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It has been quite a while since I let myself get distracted from this series. (Okay, it has been months.) You can click here to read the first installment. Each installment will cover one of the packing cubes I used in my trip from Hawaii and then on to Texas. The items removed from each cube as not needed were shipped to Texas to be stored.

Cube #2

The second cube is the one that went into my under the seat bag, so it has all the things I might need on the plane.

Original contents:

• Small reporters handbook. These are my favorite notebooks. Some people prefer the Rite in the Rain notebooks, but I like these better.

• Tabby socks: The link here, doesn’t go to the exact socks I travel with. I bought mine at Don Quijote in Honolulu, but they are pretty much the same sock.

• Travel Toilet paper: My mother insisted that I always carry emergency toilet paper. I can tell you that the women who were touring China with me back in 2002 were very thankful that she did. Mother would wait until a roll of toilet paper only had about a half an inch thickness left and fatten the roll. She kept a flattened roll in her purse all the time. I prefer the travel rolls you can get most any drugstore today.

• Eye mask: I use the ones left over from flying business class.

• Eyeglass wipes: I have tons of these left over from attending so many conferences.

• Sharpie pen

• Earplugs in container: Custom hearing protection. I carry two sets, just in case I lose one.

• Retainer in container: Custom retainer from my orthodontist.

• Wool skull cap

• Two small packs tissue: left over from business class toiletry packs.

• One luggage lock

• One Pen, and One Mechanical pencil

• One lip balm
• Aleve pain pills

• One small carabiner

What was removed:

• Tabby socks: This was a mistake. I found that I really missed them. The condo in cuenca tends to be cold, and I would have liked to have my socks to wear with my slippers.

• Two Eyeglass wipes: That left me with one, which was enough for the plane. I had more in my backpack.
• One luggage lock: Same as the lock in Cube #1, zip-ties will do the job.

• One small carabiner: there were plenty other ones in other places in my luggage.

What was kept:

• Small reporter’s handbook: This is an indispensable item.

• Travel Toilet paper: It has come in handy so many times in the past.

• Eye mask: A great defense against a talkative seatmate on the plane.

• One Eyeglass wipes: was all I needed to have nearby.
• Sharpie pen: I removed the pen from this cube, but had to pull it out to address the one rate box. That is when I added it back.

• Earplugs in container: more defense against a talkative seatmate.

• Retainer in container: I am not going to let so much orthodontic work go to waste.

• Wool skull cap: This is a must have item. It is so thin, but so warm. I have worn it under my sun hat in cold weather. I wore it to sleep in here in Ecuador, until I was able to go out and buy a space heater.
• Two small packs tissue: sooner than later they will be used.

• One Pen,One Mechanical pencil, One lip balm, Aleve pain pills: I have learned the hard way that these must be packed.