First off, a Manila update. After repeated phone calls to my hotel and travel agent, I feel mostly confident that my trip will be fine. So I am currently in DFW awaiting my flight to Tokyo. Also, after much drama and last minute angst, I thankfully got cleared for an upgrade to business class for the longest leg of my trip. Yes!!!

Yesterday afternoon, as I was consulting my extensive packing list and trying to get all of my stuff together, I realized I had misplaced my compression socks. Well, not all of them. Three of them. It seems the Sock Monster has struck in a big way at my house, and I have completely lost one pair and one single.  After a frantic search through various sock drawers and the laundry room (with visions of my feet swelling to Violet Beuregarde-like proportions), I accepted the loss. But that started a new freak out: where do I find compression socks at 4pm on a Sunday afternoon, the day before I travel? A quick web search of Target, Macy’s, Bed Bath and Beyond, Academy, and REI were no help—Target didn’t have any in stores, REI’s were all of the “recovery” variety and therefore like $50, and the other stores didn’t have any at all. In desperation, I googled “compression socks”. Inspiration struck from an unlikely source: Walgreens.

Apparently, compression socks are considered a medical item, so they are available at drugstores. At least, some drug stores. I clicked on “find in store,” put in my zip code, and waited for my local Walgreens to come up. Uh, no. No Walgreens within ten miles of me had my size and color preference in stock. After scrolling through three pages of stores, I found a store twenty miles away that had them. Whatever, I’ll take it.

Now that I’ve tried them on, I think they’re actually a little more comfortable than my other ones that I lost. But mostly I’m just super grateful that I found some when I needed them. So next time you need compression socks at the last minute, check your local Walgreens. You might just be surprised.