It's 17 degrees today in Antartica, 76 degrees in Phoenix

Packing for Antarctica is exciting. I need two completely different types of clothing. One for 70 degree weather and the other for 30 degrees below zero.

In packing, I am being introduced to all types of clothing I never thought that I would wear. Let’s see, already I have in my suitcase long johns, a ski jacket, hat, scarf, googles, oops, I mean ski goggles, gloves and 14-inch high rubber fishing boots.

Somewhere there is a vision of me standing on the ship all dressed in my bought and borrowed gear not being able to move.

This actually happened to me with my then 6-year-old daughter Kathy.

We lived in New Jersey and we were having a big north easterner snow storm. Kathy wanted to go out and play in the snow. After she was dressed; she stood on the porch and cried out, "Help! I can't move." The poor child.

The bags will be heavy going to Brazil, but light coming back. I will let you in on a little secret of mine for packing.

During the year, I put aside my clothes that have a Clorox stain, a tear here or there, a little fading, failed elastic, pajamas that don't quite fit or time dated writings (Happy New Year 2000) for my vacation wardrobe. My kids laugh at the picture of me in front of the Taj Majal. I was wearing a tee-shirt with the words “Las Vegas” across the front.

Anyway, I pack these things to be worn one last time, and then thrown away during the trip. There are many advantages for this strategy. For starters, peddlers, hawkers and thieves don't bother me.

My luggage is freed up for all the new information I gather about the people and places visited. I don't need to carry dirty, smelly clothes around with me. And, when I unpack at home it much easier and more rewarding. I do wonder what the Transportation Security Administration - TSA people think when they go through my luggage on the way out. They probably call to one another saying things like, "Bag Lady Traveling" or "This old gal can hardly afford any clothes.”

If anyone adopts this strategy, even if you put the items in the waste paper basket in the cabin or hotel room, do one more thing. Leave a note on the stack of clothes saying, "I am discarding these items" and date and sign the note.

Not doing so will cause the cabin or hotel cleaning person to neatly fold the items and try to return them to you. On checkout, I have had parcels of clothes returned to me.

It has been wonderful reading all your comments. My four children are all in helping people careers. And, I am their most frequent client. I am happy when Kim answers one of your questions and it is the same question that I had but did not think to ask.