Monday 10 May 2010

The art of packing lightly .....

With two assignments finished, I turned my mind to my next challenge .... packing lightly for my holiday.  It was my challenge to pack only the items I know I will use.  Historically (my mind is still in literature review mode), I have never been a great packer - I tend to put everything in .... just in case it rains, just in case I'm stuck in a snowstorm, just in case there is a heat wave, just in case I get invited to the Oscars .... you get the idea.  


It's all going into this pack .... it actually looks bigger than it is (in fact, Macpac class it as a day pack)

So, I stopped studying the psychology of smart kids and turned my attention to the art of packing lightly.  I had a few guidelines in mind - I was not going to wear the same clothes every day, I had to take my running clothes and I was not leaving my hairdryer behind.  These points in mind, I googled 'light packing'.  Some of the suggestions were downright ridiculous (I am not going to attempt 'bundle wrapping') but I did take a few suggestions on board.  I picked a colour scheme (black, grey, red) so that with minimal clothes, I had lots of options.  I bought travel sized toiletries.  I packed multipurpose shoes - now this will sound weird, but I will be wearing my riding boots for most of the trip.  They are so comfortable but at the same time look (relatively) good with jeans - well, better than my hiking boots.  I also packed with some shopping in mind ..... J Crew, Lululemon and North Face, here I come!

A little daggy, but comfortable!

I also decided not to travel with my laptop ... the thought of losing my beloved Macbook Pro is just too much to bear.  Plus, my computer is my life at the moment - work, study, TV, telephone - so it will be good to get back to basics with my journal and book (I will still be blogging though).  The last test of my light packing scheme will be when I return - what didn't I need?!  But right now, where is my passport and ticket?

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