Back in the UK I am - having watched the weather, came not too unprepared (15 degrees and raining). Am very proud of myself with having made do with only hand luggage for a two day trip (including my laptop, other electronic paraphenalia, all toiletries and an extra pair of shoes!). Settled on nice soft suede boots and light flat pumps for the travel bag in case the heels become a bit much to wear for 3 straight days. Two days in the UK means almost 4 days' worth of stuff as the flight to and from (11 hours, give or take) requires some planning to keep comfy on too, remember.

Anyway, thought I haven't done well and wanted to share it.

Though no amount of planning ensures that things go smoothly. Take last night, for instance. I had printed out my flight reference as well as the address of where I was catching a taxi to from the airport. Just to be safe, I also copied the information across to my cellphone in case I need to reference it quickly or loose the paperwork. The info had reached me originally via email so it was in my inbox on my laptop as well, but who has time to get the laptop booted up when hailing a taxi from Heathrow?

In an ever further bid to ensure preparedness, I had left the printed docs in my boyfriend's car as he was driving me to the airport and I didn't want to risk forgetting them in my car. He, in his wonderfully considerate way, had taken his car to the car wash earlier in the day of my departure to ensure a pleasant ride. The car wash people, in their efforts to be highly effective, threw out these documents to ensure a clean car! Documents, no more, which of course we only realised as we were heading to the airport.

No need to panic though, I still had it all on my cellphone which would most certainly be on as soon as the plane touched down and which had been fully charged that afternoon. That would have been the case, had it not been for me dunking my phone (accidentally) in the cup of coffee I had with said boyfriend as a last bit of time together. After much drying of phone, all was well except for a speaker that sounded as if the technology hadn't moved on since the 50's. Turning said phone off and hoping a night in a aeroplane would cheer it up (yeah, right), it refused to budge once in London, having decided that its battery is now flat and its buttons are retarded.

Sooo, having done all I possibly could to avoid delay, there I was, hauling out my laptop in Heathrow terminal 1 arrivals area, looking forlornly at the Costa coffee I didn't have time to buy to get the address out of my email, grab a taxi and make it in time.

Murphy aint seen nothing when it comes to airports, that's all I can say.