Sometimes, when I need a morale boost, I entertain myself with recollections of how we prepared for our move from Chicago. Of course it required shopping, a fundamental element of my life at the time. I bought myself a beautiful pair of handcrafted pearl earrings, $150. Who knew when I would be able to afford such things again? I also succumbed to a craving for a pair of $80 espadrilles from Banana Republic, which I bought too small and never wore. I have no explanation for this but some weird small foot vanity. Then I trekked to J. Crew. These were places I rarely shopped. Mostly I resale shopped, but I had the idea that because I’d be denied luxuries, I should stock up. On what—useless overpriced things? As it turned out, I was stocking up on waste. At J. Crew I bought a $60 sunhat. Now surely, this was a needed item. It was grand, a lounging at the pool glamorous floppy hat to protect not only your face but your décolletage. I’ve never worn it. Why? Well, it’s huge, hot and impractical, you can barely see out from under it and I have no occasion to lounge around a pool. Did I mention it has some gold sequins on it? It really is a beautiful hat, scorpions enjoy nesting in it.
An excerpt from Dirty, Wet and Bitten, my memoir of moving to Mexico.
Funny how objects and actions make their purposes known…eventually.
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VSVEVG (very simple very easy very good) 
Isn’t it funny how you prepare for travel and find out what you’ve bought means so little when you arrive. I enjoy this post.
I love the comment about how the scorpions love nesting in your hat. They also like my Nike’s too! Hope to bump into you next week. Just look for the dad chasing after the 6 year old blonde boy who considers RS his 2nd home.
Oh, shoes are a dangerous one…I had my worse sting from a scorpion that nested in my rubber boots. Hope to catch up with you at the ranch 🙂 Thanks for reading vsvevg!
Loved reading an excerpt from your memoir, Abby. And the too small espadrilles, that made me giggle.
This is why I wear clothes until they fall apart, it keeps me from blowing money that could go on travelling. It’s a strange perspective that we have of things but it is a learning process. I like your candidness and also to see the change in your thoughts is wonderful.
It was interesting to drag out “fancy clothes” for this job. I too have worn things until they fall apart for years now, but at the bottom of the bag were dresses and slacks, and the hat, that I hadn’t had occasion to wear forever. Thankfully, they still fit!
Haha! Sounds like something I would do. I always go shopping before a trip, like I won’t survive without some new things on my body.
Nice post Abby.. Thanks for sharing a part of your memoir
Thanks Tony, it was my pleasure. Now I just have to get the rest of it out there!
Just make sure not to wear that scorpion hat! 🙂 This made me laugh and reminded me a little of The Poisonwood Bible. The characters brought all kinds of crazy things with them when they moved to Africa – all those essentials that, as it turned out, they didn’t need at all.
I have to read that! I’ve been meaning to for yours.!!