The Luggage

by Doris Kuo 2024/04/28 International Speech Contest in TM D67

　

On any of your journey, How much luggage do you bring? How many things do you put into it?

Contest master , dear fellow travellors!

last year, my husband n I, planned a looong stay in the Philippines.

We booked our tickets, our hotels, n I started to pack. 

1^st priority, Passports to fly n credit cards to buy

Money, money, money; No money, No happy, in the traveler’s world

2nd, Medicine for headache, toothache, stomachache,

Here-ache; There-ache ;Husband-ache 

3rd, Clothes, all kinds.  Even bikinis!

4th, Daily items. You name it. I have it. Makeup N more makeup.

Hey, let’s not forget food. How can I survive a looong stay without Taiwan instant noodles, popcorn with sesame peanuts, N pineapple cakes?

N….. my husband’s favorites. Taiwan rice/coffee/tea! Yes! 1 of each. No! 3! 

You should have seen my husband’s face.

Honey, are we traveling or moving? Come on! Travel light!

What’s the luggage allowance?

23 KG for check in luggage; 7 for carry-ons. Common sense.
And we still have our backpacks.

We arrived at the airport. We went to check our luggage first.

Ms. Doris Kuo. Your luggage on the scale, please. 23 KG. I’m sorry,

our allowance is 20. You can rearrange your luggage or pay for the excess. 

Each KG, 600 NT

I’ll be back.

Honey, what should we do?

Easy! Let’s move the excess into our backpacks.

I don’t think they will check it.

We rushed to a corner, opened every luggage

I like to move it move it, I like to move it move it, Move it!

Bikinis, Make up, Taiwan rice/coffee/tea/Instant noodles/popcorn/ sesame peanuts N pineapple cakes ; find them a new place.

What! Half an hour passed.

Hey! We are back. Each 20.

Now your carry-ons please. Ms. Kuo. We need to weigh your backpacks too. You exceed a total of 10 kilos. You can rearrange your carry-ons or pay 6000NT.

What? That’s more than my ticket!

I said, Honey, Let’s…. eat all the food.

Throw it away. Come on!  Travel light!

　

Guess what we did?

We paid. We pretended we were exporting the most expensive Taiwan products to the Philippines. 

And we rushed. As I passed security, BEEP!!!

The big strong security staff said, Hey you! Open your luggage!

As I opened it, my bikinis popped out! A water bottle.

OMG/God/Jusus Christ/ Mazu. No more kidding me.

　

Passed security.  Suddenly! Doris Kuo! Doris Kuo. 

Final boarding call for Doris Kuo. The plane is flying!

We sprinted towards our gate. They were about to close the door.

We jumped right in n we barely made it.

Sitting on the plane, my heart was still racing at the airport.

Even before takeoff, we were exhausted. 

My husband and my big luggage taught me a big lesson.

Travel Light!

We are all travelers through life. 

How much excess luggage have you packed on your journey?

I wanted everything in my luggage. I wanted everything in my life. 

But our life is short; Just like the limited luggage.

Having too many priorities leads to no priorities and weighs us down.

Is there something you need to let go? 

Dear friends, travel light! Save the time with your loved ones.

Travel light! Our future journey will be so bright.

Come on! Let’s travel light.   

Contest master!