Packing It In!

I'm packing it in.   I am a terrible packer.  I travel often and one would think I would be getting pretty good at packing but I'm not.  Really, really not.  I've even watched Youtube videos on packing thinking I just need a system ....but they haven't helped.  I just find myself hating those packing "know-it-alls."  They are not only good packers with a system but then they went and made a video about it too!  When it comes to packing, what I am is a good Packer fan!  Yeah! That is what I am.  Go Green BayPackers!   

A few years ago I was at a friends house where I was going to watch their kids for a bit when they went to Romania and India for a few weeks.  My friend was living with stage 4 cancer, but was feeling pretty good and really wanted to go to India to see her husband receive his honorary doctorate.  We spent the day I arrived visiting and going over the routines and routes I was going to need to keep the balls juggled while they were gone.  When it was getting late and we had been visiting for a long time she announced to me she had better go upstairs.  I said, "sure it's late, you have an early start tomorrow." I was thinking she was heading up to go to bed.  But no.  She was going up to PACK!  For a two week trip she was starting at bedtime.  The craziest part of all was she came downstairs about ten minutes later all packed!  Not only was she packed but it was in a little duffle and she left room inside of that duffle for gifts!  I had her show me what she packed.  Yup.  She did it.  I have pretty much resigned myself to defeat ever since that experience.  

Anyway, here I am five hours from the time I need to wake up to start this long journey and I am still packing.  Things are more interesting when packing a hundred pounds of supplies to bring to another country. My friend Cathy who travels to Columbia once a year to do medical work sent me these awesome bags.  You have probably seen infomercials on them.  I did and ignored them. I thought it was just one more thing to pass by in the impulse aisle at Walgreens.  But they really work.  Fill the bag, attach the vacuum and wallah!  Shrink wrapped stuff.  Once in the suitcase I discovered everything took up much less room....but it still weighed a ton.  So then I got to unpack, weigh, repack, weigh, pack again.  You get the picture.

Well.  I'm calling it "almost" done.  And I will sort the rest out in the car as we start the six hour drive to the airport to begin our travels.  Africa and Ethiopia here we go!  

All these photos are of things I am bringing to give away.  My clothes are in a small carryon :) and I probably have more than I need in there. But  my backpack looks like a small college dorm fridge with about as many snacks.....but no liquids....how the airline frowns on those liquids.  

                                Tomorrow begins a long day of travel........and will end sometime here.......