The Suitcase Dilemma

I always thought one day I would become a person whose possessions are organized. I’m very prepared in other parts of my life – my calendar has reminders and events for two years in the future, my skin-care regime is down to an art form, my hard-drive has folders and sub-folders and alphabetized categories.

I guess I thought the other stuff would sneak up on me, and one day I would wake up and my suitcases would be neatly packed, with clothes arranged by colour and fabric.

It’s possible that I was slightly naïve.

A few days ago I woke up and decided that it was the day to pack. My packing mostly consisted of pulling out the entire contents of my closest, staring at it for a while, and then shoveling the majority of it into a wheeled duffel bag.

I accomplished the rest of the packing by wandering vaguely around my room and picking up objects that would either be lobbed into another suitcase or shoved under my bed.

This is what my room currently looks like. It's an improvement. 

Presumably other people have mastered this whole packing thing, so I consulted the internet. Most pages suggested helpful items for a long trip – a mini hair-straightener! A mini beach towel! Reversible swim suits! Trendy leggings with concealed pockets for money! Only $119.99!

I returned to my original method, from time to time lugging a bag onto the bathroom scale to make sure I stayed within the weight limit.

So far, my packing seems to be working. Maybe my clothes aren’t packed in colour coordinated packing cubes, my towel may not be microfiber, my shampoo bottle may not be collapsible, but everything’s in the bags and under the weight limit.

One step closer!