a secular sanctuary

I'm travelling for work again this week, renting a car, spending 2 days driving and visiting shelters.

Rental cars are great - all clean, no dog hair or crumpled tissues or coffee spills - but the flip side of that is that they're not as driver-friendly as your own car. All that stuff that's in your glove box/console/floorboard just isn't there. I don't know about you, but I need a lot of that stuff while I'm driving...

I have a solution. It's a rental car survival kit:

Start with a divided plastic caddy. You probably already have one. I do - it's the red one, below.

Then add the things you'll need, things that are usually in your console, things you'll want to reach easily as you drive. Things like your electronics:

(Don't forget your chargers and adapters!)

Snacks, drinks:

  

Comfort items:

 Plus a plastic bag to corral trash, and anything else you might need, like:

• change for tolls
• hair ties
• your lucky bobblehead or travel saint

Plop the caddy on the front seat next to you (if you're traveling alone) so you can reach it easily and without looking. Hook the seat belt around it of you're known for sudden stops. Ahem. If you have a road-tripping buddy, he or she can be your travel bitch and hand you whatever you need, whenever you need it. That's the rule for non-drivers. (And if you trade off driving, you'll be the travel bitch when it's your turn. No bitching.)

The car has become a secular sanctuary for the individual, 

his shrine to the self, his mobile Walden Pond.  

~Edward McDonagh  

Happy Trails!