It’s time to get personal.

I’ve had to wear glasses since I was in Grade 4 (and they were quite large glasses, let me tell you – covered about half my face – but that was the way in the 80s).  By Grade 9 I had finally convinced my parents to let me get contact lenses.  I prefer contacts to glasses for a lot of reasons: peripheral vision; no smudges; no fogging up; etc.  But traveling with contacts lenses can be annoying.

It’s especially annoying now that you can’t carry-on the large bottles of contact lenses solution.  Before each trip I have to rush to the drugstore to find travel-sized bottles, because the last travel-sized bottle is almost empty and I need a full one just in case.

As much as I hate arriving in a city all bleary-eyed and smudgy-glassed, I’d rather wear my glasses on long plane rides rather then have to pry the lenses out of my eyes once I reach my destination.

…Nobody here is squeamish about eyes, right?

So I made a decision.  I’m going to get laser eye surgery.  After spending far too long in the eye clinic yesterday, I booked a date and I’m going to say bye-bye to glasses (at least until I get old enough to need reading glasses).

I’ve thought a lot about this decision, and I also know people who’ve had the procedure (some of whom are avid travelers).  So, despite all the anxiety I feel about getting my corneas cut open by lasers (I’m going the blade-less route), I’m finally going to do it!

Needless to say, I’ll be taking some time off in February.

But once it’s done…  Let’s just say that I’m looking forward to my first trip sans eye-wear.

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[For the curious parties – when I was filling out my form there was a question “Why are you considering laser eye surgery?”.  My answer was: “I’m not getting any younger / making travel easier”.]