27 Days

As with my attempt the previous day to see if I could conform to the travel standards set by the TSA, today I set out to practice packing my suitcase with a month's worth of clothing and other items I would need.

This is the list that we were given by the university that we are supposed to follow fairly faithfully:

*2-3 pair of troussers or pants (no jeans. but i packed one anyway)

*6 shirts or blouses

*6 pair of socks

*6 pair of undergarments

*1 lightweight jacket

*1 lightweight sweater (optional)

*1 skirt

*1 pair of dress shoes

*1 pair of walking shoes

*1 wash cloth (since many hotels will not offer them)

*1 umbrella or cap

I know this does not sound like a lot, but think about the size of suitcase that I'm allowed to use as well. I am not allowed to check any luggage so the only size I can take is the small carry-on suitcases that have to fit into overhead bins on the plane. (So small, really small!)

Anyway, I thought it would be a good idea to see if I could put the small list together into my suitcase, just in case I need to tweak or rethink some of the items I had selected. The first go around wasn't very successful. Someone had told me to roll of of my items to help reduce the bulk. Not a good idea! Rolling the clothing seemed to make them more bulky and I wasn't even able to get them all into the suitcase. Second go around was a success! I laid everythink out as flat as possible and layered the suitcase. I was excited to find that there was still room left over. I AM AN AWESOME PACKER!! (I honestly don't have an ego, its just nice to hear yourself say something nice about yourself)

Maybe, this trip won't be as trying considering I'll be missing my whole closet when I leave, but I know I won't miss it when I'm lugging my stuff around! There is wisdom in packing light!