Packing. It’s a revelation. I’ve done it before three years ago but still have difficulty in getting my priorities right. Because I DO need to pack sun cream before I get there, I DO need five different bags (daytime handbag, night-time handbag, gym bag, Uni rucksack, Big Ole Bag for mass food shopping) and yes, I DO need all those bras (‘Don’t be ridiculous, how many boobs do you have?! Take a couple max’ A COUPLE. TWO. HAHAHAHA. Underwear is not a luxury!). Anyway, as it turns out things were actually becoming a bit ridiculous, and I enlisted the Parentals’ help in Project ‘pack-life-into-case-for-six-months-within-Easyjet-dimensions’.
A tip for anyone in this situation too would be to avoid these three words. Don’t even think about them. Not even for a second.
Just. In. Case.
The weeks of summer I spent moping about the house, waiting for a day close enough to departure that it was acceptable to pack, I busied myself by sorting through clothes I could take, sorting them into piles of Yes/No/Hell No/Maybe, taking them in and out of my suitcase. It gradually amounted to piles extending on top of the case, across my bed, reaching my floor-drobe. Bit of an ish.
Dad: ‘Lay everything out on a sheet in the living room, and then you can see what you’ve got.’ Subconsciously I was trying to avoid this. There are just SO many things. Why does one person need all these things? But I need all these things! Don’t I? Why am I so materialistic/selfish/indecisive that I need all these things?! Anxiety and critical analysis of my persona ensued.
It’s been a long afternoon, but by some kind of miracle (thanks Dad!), I now have a full case with one Kg to spare. When it comes down to it, packing reveals a lot about someone’s character. After I was told to ‘Forget about the glamour!’ (Personally I don’t think taking straighteners and more than one perfume bottle is prima-donna behaviour), we had whittled my autumn wardrobe to trainers, sandals and flats (no fancy foot-wear for moi); jumpers and comfy tees, and essential items that I actually do need. For real this time. A rice cooker being one of them – it sounds silly, but it is a home comfort, I use it all the time, and because of my upbringing (my Mum comes from a generation of Thai rice farmers, SE ASIANS REPRESENT) I literally cannot go without good rice. It’s just a no-no for me.
One thing I also cannot live without makes me feel about five years old. Dolly. She’s not being left behind. Take out the perfumes, the straighteners, the shoes, cause there’s always space for her.
Don’t judge. I’m young at heart. It’s an endearing quality.
- Giosue, Dolly and I just being fabulous
Sammy Wandering Abroad 