Cristina’s mother gave me some advice when travelling

Victoria said
That carrying too much clobber
it really is the worst thing
I could do
To only carry
what was really needed
and leave behind the rest
she said will you
2 shirts, 2 under pants 2 pairs of trousers
2 pairs of socks
and that is all you need
a toothbrush,toothpaste
and of course a hairbrush
wear and wash and you will best
succeed

Everything went well
Till it started raining
my pants and trousers
wouldn’t dry overnight
where there was an ironing board
I tried to help the process
But sometimes failed
which didn’t turn out right
So wandering about the town
with my wet under pants
sometimes got uncomfortable
you know
and sometimes I left wet rings on the furniture
where I’d sat
That tended to embarrass
If it started to show

But she was right
there’s no doubt if you carry
too much in your haversack its a pain
So I am so indebted to her actually
and I’ve worked out ways to wring clothes out
and gain
a more effective reduction of water
For you see my hands are very weak
these days
roll the wet clothes in a towel
and sit on them
which
helps to squeeze out moisture
and that pays
Travelling on one’s own is a learning
process
The experience one gets
is a priceless gift
I hope you didn’t mind me sharing
this with you
Because the knowledge does give me a lift