What to pack...

A couple of weeks ago I read a book on attracting my soul mate. One of the book's central premises was that one should act "as if" their soul mate had already arrived. It makes sense- I was given the same advice for logical things like pretending I knew what it meant to be an attorney and to act the part when I was interviewing at law firms, despite nearly crying from nervousness. The book suggested things like setting a place at the table for your nearly-arrived love. All I could think of was that I'd have to wash twice as many dishes without getting a single Friday night out in the process. But maybe it is worth trying.

Today I'm Packing for London. I have a limited amount of suitcase space, but I've been toying with the idea of putting the soul mate suggestions into practice. What to do? Take the oversized T-shirts I really want to sleep in? Or bring cute little slip nightgowns and at least one pair of black thigh-highs? Do I take an extra pair of earrings or bring Magnum prophylactics, you know, so I'll have something for "him" to wear when he arrives in my flat? Or maybe bringing Magnums is putting the hope a little high - maybe I should just ask the universe for a basic Trojan man and hope for the best.

There's a great scene in "Must Love Dogs" where the hot and heavy couple realize they have no protection, then go to a gas station, grocery store and a couple of drug stores before finally finding what they need, only to realize the moment had passed. I can't have that! Besides, I won't have a car, so getting to grocery stores and gas stations via the subway system sounds even less sexy than trying to find condoms with the aid of a car. But doesn't it seem a little crazy to use precious luggage space for a latex balloon that may come right back with me at the end of the trip? I'll feel it mocking me as I return, "Haha! You know I expire next month, right?!"

But what if my this stuff works? Surely, if tomorrow when I land in London and go into work, a tall Brit with blue eyes and a knowledge of good pinot noirs walks over to meet me, I'd be thrilled that I brought my hopelessly impractical all-lace panties, as opposed to the comfy cotton ones best suited for Sunday afternoons and sessions on the eliptical machine. I'm scheduled to work 12 hours a day, six days a week once I get to London. That hardly leaves time for shopping for nighties that push, pull, cover and accentuate in all the right places, so that candlelight can cast lovely hour-glass shadows as opposed to a paunchy, saggy one.

I decided to bring it all. I mean really, a little lace, satin, silk and latex doesn't take up that much space, and in the end may make me feel sexier, which in turn might help my chances at finding a bloke to bring back to my flat. Perhaps that's what all the acting "as-if" does in the end- it helps you get where you're inevitably going -and for me, that's London. Tally ho!