Excess Baggage
So, I'm heading off on holiday again tomorrow. This time over to the Canaries to see my family and spend some time with them. As usual I have a long list of requests, and packages have been turning up at my door from far and wide to go in my case. (Hmm, has anyone asked you to carry anything for them? I usually lie for that question...)
So unlike Greece, where my bag was relatively light, tomorrow I may well be pushing that 20kg allowance to the limit. And the airline I'm flying on has a tendency to enforce it fairly strictly (they once charged my mother when she was a mere 3kg over). But I'm already imagining my fury. Because today I got past the point where I can say I've lost 20kg. I've lost 20.1kg. Yes, more than the luggage allowance they've given me. So of course, in my head I feel like I should be allowed 40kg to make up for the 20kg that's not on my arse any more. I'm sure they'd rather that I put that weight in my bag in the hold rather than hauling it into the cabin with me and plonking it on my seat. Or the seat of the person next to me…
I can just visualise this rant now. Of course I'm over weight. I had to buy lots of new clothes because all the clothes I usually wear because I leave them out there are from when I was 2 or 3 sizes bigger. And yes, they're in my case, making it heavy, but you should be grateful that my excess weight isn't coming to Spain too. If it was you'd have to redo all your fuel calculations.
But, it does shock me. I pick my case up (in my head at least. Technically I don't because it's not packed yet, but I know what 20kg feels like from years of guessing suitcase weights without the help of scales). I feel that weight. 20kg. And yet again I imagine having to carry it round for every second of every day, for the rest of my life. That's a tiring thought! I don't know how I did it for as long as I did, and then I realise that I'm still carrying round that amount of excess baggage over the weight where my BMI would be considered "normal". It's no wonder I have so much more energy now, really.
Travelling is also a good opportunity to try out the famous seat belt test. I've not flown with this airline since November, when I was about 35lb heavier than I am now. Roughly. The seat belt used to be tight. It fastened, but you could see it wasn't far off the point where it wouldn't. I've flown with other airlines since and noticed more slack, but one of them in particular did seem to have particularly long belts. And I'm a whopping 10lb or so lighter than I was even the last time I flew, to Greece in May. I didn't realise I'd lost so much this month (particularly given that one of the weeks was spent drinking ouzo and eating cheese)! So I'm hoping to see some real difference in that seatbelt, and have much more room in my seat. And be able to put the tray table down without having to wedge my stomach against it. While wearing my size 16* jeans. If I can achieve even some of those victories, I'll be a happy girl.
*Just a quick note on this, it's UK size 16, which is different to US size 16. I think UK size 16 is the same as US size 12 but that just sounds far too small for me to even try to believe! I can only just about fit in my US bought and sized size 14 gap jeans, so yet more evidence that these particular jeans are cut generously. I'm not letting that spoil my enjoyment though!
So unlike Greece, where my bag was relatively light, tomorrow I may well be pushing that 20kg allowance to the limit. And the airline I'm flying on has a tendency to enforce it fairly strictly (they once charged my mother when she was a mere 3kg over). But I'm already imagining my fury. Because today I got past the point where I can say I've lost 20kg. I've lost 20.1kg. Yes, more than the luggage allowance they've given me. So of course, in my head I feel like I should be allowed 40kg to make up for the 20kg that's not on my arse any more. I'm sure they'd rather that I put that weight in my bag in the hold rather than hauling it into the cabin with me and plonking it on my seat. Or the seat of the person next to me…
I can just visualise this rant now. Of course I'm over weight. I had to buy lots of new clothes because all the clothes I usually wear because I leave them out there are from when I was 2 or 3 sizes bigger. And yes, they're in my case, making it heavy, but you should be grateful that my excess weight isn't coming to Spain too. If it was you'd have to redo all your fuel calculations.
But, it does shock me. I pick my case up (in my head at least. Technically I don't because it's not packed yet, but I know what 20kg feels like from years of guessing suitcase weights without the help of scales). I feel that weight. 20kg. And yet again I imagine having to carry it round for every second of every day, for the rest of my life. That's a tiring thought! I don't know how I did it for as long as I did, and then I realise that I'm still carrying round that amount of excess baggage over the weight where my BMI would be considered "normal". It's no wonder I have so much more energy now, really.
Travelling is also a good opportunity to try out the famous seat belt test. I've not flown with this airline since November, when I was about 35lb heavier than I am now. Roughly. The seat belt used to be tight. It fastened, but you could see it wasn't far off the point where it wouldn't. I've flown with other airlines since and noticed more slack, but one of them in particular did seem to have particularly long belts. And I'm a whopping 10lb or so lighter than I was even the last time I flew, to Greece in May. I didn't realise I'd lost so much this month (particularly given that one of the weeks was spent drinking ouzo and eating cheese)! So I'm hoping to see some real difference in that seatbelt, and have much more room in my seat. And be able to put the tray table down without having to wedge my stomach against it. While wearing my size 16* jeans. If I can achieve even some of those victories, I'll be a happy girl.
*Just a quick note on this, it's UK size 16, which is different to US size 16. I think UK size 16 is the same as US size 12 but that just sounds far too small for me to even try to believe! I can only just about fit in my US bought and sized size 14 gap jeans, so yet more evidence that these particular jeans are cut generously. I'm not letting that spoil my enjoyment though!
posted by YP at 7:14 PM
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