I’m writing this Monday evening as I attempt to pack my suitcase(s) for the five-day trip to the OBX that is already half over as you read this… Le sigh to that.
It should be simple: Pack the items I love/wear the most. Yet I continually find myself questioning each and every item I place inside my bags no matter how long the adventure is. Two days or a week, it always takes me HOURS to pack as I ask myself everything from “What will the weather be like?” to “What if I get my outfit messy? Should I have a backup plan for each day?” I fantasize myself as someone who plays in mud or is super sloppy when neither could be farther from the truth, yet for some bizarre reason, I absolutely must pack enough ensembles just in case disaster occurs.
And then I find myself sleeping for maybe three or four hours before driving nearly half-a-day toward my destination.
Sane people, they begin planning their suitcases a week before departure. They know each item to bring and the best ways to ensure no last-minute-sitting-on-the-suitcase-because-it-won’t-close will creep up minutes before rushing out the front door. But procrastinators like myself, we fill the hours before vacations with crazy things like painting our toenails or creating blog postings about seemingly nothing because the simple act of packing is absolutely too much to handle. The stress eats people like us alive.
Yes, some of us stress over clothing options. When my entire closet is at my disposal, I worry far less than when the challenge before me is narrowing my 57 hoodies, 18 pairs of jeans, 40 tee-shirts and 22 polos down to six potential outfits. I mean, what if I’m just not in the mood to wear what I bring? How can I possibly imagine what I’ll want to wear Saturday when today is only Monday? And what if it’s suddenly cold three days in a row, but I only bring one long-sleeve shirt with me? I haven’t the slightest clue how people seriously manage compiling a suitcase without a million and one questions that, for me, pop up at every turn.
…And now that I’ve successfully wasted ten minutes, and it’s nearing 1 a.m. — I leave in seven hours, ha — I must return to my half-filled suitcase and make some serious decisions. Maybe it’s a good thing I’m driving alone and can secretly squeeze anything and everything into my car … if need be, of course.
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
I hope the vacation is going well! I’m a horrible packer too. Why can’t someone figure out a way to pack your whole closet?
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I think you described me perfectly in this post. Haha, love it! I’m a terribly packer too, and I must always use a list. Otherwise, it just gets crazy.
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I ALWAYS pack at the last minute. And I ALWAYS forget a toothbrush.
You’d think I’d learn after years of this, and freaking PACK MY TOOTHBRUSH FIRST, but no. Never.
Le sigh.
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