San Francisco Chronicle: Christine Schoefer has written a fanciful and entertaining essay about the habit of packing for a trip as if you’re somehow going to become a different person — that is, better dressed and well-coiffed, and, of course, richer — abroad. While my initial reaction is a bit of frequent-traveler snobbery, I have to admit I’ve been guilty of a similar attitude. Not that I ever pack stiletto-heeled sandals, which I can’t walk two steps in, but there is a tendency to envision dressing better than my usual sloppy self. It starts with a desire not to look American (you know, the trainers and white socks), but starts mushrooming into a desire to fit in, to look like a local. To wear actual “outfits.” Luckily, I know by now which pair of shoes are practical for the day-long tramping I inevitably engage in, but that doesn’t stop me from pretending I always wear a classy scarf and never spend half a weekday in my pajamas.

This entry was posted on Monday, April 30th, 2007 at 6:58 am and is filed under Antonia projects, travel stories, travel websites. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.