Today, I packed my bag.
Or at least I attempted to.
I started by piling the sad pitiful lot that is what's left of my clothes on my bed, then picking up each item and deciding if it was an item I sincerely loved. It was all very zen. Those that did not make the cut were swiftly packed away to be shipped off to Canada with my mum, hopefully to be worn again one day. I felt very proud of myself, a sense of accomplishment at packing my bag an entire month early. That is, until I actually looked over at my bag.
A 40L backpack doesn't actually fit seven months' worth of clothes, imagine that.
My bag was completely overflowing with bikinis, dresses, adorable sweaters and impractical shoes. I had to sit back down on my bed, hard, and reconsider. While I'd been 'packing', I had honestly been considering what was going to look great in photographs of my trip, and less about what is going to be durable and practical over seven continents.
When I moved to Ireland at 18, this was easy. I managed to live for more than a year out of a tiny carry-on suitcase with one pair of shoes. Now I have developed an attachment to my clothing and things and it's hard to narrow down what stays and what goes. The fear of having to carry a ninety-pound bag is the only thing that prevents me from just shoving it all in and praying for the best.
Since I have access to a plethora of resources for this kind of thing, I booted up my laptop and read through all of Jeremy and Angie's packing lists. When I got to Angie's list, I completely balked. One bikini? One, as in singular? I glanced over at the five 'necessary' ones I had haphazardly packed, and slowly removed three, mourning their loss keenly.
And so it continued, as I attempted to emulate the masters of long-term travel. I didn't quite manage to get it to their level of efficiency, but I came as close as I am going to get. I'm sure I will end up sending things home, replacing them or just flat out tossing them as I live and learn on the road, but for the meantime, my bag currently is stocked with the following:
40L Main Bag
- 10 tank tops (yes, it's excessive)
- 2 long-sleeved shirts
- 4 shorts
- 2 pairs of jeans
- 1 -40C fleece sweater
- 2 bathing suits
- 1 long dress
- 3 pairs of shoes
- 5 pairs of socks
- 5 pairs of underwear
- 1 bra
- 1 sports bra
- 1 pair of yoga shorts (will double for my sleep clothes)
- 1 pair of capris
- Sleep sac, toiletries bag, and first-aid kit
In My 15L Day Pack
- Macbook Air
- Nikon D5200 and two lenses
- iPhone, iPad, and iPod shuffle
- Headphones and chargers
- Hero3 GoPro Silver
- Travel notebooks, pen
- Wallet, passports
Amazingly enough, it all fits quite easily in my bag and the weight is manageable despite my small size and dislike of actually putting any effort into things.
I plan to practice walking around the block a few times over the next three weeks with it on my back to build up the necessary muscle and get comfortable with the weight distribution. Hopefully I have everything I need to get me through.
