I like to think that there are several things that I am good at. I am a good recycler. I am an excellent cake-eater. I am an expert (some might say professional) phone talker. I can teach the Good Old Song to anyone. I know how to peel an orange so the peel comes off in one continuous peel. I am pretty good at opening jars that nobody else can open. I know a synchronized swimming move or two. I make a mean list and am an A+ color-coder.
There are many things I am not good at. I am NOT a good packer. This is a problem. My roommate from grad school, Shannon, is an excellent packer. When I moved back to Charlottesville from Burlington she essentially packed my entire two years of Vermont living into my Toyota Camry. There was no way I thought we (the royal "we" is used here to protect the guilty) could do it, but she did. I think her packing skills were honed after years of voluntarily camping. Those who know me well that I would never voluntarily camp anywhere. I don't even like watching camping on TV. When I traveled earlier this summer to Maui for said roommate's wedding, I realized that I had not magically acquired any packing skills. For my six day trip to Hawaii (where in theory you only need to pack swimsuits) I was over the 50 pound limit for one bag by 17 pounds. Eeeek! If it's true that less is more, why does it hurt more to pack less?
9 comments:
Hmm...I note with much humor that you didn't mention your move from undergrad back to good ole DE in Clara (may she rest in peace). =) It's all about the SpaceBags, I tell you! As long as you have your camera and underwear, you are ready for anything. (It's quite amusing reading this from the computer at the Bergen public library, everything except what you wrote is in Norwegian. It's amazing I managed to drive around for the past week without annoying too many people!) Love you!
Oh packing....what Shannon has over you is years of admissions experience! We can all pack for two weeks in five minutes flat! My advice: take only things you will absolutely wear, that you know are comfortable. Don't worry about a new outfit for every day of the month, everyone else will be wearing the same thing day after day as well! Happy packing!
Ahhh...I too have suffered from being an overpacker. But after 2 years of working at a job with much travel I've finally managed to fall under the 50 lb limit for a trip that you would surely think would require at least 10 outfits and 5 pairs of shoes (not counting the flip flops that is). The key I've learned is that you don't need 2 outfits for every day. Anyways, with your world travel just think of all the beautful cheap clothes you can buy! oh yeah and everyone always suggests rolling your clothes..i can't vouch for that but i can vouch for the cheap pretty clothes in Bangkok!
Enjoy!
Alexis,
I know you will have a great trip. I really loved Ho Chi Minh City so when you get there, tell it I said hi:-) Please keep in touch and have a safe trip...even if some of your oversized luggage does not get through:-)
Greg
Oh the joys of packing! I've been quite pleased with the job I've done on 3-week trips abroad, but a whole semester on a ship? Quite a challenge :-)
Not sure if you'll find these helpful, but I'm a big fan of Rick Steves' packing cubesfars (and others make them). They help keep things neat, and it's amazing how much you can fit into just one!
Just remember -- there's always a washing machine :-)
hey pea:
It's also good to remember that you will be purchasing items in some of the countries, too - so you don't need to overdo it. It's also $5 to launder a *very teeny tiny* bag of laundry on the ship, so that's something to consider, too...
I also think it's funny that after living at Westward Drive - through SAS we literally venture "Westward Ho!!!!"
Hi Sea Legs,
I think you should request permission to load your car on the ship. That way, you could just fill up your car, which in turn could serve as your semester at sea closet.
Since my above suggestion is perfectly and completely unreasonable, I do recommend packing febreeze (makes clothes last longer), clothes for layering, and a couple of comfort books for your limited downtime.
All my best and bon voyage!
Love, B.
Oh one more thing -- I see someone mentioned Febreeze! Excellent idea. On that note, I always pack dryer sheets in my bags. They keep everything smelling super fresh *and* they've helped me get a few more hours out of shirts (*cough*...a second day!) while on the road, even when I'm on-the-go :-)
It's not your fault. There's a pesky packing phenomenon that experienced travelers prefer not to talk about: If your destination involves travel with weight limits on baggage, the enhanced gravitational pull of in-demand exotic locales means that flip-flops suddenly weigh 3.1 pounds apiece. That airy sarong that you thought would go with absolutely everything has the suitcase-weight equivalent of a room-width Persian carpet. Pashmina shawl in oatmeal heather? Make that Quikrete, I'm afraid.
Sorry, kid; we can't fight physics. All we can do is taunt it mercilessly until we feel better and then run away before it recognizes us or gets a license plate number.
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