LOST LUGGAGE

THANKFUL FRIDAY

It had to happen at some point in my traveling life. The airline lost my luggage on my trip to Woods Hole. My traveling companion commented several times during the week about how calmly I’ve handled the whole thing. There was a moment of intense panic when I couldn’t find my bag at the baggage carousel, but it quickly melted away, turning into a ball of complacency and acceptance. I thought about the things I’d packed for my time out there and really the highest loss was vanity. I quickly purchased a couple of t-shirts and sweatpants on sale at the only open gift shop in Woods Hole. Underwear can be washed in the sink. Some toiletries could be Door Dashed. My face creams and hair products were the things I’d miss the most. I resigned myself to bad hair and skin for the rest of my stay.

This was a first time visit for the colleague who travelled with me this time. He’s not opposed to traveling but is not a traveler. I acted as the tour guide. Our first task was to asses the lab space. We walked in to clean floors, missing chairs and everything moved around. As we started going through all the equipment, turning it on, checking to be sure it would come on, my colleague opened a small freezer and the stench filled the lab space. The freezer died over the winter months filled with contents of last summer. It felt like an ominous start. Emails were sent and we did what we could. The weather was beautiful, a rare event, and I decided that the afternoon was our best opportunity for something fun. Also, we needed to let the lab air out for a bit. We ended up at Martha’s Vineyard riding almost thirty miles on janky bikes before jumping onto a ferry back to Woods Hole.

While on the island I received a message that my suitcase was to be delivered, but by the time we made it back to the dorms there was no suitcase. The new delivery time was moved to the next day. I thought about the first thing I’d do if and when my suitcase arrived. Put on underwear that hadn’t been rinsed out in the sink. Slather my face creams all over my face and fix my hair. I would change into a shirt that wasn’t advertising the town. Then I just resigned myself to the wait. When the predicted delivery time came and went, I was given a new time for later in the evening. I watched a green dot representing my suitcase move up and down the highway. It went back to Boston twice. I started to hold my breath when I saw the green dot was thirty minutes away, but then did my best to not get my hopes up. I mean, I’d made it this far without it. What was one more day?

The sun rose every morning at 5:00 AM, yet people didn’t seem to get moving around here until 10 or 11. This is the pace of life here. At one point, we walked into a little shop in Woods Hole and the woman running the place talked and talked. When we left, I said “We’re the first people she’s seen all morning.” This is the weekend that brings the change of things for this area. The town will fill with tourists catching the ferry to Martha’s Vineyard or curious about WHOI and MBL. Now, though, things are still quiet. As we have walked around, we’ve noticed all the parking spots filled up with cars but have seen hardly any people. The largest group of people we’ve seen showed up on our last full day. The cafeteria filled up that morning but then everyone sequestered themselves in classrooms. So while there are people here, they’re holed up in one large classroom or lecture hall. The busiest spot in town is Pie In The Sky, the local coffee shop/bakery. The line is filled with people getting snacks before they hop onto the ferry. They’re all dressed in their beach wear even though the temperatures are in the low sixties. Weather doesn’t make sense here. We left Boston with 92 degree temps and got to Woods Hole with temps in the low sixties. Then on Martha’s Vineyard, the temperatures were back up into the high 80s. We felt the temperature change when were about a mile from the island.

This trip has been a challenging adventure. There were more issues with the lab space then I had ever encountered before. There were times where I had to reach out to the staff here for help and I never do that. I had a minor bicycle fail and ended up scraping up my left shin. My face is sunburned and I kind of look like I’ve been camping for the last two days. My suitcase finally did arrive around seven last night. I took time with my bedtime rituals, scrubbing my face with my face wash, flossing my teeth, slathering my fancy face creams onto my skin. When I pulled my pajama pants on, I almost moaned from the shear pleasure of wearing my own pajama pants. I could have lasted survived one more day. I was ready to bless the contents of my suitcase and let it go. I was prepared to grieve for the loss of things. But I’m so glad I didn’t have to.

As per usual, I’m coming home today with a coat pocket full of seashells. This time though, I’ll also have an extra carry-on, a paper bag full of souvenir clothes.