The Voice of Packing Reason

Why is it that when you are packing, you have this desire to fill the whole bag?
Sorry, did I say you? I meant, I.

All my well thought out, multi-reviewed and edited piles actually FIT in my pack with room to spare....my first instinct...that means I can take more, more, MORE!
What’s that all about? That hoarding instinct, that “oh, but I may like to have my...what if I want to...I could wear this when we...”

Luckily, somewhere deep inside there resides a voice of reason (a weak one maybe, but I heard it).
Get a grip. You are going travelling on a bike. You’re gonna have to carry every last sock, lip balm and bandana for 4 months straight. Just leave it at home. For once in your life come back from a trip and not have to say “It was great, but if we went again we wouldn’t bring as much stuff”.
Sorry, did I use the plural again?
I meant, I.

Packing 101

Organization makes me feel warm and fuzzy on the inside. Post-it notes are my one true weakness (there are currently 7 that are stuck on and around my computer right now). Making lists and ticking things off might as well be a hobby (yeah, I’m guilty of putting things on the list that I have already done, just so I can tick them off...so what?), and there is a reason I don’t own a label maker, nothing in this house would be spared.

So when it comes to packing, I like to do the pile thing.
T-shirts, tanks, even long sleeves, but not long johns, they are their own entity.
Rain gear, outer layers, fleece.
Pants and shorts.
Bandanas and bathers.
Cats...nice try Roxy.
Toque, mitts, ball cap.
Underwear, socks.
Sarong and towel, no, put those with Bandanas and bathers.
And yes, those are labels on all my bags of diabetes supplies. I've spared you the spreadsheets, calculations, order forms and phone calls that went into determining what I even needed for this trip!

I like to blame this preoccupation with orderliness on diabetes. Having the Big D facilitates a need to be on top of things, to have thought things through, to have a backup plan, to (here we go again) have all your bits together. Or at least that’s what I like to think. And for the most part, being organized pays off.

Except for that one time in early spring when I was freaking out trying to get changed out of my warm clothes and into my long johns in my tent in below zero temperatures, as I fought with the ¾ zipper on my shirt....Rob calmly, but slightly snarkily I might add, stated...”Well, if you didn’t zip up and perfectly fold your pyjamas every morning, this may not be such a problem at night”. Touché.

But you know what? I really like it when things are organized. And gosh darn it, I am going to have the most organized panniers that used bike has ever seen!

“Do you have all your bits?”

My mom’s infamous saying- "Do you have all your bits?"

To the uninformed, this may seem like an odd question, but to me “bits” is a quick and dirty way to say ‘diabetes related paraphernalia including meters, strips, insulin pens (until I got the pump) and some form of glucose to treat lows’.

Every morning as I left for school, when I went out at night, on the weekends, for sleepovers, to meet friends, to practice, whether she was coming or not... “Chloe, do you have all your bits?”
Even after I had left for university, when I came home for the holidays and was heading out...“Chloe, do you have all your bits?”
The sound of those six words grated on me. I would wait, knowing it was coming, until I could roll my eyes and mouth the words with a snarky expression plastered on my face.
“What do you think I do when you’re not around Mom?” I would retort.

I soon realized what happened when she wasn’t around... the words, her words, her voice played in my head. She doesn’t need to say it anymore.

These days, as I walk towards a door, a simple chemical reaction occurs in my brain.
“Chloe, do you have all your bits?” it says.

And so it begins...

Hi, Bula, Kia Ora!

Welcome!

In less than three weeks, we will be leaving Canada and flying to Christchurch, New Zealand where we will be picking up bikes and hitting the open road.

Neither of us have bike toured before, nor have we been to New Zealand, so we are in for a steep learning curve and hopefully lots of adventure.


We plan to peddle ourselves around the North and South Islands, camping or couch surfing and making our own meals from what we find on the side of the road...okay, maybe not.

I am predicting sore butts, cranky quads and tight hamstrings for the first bit, but from what I've been told, the scenery alone makes up for it.

My pump will be coming along for the ride too. In fact, it will be making this trip possible for me as a Type 1 insulin dependant diabetic. I am eager to see how far I can push myself with a constant glucose monitor and looking forward to finding answers to questions like
How many diabetes supplies fit in a pannier?
How do I keep insulin cold on a bike for 3 months?
How much will I need to reduce my basal for a tough slog up a mountain?

There is lots to do before we go....