Stumped.

Last week when I picked up my plane tickets from the travel agent, I noticed a disturbing discrepancy regarding luggage regulations on my first two flights. I will be flying into London on Delta, and after a long weekend in the city, I will be flying to the Isle of Man on Aer Arann.

Detour: First and foremost let me admit how terrified I am of flying, under any circumstance. My first plane flight was a 9-hour nail-biter to London fifteen summers ago. Back then, you could smoke on international flights, and I still smoked, so that eased much of my tension. Not only do I have to undertake another Trans-Atlantic crossing (without the aid of nictoine), but shortly afterward I also have to fly on one of the smallest planes known to man. This is my nightmare flight. (Okay, maybe after the recent plane crash in Brazil, both flights have featured strongly in my nightmares). In reality, that flight will only be 45 minutes long, but in my wild imagination, it will last much longer.

Back to the topic: My Delta flight allows two suitcases between 50 and 70 lbs. on international flights, but my Aer Arann flight only allows one suitcase of no more than 33 lbs. (Darn that tiny plane!) I was already close to panic mode at the thought of having to pack every item I might possibly need during a span of six weeks into one suticase, but now this? I must admit, I am stumped. I'm trying to imagine how my suitcase, clothes, shoes, toiletries, books, and miscellaneous junk will weigh less than 33 lbs. I'm also wondering why I bothered buying three new suitcases. It's like the Rubix cube of packing.