Las Maletas – Suitcases

How do you fit 2 people (dos personas) into 4 suitcases (cuatro maletas), 2 carry-on bags and 2 backpacks (dos mochilas) who have been out of the country for over 5 months?  I have no idea, but that is the task (la tarea) of the day.  This is the same amount of luggage (el equipaje) that we came with when we arrived in Santiago, and the plan is to leave (salir) with the same amount of luggage, albeit with some of the same things as well as a large number of completely different materials (las materiales diferentes). 

When you travel by air these days, you not only have a limit (un limite) to the number of bags, you also have a weight limit (un limite de peso). There are different rules for international and domestic flights, with domestic flights (los vuelos domésticos) being stricter in terms of costs for additional bags as well as having a lower weight limit. I believe this is done in part because (porque) there are more domestic flights than international flights, and the airlines (las aerolíneas) can stick it to you easier and make more money (más dinero) on flights that are shorter and in effect cost less for passengers. 

We have a limit of 2 checked bags, and each bag (cada maleta) has a limit of around 50 pounds each.  If you have a bag between 50-70 pounds, you are charged a fee (una cuota) of $50 US for each one, and it you have a bag over 70 pounds, it is a fee of $100 US.  If you have more than 2 checked bags, there is an additional fee (una cuota adicional) of $100 US for each checked bag.  So, the game (el juego) if you will is to try and stay under the limits where you can and know exactly what the weights are of your bags before you get to the airport (al aeropuerto).

We are in this process (este proceso) in a big way today, trying to fit in all our gifts (nuestros regalos) for Christmas along with all our clothes and personal items.  On the flight (el vuelo) over, we had 2 bags overweight and 2 bags right on weight, and we are trying to keep this same ratio (la misma proporción) intact, as it will result in a fee of $100 additional for our luggage, but this is a fee I am clearly willing to pay (pagar).  You also have to be savvy about your carry-on baggage, as they also have to fit size (tamaño) and weight requirements, which is usually much easier to navigate (navigar) when you are already paying additional fees.

When you begin an effort like this, you also have to begin (empezar) to plan (planear) weeks before you pack, as you have to liberate (liberar) many things, and we have gifted a number of personal items, such as clothes (la ropa), athletic equipment, household items and personal hygiene products to our friends as parting gifts for their hospitality and support (la hospitalidad y apoyo).  We have also been the recipients of an equal amount of good-bye gifts and have also purchased a number of items for friends and family for the holidays (las vacaciones). 

As we sit with our bulging suitcases before us, we continue to remind ourselves (recordarnos) that it is not what you bring home, but that you make it home safely (con seguridad).  We also hope that our things make it intact, but we also understand that things can be replaced and that the most important things on the plane (el avión) are, in effect, the passengers (los pasajeros), of which we are two.