Packing

I thought I'd begin my blog documenting the essential pre-trip preparation: packing. I began today and as I will be gone for four months, it was no small task but. I know some people consider packing to be just a big chore, but I was just having SO MUCH FUN! LOOK!

Unfortunately, I got about half-way through and I ran out of room. I didn't know what to do! I just couldn't do without all ten of those pairs of jeans, my pillow, my teddy bear I got for my seventh birthday, my poster of the Constitution and my unicycle! CRISIS! 

Just then, my mom came in and surprised me with a new suitcase! It's just beautiful and now I can fit 

everything I need!

And the best part is it can do THIS 

Ha. I wish. 

Unfortunately, when I finally get everything in my suitcase and attempt to zip it, it will probably look more like this:

But I must say that I did enjoy the bit of packing I did today. Of course I don't leave for nine more days and packing anything at this point is probably rather pointless, because I will probably end up with so much junk that I will be forced to unpack and repack several times, but I still wanted to get started. 

        For some reason whenever I take a trip I never really feel like I'm leaving until I pack, which usually ends up being the night before I leave. My room always begins a huge cluttered disaster and always ends with an empty closet, a clean white carpet, and a full suitcase. Maybe its just the neatness that pleases me, but I think it's more the feeling that the abstract trip I've been talking about, this space of x number of days where I won't exist in the daily routine I'm used to, is about to happen. Silly, but true. 

         I invite each and every one of you to join me on my adventures in Paris and beyond. Of course, I wish I could take all of you with me, but hopefully this will allow you to join me and understand everything a little better than the watered down three sentence explanation I will inevitably give when I return. And of course I would LOVE to hear about you and all your adventures wherever you are, so send me an email if I don't get to you first.

Until next time...