Oh Packing...

The most daunting task any time you travel has to be packing. I don't know about other people, but I used to suffer from chronic over packing. I always would bring way more than I actually needed...especially when it came to shoes! I don't know who really needs a dozen pairs of shoes for a week long trip, but I apparently always thought I did. The great thing about being away at school for four years is that I became a rock star at packing (and also navigating airports subsequently).

<---- Here's my little tower of bags. It seems so weird to me to be taking this many bags. I've gotten so used to taking one big suitcase and then a backpack. For the past four years that's what I've done. When I would come home on break I would have my one big suitcase and my backpack. Granted, sometimes when I was home my suitcase would spontaneously double itself and I would come back to school with two bags. That seemed to always happen around Christmas time!

So, while most people despise packing, I rather enjoy it. I love making a packing list and getting incredibly detailed with it to make sure that I never forget stuff. However, it never works out that well. I make the list and usually it gets thrown by the wayside! One thing I always do when I pack is this: I set out everything I want to pack and then put about 1/3 of the stuff back away. It'a true...you should have seen my bags before this picture. I literally took over my godparents' living room with all my stuff. It was completely insane! Call me weird, but I enjoy organizing my bags and seeing just how much stuff I can put in one suitcase.

As I sit here staring at my bags I can't help but be bothered by how much stuff I seem to be bringing. Everyone keeps telling me that three bags (one being a carry-on) is really not that much. However to me, this is so much MORE than what I'm used to. Every time I glance over at the leaning tower of luggage I have to remind myself that it's a whole year. Everything I am taking is for a year... 12 months. The only things I will have are the things I packed. Since the original packing of my bags (about a week ago) I managed to somehow talk myself into repacking twice. Both times at very odd hours of the night (aka after midnight). It is rather comical that I managed to second guess my packing skills twice! Oh well, I guess I will just have to deal with the idea that I will be that person in the airport struggling to lug three bags around. I am looking forward to this amazing adventure and can't wait to tell you all about it.