I am a good stuffer. I can fit any amount of clothes into a bag. But packing is different. Packing involves thinking about what you're going to bring, it involves researching what the climate is like, and it involves matching outfits (something I am not very good at in the first place.)
As a result of my packing habits, I have gone to sleepovers with three changes of clothes and no toothbrush, gone swimming with two bathing suits but no towel, and (this happens most often) brought 7 books on a 5-day trip, but only 4 pairs of socks. Please, somebody, help me remember to bring socks.
To combat my inept packing ability, I have created an unorthodox style. It involves setting a quadrant of your room aside (smaller if you're going on a shorter trip), using a large number of post-its, and creating an honest-to-God organizational chart and placing items on it. This way, I will not forget my passport, or my visa, which I have spent so many days struggling to secure. This way, I will not have all my Ruhi books in different suitcases, haphazardly thrown in when I come across them. This way, I will take only one bottle of shampoo, not three. This way, I will have a weigh-able suitcase and I will find out before I'm at the airport check-in if its overweight.
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| The Ecuador Corner |
