Around this time every year, I start getting restless for summer vacation. This year is no different. Happily it will also continue the tradition from the last couple of years of actually managing to go on a trip somewhere in the vicinity of June. This year (as already mentioned) the destination is Philadelphia and environs. I've only been through once before, during the epic 1989 cross-country family vacation, and I can't remember whether the pictures I thought I was taking in Pennsylvania fell victim to the film-didn't-get-properly-hooked-up-and-did-not-advance incident. The Nikon I use these days is kind (and automatic) enough to alert me if something like that happens. Any further photo-related tragedy will have to come from some other source.

Now that I've properly jinxed myself, I have to figure out how much to pack. I was very proud of myself for managing the week-and-a-half England trip with only as much stuff as fit in my rolling carry-on case, my brown messenger-style satchel, and my long purple coat. I did the same thing, minus the purple coat, for the week in New York City the year before. No need to check any bags, thus no risk of said bags getting lost, and no need to wait for them on the other end. You would think I could do it again, for a week in Philly. You would be forgetting my urge to dress a bit fancier than my vacation average (which can depend heavily on wearing the same pair of jeans and sneakers most of the time) due to the boyfriend's-family, first-impressions angle. And I think it might be too hot for jeans, anyway.

contents of purple tricycle are copyright 2004 carrie lynn king unless otherwise noted.