It’s probably about time that I start packing (or, at least, start thinking about packing). In just a little over a week, I’m heading off to the UK for two weeks in England (ending on my birthday, which I’ll be spending in London) – and, quite honestly, the thought of packing enough stuff and still being able to carry it and move it around from place to place is stressing me out. I’m an obsessive over-packer: if you give me a suitcase, I’ll find a way to squeeze about 80% of my wardrobe in it. (Okay, so that’s a slight exaggeration – but we’re talking ~2 outfits per day of vacation, excluding evening wear.) I imagine every worst-possible-scenario is going to happen and I pack for it: what if I get caught in a downpour and soaked to the bone? what if I spill food on my outfit at every single meal? what if the climate/hotel/restaurant/etc. is unforeseeably hot or cold? The list goes on. Then there’s the whole entertainment situation. I imagine myself reading in cars, on buses, trains, planes, in hotel rooms…and so I pack my current novel and about 2 other (small) books in case I finish the first one (in all actuality, I spend most of my free time napping or staring out the window. Or eating.). And then, I don’t finish any of the books, and I end up lugging around an extra 5 pounds for nothing.
Now that I’m actually going overseas (confession: this is my first time), I really need to pare down my packings so I’m not stuck carting 20 pounds of blouses and cardigans all over England. Hopefully I’ve learned enough from past experiences to be able to determine what I do and don’t need. I made up a general list of my vacation essentials and included it below. I take a second copy of the list on the trip with me and go over it before leaving a hotel to make sure that I re-packed everything I brought with me (is that crazy?).
If you have any packing tips or tricks, please feel free to share!
Additionally, I’m looking for things to do in London – if any of you have been there or have heard of cool things to do, I’d love to hear!
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