Confessions of a Rio-bound over-packer
Sonali Karnick on the anxiety that comes with being well-prepared
I leave for Rio de Janeiro on Sunday.
This is not my first Olympic games nor my first major sports tournament as a reporter. Professionally, I am experienced and confident that everything will be fine. And, yes, I've read EVERYTHING about Zika and Brazilian politics.
My packing skills, on the other hand, are, well, lacking.
Enter the Suitcase Whisperer
Enter my cousin, best friend, confidant, ex-colleague and partner in crime since we were born: Romilla, a documentary producer in the U.S.A.
Before every long foreign assignment, she helps me "edit" my suitcase. I secretly (okay, now the secret's out) call her the Suitcase Whisperer.
I tend to err on the side of caution, which results in over-packing. Here's how I get into trouble:
Do I need to bring every single pair of cargo pants I own? Probably.
Aside from our Olympic shirts, how many other shirts do I really need to bring? 15? 20?
Sure, I love my hairdryer, and I really want to bring it, but I can probably find one where I'm staying. Problem, is I don't like any other hair dryers!
What the Whisperer says
Romi has helped me streamline much of what I need to bring.
She sent me a care package for this trip — thanks, cuz! — with things I'll need: a multi-use balm, an RFID credit card protector and a bug repellent with a scent that won't repel humans as well.
The balm? "You can mainly use it for hair frizz when you're on TV," Romi told me.
The repellent? "The whole Zika thing," she explained.
And the card protector? "That one was half-joking, half maybe not so much," Romi said.
She also usually gets me little packets of laundry detergent so I can do a small load of washing in my sink, wherever I'm staying. I'll take along my bar of laundry soap as well.
The other essentials
Since I'm not packing for a vacation, there are certain bits of equipment that will have to come with me everywhere I go: laptop, adapters, radio recording equipment, ear piece for TV, headphones, makeup and hair products for TV, production manuals and portable phone chargers.
More than one portable charger, actually, since the days are long and sometimes access to outlets is limited.
I've divvied up my personal care items into clear bags so that some will stay in my residence, while others will be in my backpack when I'm at a sporting event.
I will probably also get some energy bars or drink powders to take with me so that I can have a snack when I'm working a very long shift.
But as I finish packing, the question I have to remember to keep asking myself is: Do I really need that?
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