I have always been one to plan ahead, especially when it comes to travel. Must be my years of Girl Scout training, when we had to anticipate all possible outcomes for our camping adventures. Being unprepared is not in my psyche; in fact I over-prepare. No food on the plane? No problem; I’ve brought snacks. Boredom? Again a non-issue since I carry at least one book and a couple magazines, as well as an iPad, to keep me entertained. Thirsty? A large bottle of water makes the trip too. While the airlines have been cutting back on the amenities, I seriously doubt I need to carry a shovel to dig my own latrine like I did sometimes in scouting.
A recent business trip had me reviewing my preparedness initiative as I lugged my handbag and tote to the gate. What the heck do I have in there? I thought. Looking into my purse, one would think I was never going to see civilization again. Stuffed to the top, it no longer resembled a handbag but more like an emergency supply kit that the Red Cross would envy.
Aside from the normal items including my wallet, lip gloss and boarding pass, here’s what I found:
– Breath mints (okay, not so unusual)
– Tissues (just in case and for a variety of uses)
– Granola bar
– Bag of almonds
– Chocolate (always a must-have)
– Hand lotion (you know how dry the air gets on a plane)
– Hand sanitizer (I’m not going to trust others to be clean much less any surfaces. It is cold and flu season, you know.)
– Bottle of water for hydration, despite the fact that I always order a beverage when the flight attendants come by with the cart
– Large shawl (in case it’s cold on the plane)
– Neck scarf (also for too much AC)
– Headphones in case there’s a movie or I need to avoid a chatty seatmate
– Aspirin and throat lozenges
– An herbal tea bag
– Toothbrush/toothpaste
My tote bag is another story. Suffice it to say I was prepared enough that my luggage could make a side-trip to another location and I would not be upset. No wonder my arms were aching by the time I sat down on the plane. And I didn’t have a laptop with me!
The good news is that I enjoyed a nice flight with my own snacks while others clamored for the pricey pre-wrapped sandwiches offered by the airline. I was entertained with my reading materials while others pouted since the TV monitors were not working and therefore no in-flight movie.
What does this have to do with a layoff or a job search? Not much I guess, except that I thought you should know about my preparedness plan. Just in case any of you need to travel to a job interview.
Like Tami, I was terminated once (By my best friend, BTW – he is now on the board of the agency I lead, so I got him back – ha!), but you don’t have to be unemployed to learn something from this book. 
