Packing Light: a Goal

When it comes to packing, I tend to err on the side of too heavy and too much. When I came back from Ireland last year, my luggage just barely made the cut-off weight. On my last trip to Washington DC, my family made fun of me for months because I brought no less than 6 pairs of shoes: running shoes, flip flops, walking sandals, high heels, kitten heels, and my dressy work shoes. Now, due to the nature of the trip, I needed and wore all of them, but they certainly took up a decent amount of luggage space and made hauling my bags through the airport a little more challenging.

Part of my problem is indecision. When I pack for a trip, I'm constantly thinking of all the things I could do....if we go out dancing, I'll need my low heels and a club shirt. If we go to the fancy restaurant instead of the cheaper beach one, I'll need a nicer dress. What if it rains? What if the dog jumps on me and gets mud all over this outfit-I'll need a backup! Consequently, I tend to pack about the same amount of clothing for a 3 day trip as I do for an 8 day trip. The longer my vacation is, the more my packing style makes sense.

However, going to Brazil is going to be a challenge for me, and I hope in a good way. This will be the longest time I've been away from home (not including college), my longest "vacation", and the longest time I've spent outside of the country. I will be living in Brazil for one month, and living out of a suitcase. Go me!

My goal for packing is to take one decent sized checked back, at maximum 3/4 of the way full, a backpack to carry on, and my "travel purse". I've been buying a lot of dressy beach clothes that fold up very small, and I bought two of those space saver bags for the few bulkier items I'll need to take, like a sweatshirt and a towel. We do have laundry facilities, and according to our student guide, there are a lot of fun shops and the like in Salvador, so I'm planning on buying more clothes down there as I need them. I can live in tank top dresses and beach skirts.

So, we'll see. If nothing else motivates me, not having to lug 50 lbs through the airport on my own should do the trick ;)

20 days and counting.