Friday Five: What You Absolutely, Positively, Can't Leave Home Without

Over at RevGalBlogPals, Singing Owl writes:

We will be at a chaplain's convention when you all are answering the Friday Five Questions. I'll look forward to reading your answers next week when I get home. At the moment we are trying to get the car loaded so we can hit the road, so this will be a simple F.F. This running around madly in order to leave has me wondering: what are the five things you simply must have when you are away from home? And why? Any history or goofy things, or stories?

1. Books. I always take books, even though just about everywhere I go has books available. Since all my travel these days is to visit friends or family, you might think I would not need so many books, but I do.

2. Camera. This is a new "must-take" for me since last year when I got a digital camera. I usually remembered the film camera before, but I didn't always take a lot of pictures. Now it's different.

3. Notebook and pen(s). I need this for a lot of things. Now that I keep track of my reading and write little reviews for DorothyL and Goodreads, I need something to write on. I may also acquire genealogical information new addresses, etc. I might even write out a blog post!

4. Microfiber glasses cleaning cloth. I'd include the squirt stuff too, but it doesn't fly, so sometimes I buy some when I get where I'm going. So I can read.

5. Here's another new one: lunch! Anyone who has flown recently will know what I mean. Last spring we had a lot of spreads left over at the end of our beach week, and I made sandwiches for all of us to take along. It proved to be a great idea and OHP and I did the same on our trip to the Midwest. No expensive (and often bad) airport food, not to mention the lack of temptation to buy the $5 "snack" on the plane. I will definitely keep doing this. Even on road trips, I think, should we ever do another -- I do like to go out for breakfast, but a picnic lunch or supper is much more fun than Mickey D's. Probably healthier, too.