take stock.

Fortunately, I had the ticket confirmation in the backpack I was using as a carry on. And for some reason, when I grabbed the kids' passports to use as ID (I know they don't usually ask for it for kids, but I like to have it just in case), I picked up mine as well. And they were also in the backpack. So I could get on the plane.

I was supposed to rent a car so the twins and I could go visit friends in St. Louis on Monday. Maybe the car rental place would accept a faxed copy of my license and credit card since I had my passport? If not, maybe I could visit later in the week, so Michael would have time to mail the ID to me.

In the meantime, how to pay for our expenses? The big costs were being picked up by Michael's generous parents, but I would need to buy food at the airport and cover some expenses during the week. Michael selflessly handed over his ATM card, credit card, and all the cash in his wallet.

So far, it has all worked out surprisingly well, aside from the humiliation. The airline worker who wanted me to use the self-checkin kiosk did give me quite the look when I said I did not have any credit card on me that was in my name. And the car rental place confirmed that they could not accept a faxed copy of my license and credit card.

But we made it here. And Jessica said it's ok if I come on Wednesday instead. And my in-laws are being gracious about rearranging things to accommodate us being gone later in the week instead of earlier. And I just sent Michael the mailing address for the resort.

Whew.

But I'm going to be neurotic about checking that I have every thing on my next trip.