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dragonlady7I love/hate packing just as I love/hate traveling. I like going new places, I like getting there, I like experiencing things, I like absorbing new sights and sounds and tastes, etc. It's wonderful and fabulous.
But I hate the fear of leaving things behind. And I hate not sleeping enough and not knowing where to poop and the like.
I am very much a last-minute packer, which is something that drove Katy crazy the whole time we were traveling through Spain together. She would stay up late the night before, folding and organizing and re-organizing everything, to make sure everything fit into her suitcases with the maximum efficiency. This involved sorting things into piles, matching things carefully, etc.
I would sit and chatter, maddeningly, or go to bed early, or go sit on the balcony and watch the sun set or the moon rise, or go take a luxurious shower (except at that one place where we had to pay extra if the water was to be hot), or whatever. The next morning, I would get up fifteen minutes early, put on what I was going to wear, and roll the rest into the suitcase, sit on it and shut it. Everything always fit just as well as for Katy, and I never forgot anything.
But I still dislike it. I can't think about it too much ahead of time. And I can never choose what to bring, whether I'm going to my parents' for the weekend or across the world for a year. Today I had to wait until I was dressed for today (in my two ugliest items of clothing, just to be sure I wouldn't need them), then I had to sort and fold all the laundry I own into categories, and then I had to take my seven favorite t-shirts plus a fancier change of shirts for four of those days, plus long-sleeved shirts to wear over or under, plus sweaters to wear over *those* if it's cold. Plus an extra t-shirt or two just in case. And a couple of tank tops, to wear for pyjamas or under other shirts. Plus a nightshirt to wear to sleep in. And don't get me started about underwear-- I can't restrain myself from bringing like four or five extra pairs 'just in case'-- in case of what? I haven't wet myself since like first grade. My period was last week. But you never know. You just never know when you'll need a pair of clean panties to wear on your head or throw at Tom Jones or something. (He has complained about this, incidentally; not that he minds clean panties, but that it shows premeditation, which is not the point. You're supposed to just get excited and throw your panties, not bring an extra pair in your purse. So, if you're throwing panties at Tom Jones, keep that in mind.)
Anyway.
I can't pack light.
Well, I can, but only if I resign myself to just never having the right things. I've gone home to my parents' with almost nothing packed, but I am inevitably miserable when I either don't have enough layers or wind up wearing something that I realize makes me look like an idiot.
At any rate. I can't pack ahead of time, and can't pack light. It's OK, because we get a baggage allowance that is sadly inadequate for long trips, and ridiculously over-adequate for a short trip like this.
I gave Z his own suitcase and I have two smaller ones. Plus some stuff stuffed into his. Plus the carry-ons. Etcetera.
When I was living abroad and traveling a lot I had gotten pretty prosaic about packing. I always reminded myself that if I had my wallet and my passport, and my camera (an ancient Fujica SLR that I loved and carried everywhere), I could pretty much replace anything else. But I was 19 then, had no fashion sense or affection for clothing, didn't care a whole lot about hygeine, and most importantly had someone else paying the bill. (Thanks, Mom and Dad!)
Still, I have everything I reasonably need, and then some. I will have to carry my baggage half a mile. I should probably restrain myself. Everything heavy is in the rolling suitcases and the duffel bag and backpack are quite light. We'll be fine as long as the road is paved.
In Aberdeen I once had to carry a 75-lb duffel bag a mile and a half before dawn. I didn't know till later how heavy it was, so I got through it OK.
Hmm... I can't find my iPod, so at least I won't lose it in London.
But I hate the fear of leaving things behind. And I hate not sleeping enough and not knowing where to poop and the like.
I am very much a last-minute packer, which is something that drove Katy crazy the whole time we were traveling through Spain together. She would stay up late the night before, folding and organizing and re-organizing everything, to make sure everything fit into her suitcases with the maximum efficiency. This involved sorting things into piles, matching things carefully, etc.
I would sit and chatter, maddeningly, or go to bed early, or go sit on the balcony and watch the sun set or the moon rise, or go take a luxurious shower (except at that one place where we had to pay extra if the water was to be hot), or whatever. The next morning, I would get up fifteen minutes early, put on what I was going to wear, and roll the rest into the suitcase, sit on it and shut it. Everything always fit just as well as for Katy, and I never forgot anything.
But I still dislike it. I can't think about it too much ahead of time. And I can never choose what to bring, whether I'm going to my parents' for the weekend or across the world for a year. Today I had to wait until I was dressed for today (in my two ugliest items of clothing, just to be sure I wouldn't need them), then I had to sort and fold all the laundry I own into categories, and then I had to take my seven favorite t-shirts plus a fancier change of shirts for four of those days, plus long-sleeved shirts to wear over or under, plus sweaters to wear over *those* if it's cold. Plus an extra t-shirt or two just in case. And a couple of tank tops, to wear for pyjamas or under other shirts. Plus a nightshirt to wear to sleep in. And don't get me started about underwear-- I can't restrain myself from bringing like four or five extra pairs 'just in case'-- in case of what? I haven't wet myself since like first grade. My period was last week. But you never know. You just never know when you'll need a pair of clean panties to wear on your head or throw at Tom Jones or something. (He has complained about this, incidentally; not that he minds clean panties, but that it shows premeditation, which is not the point. You're supposed to just get excited and throw your panties, not bring an extra pair in your purse. So, if you're throwing panties at Tom Jones, keep that in mind.)
Anyway.
I can't pack light.
Well, I can, but only if I resign myself to just never having the right things. I've gone home to my parents' with almost nothing packed, but I am inevitably miserable when I either don't have enough layers or wind up wearing something that I realize makes me look like an idiot.
At any rate. I can't pack ahead of time, and can't pack light. It's OK, because we get a baggage allowance that is sadly inadequate for long trips, and ridiculously over-adequate for a short trip like this.
I gave Z his own suitcase and I have two smaller ones. Plus some stuff stuffed into his. Plus the carry-ons. Etcetera.
When I was living abroad and traveling a lot I had gotten pretty prosaic about packing. I always reminded myself that if I had my wallet and my passport, and my camera (an ancient Fujica SLR that I loved and carried everywhere), I could pretty much replace anything else. But I was 19 then, had no fashion sense or affection for clothing, didn't care a whole lot about hygeine, and most importantly had someone else paying the bill. (Thanks, Mom and Dad!)
Still, I have everything I reasonably need, and then some. I will have to carry my baggage half a mile. I should probably restrain myself. Everything heavy is in the rolling suitcases and the duffel bag and backpack are quite light. We'll be fine as long as the road is paved.
In Aberdeen I once had to carry a 75-lb duffel bag a mile and a half before dawn. I didn't know till later how heavy it was, so I got through it OK.
Hmm... I can't find my iPod, so at least I won't lose it in London.
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no subject
Date: 2008-04-21 08:57 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-04-21 09:29 pm (UTC)I have no idea how fashionable I'm going to want to be... My concession to European sensibilities was to bring a t-shirt with nothing sarcastic written on it. Because my fashion sense in the US seems to mostly consist of really crazy socks and shirts that say borderline offensive things. Which is why I need so many, because you have to tailor your offensive shirt to the audience that will appreciate it. Like, not everyone will think this (http://www.achewood.com/shop/appw_dspec_tank_qsass.php) is funny, so it's better if you're going to a bar or something. If you're going to, like, church or something, you're better off with this (http://www.topatoco.com/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=TO&Product_Code=WIGU-IRISH&Category_Code=WIGU) one, unless they're old with no sense of humor, in which case you're probably safer with this (http://goats.com/store/item/tshirt_awesome-1.html).
It's all about your audience.
It's very subtle fashion.
no subject
Date: 2008-04-22 02:00 am (UTC)I am still horrified by the fact that I iron my clothes every weekend. What happened to me??? Office work has eaten my soul.
no subject
Date: 2008-04-21 09:49 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-04-21 11:00 pm (UTC)well done
Date: 2008-05-08 07:19 am (UTC)