Packing...a Form of Torture.

The countdown till the day I leave for Spain is down to only 3 days! I can't believe it's almost here already...especially since I have been procrastinating packing like it's my job. I finally sat down a couple days ago to begin conquering the beast, but all I could make myself do was start a list of everything I needed. I was completely overwhelmed by the thought of fitting enough clothes/shoes/accessories for 5 months into one big suitcase and one small carry on bag. I am a notorious over-packer and the 50lb weight limit is so unforgiving.
Yesterday I forced myself to start the packing I had been dreading for weeks. I decided that packing is officially a form of torture. Looking into your closet and trying to decide what to bring and what not to bring is like a nasty little game of favorites. I love ALL of my clothes and shoes and jewelry! I don't want the ones left behind to think I don't love them! What if I come back and they are no longer in style?!
Once I got over that little emotional moment, I started to pull things from my closet and basically my bed turned into a heaping pile of clothing. The list I made the other day helped get my packing in order a lot. I found it was helpful to categorize the list into sections such as clothes, shoes, medical, travel documents, toiletries, etc. so it wasn't as overwhelming.

Here is a picture of the clothes I finally decided on, all piled into different categories on my bed. If you want a copy of my packing list for a trip you are going on, just email me at krysiewicz@mail.bradley.edu and I'll happily send it!

After a long afternoon of decisions, I finished my "dry run" of packing. In the past, I've found it's helpful to put everything you plan to pack in your suitcase a few days ahead of time to see how much can fit and weigh it with a luggage scale so you know if you have any extra room, and then take them out to hang up until the night before. I'm proud to say my suitcase (as of now) only weighs 35lbs! I'll probably try to leave some extra room for purchases too.

If you're interested, I'm adding a list of some packing tips I learned and things I've used this time and in the past to make packing easier and less like a form of torture.
1. Make a list! It helps to think of as many things ahead of time that you might need so you don't forget when packing.
2. Try to bring clothing items that you can wear with multiple outfits and with different scarves and accessories.
3. It's best to bring clothes that are low-maintenence: i.e. clothes that won't get really wrinkled or don't have difficult washing instructions.
4. Some clothes can be 'vaccuum-sealed' into gallon-sized ziploc bags, but for the most part, rolling your clothes makes them fit best.
5. Carry-on bags don't have weight limits like checked luggage does, so heavier things can be put in your carry on bag if you are worried about surpassing the weight limit.
6. Put your shoes in bags (or disposable shower caps!) to keep them from getting clothing dirty. Bring several extra bags as well. Plastic bags from the grocery store are perfect!
7. Stuff whatever you can inside shoes-socks, belts, snacks, whatever will fit.
8. Make sure to put at least 2 extra outfits and things you'll need to easily access in your carry on bag. If your luggage gets lost, at least you'll have some clothes with you!