The Silitch Family- Adventures in the Alps and Beyond: Mommy's Disappearing Bag

As I write this blog post rain continues to pour down. The snow is disappearing fast..below 2000 meters and snowing hard above 2500 meters. We are talking about building an arc so we don't float away or maybe taking up water skiing. One of my favorite Christmas stories as a child was Morris's Disappearing Bag, By Rosemary Wells. My husband tells me time and time again the I have way too many bags. I often have bags with in bags.

One of these very important zippered bags which I keep in my Petzl Bug Pack, disappeared last night as I was getting ready to go to a night race in Switzerland. I went to get my passport which was in that little zippered bag which normally is in my Bug Pack and it was not there. That bag also contains various other important and non important things like, my French Drivers licence, a check book, lip gloss, arnica, band aids, Purel hand cleaners. I ferociously searched all over in a frenzy of despair- much to my husbands dismay, but had no luck.

"Let's just go. It will turn up." He said in a calm mannered tone, surely the calm in my life in moments of stress. " This is a great opportunity to practice reacting in a calm zen way. " He continued. "Only for you to say...easier said than done.." I murmured. Drudgingly, I headed out to the car which he kindly had loaded up in the rain...hmm driving to a night race in the race...Suddenly I lost all my motivation to go. "Think of Lance Armstrong and when he broke his collarbone and what his coach said..." Michael trying to lift my spirits. "Stick to your decision to go. It will be fun." "ok," I thought "lets go."

Off we went and arrived just before the Col de Montets to a sudden wall of snow blocking the road... The pass was closed due to all this rain. Avalanche danger was very high. We could still take the train tunnel and make it. At this point rain was turning to hail. We waited behind a line of 100 or so cards waiting to get back through to Switzerland or their home in Vallorcine. We decided to call it a night and go have a nice meal together and perhaps figure out where my zippered bag went... Did I leave it in Switzerland last week, or maybe the post office, maybe the grocery store... I was stumped.

Surely this missing bag a was a sign:

1. Old age maybe. Late 30's! After having children women's minds become absent.

2. Too much stuff in the house! Need to organize and weed out and sell some stuff! (yes-true-husbands words)

3. You have too many bags -often left unopened..it is no wonder that it is missing- (Husband's words again.)

4. Put your passport back in the safe place...ok done.

So my mind was wandering to the steps I was going to take to get all those things back, like the US passport (trip to Geneva consulate and wait 2-3 weeks for new one +$100)

French drivers licence- that would be a bunch of paperwork to do.

Check book- have to change checking account number and who know what else.

Lip gloss and antibac gel...ok that could be replaced.

Upon returning from a nice evening together, I was in a much calmer state of mind and realized that it was not unrealistic to replace the items in the zippered bag. No problem. Zen mommy is back!

The next morning I woke and asked the boys casually... "Guys, have you by any chance seen my zippered bag anywhere- you know the one I keep in my backpack with the waist strap?"

"No, I have not seen it," said Birken shaking his head.

"Oh, Yes I have seen that Mommy." Said Anders. "You have, " I asked. "Where is it?"

"oh, it's behind the curtain . I put it there. " Said Anders (3 years old), simply. I gave him a huge hug and said Thank You!

There you have it. The case of mommy's disappearing bag. I still will work on weeding out stuff and zipping the bags closed. It was reassuring that my brain had not gone to complete mush. I do recommend the book too, By Rosemary Wells.

Don't let the Rain slow you down....

Michael and I did a night training session in the snow/rain with our petzl Ultra headlamps.