I'm definitely in the single digits now, I don't even have a full week left until I fly out. Considering that I'm leaving in 5 days I decided to start packing... ughh. What do you take for three months in a foreign country? Do I really need the extra pair of sandals? What about the five books I grabbed off my shelf? How many hair-ties do I need? I asked myself at least 2 dozen questions just like this yesterday when I started packing.
By this point in my life I am a fairly experienced packer. I've gotten used to living with only a two pairs of pants, three shirts and lots of socks and underwear. I have a system. First I grab the box of little necessities I have packed away in my closet. My travel grabbag includes earplugs, padlock, cards, word fill-in book, pen, travel journal, packing cubes, hand sanitizer, chapstick, worn copies of my passport, fingernail clippers, baseball cap and my grey bandanna.
Next grab a laundry hamper and throw in everything other than clothes I want to take with me. Books, Spanish to English dictionary, water bottles, water purifier, day bag, backpack, computer, camera, extra batteries, and all the crazy charging wires.
Next I move to clothes. I grab four or five extra of everything. 8 pairs of shorts, 10 shirts, 4 pairs of pants, 3 sandals, 2 tennis shoes, two jackets, extra pajamas, 3 undershirts and pretty much my entire drawer of socks and underwear. The fun part comes when I try every single piece of clothing, I do this mostly just for kicks. I'll try on a pair of shorts then stand in front of my mirror pretending to shovel, then giggle for a bit and try something else on. If I can't see myself knee deep in mud and sitting at the table during a fancy dinner I throw it on the floor. Soon I'll only have 3 shorts, 1 pair of pants, and 4 shirts, I'm not there yet but I have faith in myself.
Someone once said the only way to pack was to lay out everything you wanted to take. Once you have everything laid out take twice the money and half the clothes.
By this point in my life I am a fairly experienced packer. I've gotten used to living with only a two pairs of pants, three shirts and lots of socks and underwear. I have a system. First I grab the box of little necessities I have packed away in my closet. My travel grabbag includes earplugs, padlock, cards, word fill-in book, pen, travel journal, packing cubes, hand sanitizer, chapstick, worn copies of my passport, fingernail clippers, baseball cap and my grey bandanna.Next grab a laundry hamper and throw in everything other than clothes I want to take with me. Books, Spanish to English dictionary, water bottles, water purifier, day bag, backpack, computer, camera, extra batteries, and all the crazy charging wires.
Next I move to clothes. I grab four or five extra of everything. 8 pairs of shorts, 10 shirts, 4 pairs of pants, 3 sandals, 2 tennis shoes, two jackets, extra pajamas, 3 undershirts and pretty much my entire drawer of socks and underwear. The fun part comes when I try every single piece of clothing, I do this mostly just for kicks. I'll try on a pair of shorts then stand in front of my mirror pretending to shovel, then giggle for a bit and try something else on. If I can't see myself knee deep in mud and sitting at the table during a fancy dinner I throw it on the floor. Soon I'll only have 3 shorts, 1 pair of pants, and 4 shirts, I'm not there yet but I have faith in myself.
Someone once said the only way to pack was to lay out everything you wanted to take. Once you have everything laid out take twice the money and half the clothes.
Ha! I also used a laundry hamper to help me organize my packing.
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