You pack the bag like it's a shield.
Extra layers. Backup charger. Snacks for every mood.
Ready for anything.
Except that's never true.
The flight gets cancelled.
The meeting runs sideways.
Someone says something that rewrites your afternoon.
None of it was in the bag.
We rehearse for disasters we can picture.
But the unexpected doesn't send a draft.
It never looks how you imagined.
The skill isn't packing smarter.
It's travelling lighter.
Holding plans loose enough that a pivot doesn't sting.
You can't prepare for everything.
You can stop pretending you need to.