On travel, packing, and writing

Looking back over posts here, I see that a lot concern travel in some form, which makes me think to inaugurate a tag on this theme.  I'm a fairly occasional traveler, and each trip has its own drumbeat of anticipatory preparation, generally culminating in early arrival at a departure terminal, waiting there to leave.  On the preparation side, it seems that the notable voyagers of years past assembled rolling libraries of attire, their capacious trunks sufficient for any formal occasion.  On my side today, clothing choices are usually simple, casual footnotes relative to the technology items (and, be sure not to forget, their chargers) that share the cubic inches available in carry-on bags.  Oh, and maybe a snack or two, since it's usually unclear whether or when food might be available.  It's always a compromise to compress one's personal environment into portable form, and departure or absence from the familiar promotes introspection. You bring yourself on any trip you take, after all, and your mind stays powered without plug adaptors.  I don't think the volume of travel essays is coincidental.