a suitcase for the books

When we went out on our very first tour years ago it lasted four weeks or so and I packed one backpack with clothes and underwear and a toothbrush and then went on to fill the above suitcase with books. The whole thing. Full. And heavy. I admit this sheepishly because this is the least "zen" part of my personality. I hoard books on every single journey as if they were my underwear. It is not a cool thing, and never a reasonable thing. In fact, it is kind of a panic thing. I get so overwhelmed and excited about the potential of whatever adventure we are going on that I think I need nothing short of a small library at my constant access in order to be fully prepared for whatever inspiration might or could strike. Does anyone else do this? Please say yes. Even if you are lying.
I have hurt my back, taken up way more than my share of space in the back seat, and not read more than I would ever admit when I am stacking them up for the next journey. Anyways, after that first trip of packing this suitcase to the brim, Skip was kind enough to stop me at the door and veto about a third of them (only to add his own bag full of poetry books..he is not above it) and then he talked me slightly down off of the loony cliff I was on convincing me that it was kind of crazy and, well, crazy. SO, this time around I am thinking light. Just a couple and a good variety. The truth is, when you are stuck in a van there are a lot of variables to what you can read and when. the length of the drive, the stage in the tour ( if you want to kill everyone and need to just peace out with an embarrasing vampire novel for example), how loud the music is and what kind is playing...you never really know what book is going to fit until you are out there and you try it on. Can you tell that this is the kind of stuff I tell myself while I am sneaking extra books into my duffel or even into the kid's suitcase ( I am not above it either).




Anyways, this time it is the above short stack and it should be good. There might be another cookbook in the stack but nothing else. For now, the suitcase stays.