Friday, July 2, 2010

confessions of a last minute packer

I asked Ambre to write a little guest blog in honor of my trip to Boston. Unlike some people, coughAlicough, she delivered. And it's so great, you will enjoy it. Ambre is an expert in traveling. 

By the time you read this I'll be in Boston. Try to go on with your lives. I'll be back with obnoxious pictures of Man-D, Alison and I doing Boston things. Things you'll be jealous of like seeing a Red Sox game and watching fireworks in the city where freedom was born. And now I've correctly illustrated just how different Am and I are because she would have said something nice about her trip and how she'd miss you all or something and I just come across as an arrogant jerk. But that's part of my charm!

Without furter ado, here is Ambre's completely awesome packing tips. 

So my dear friend EvY is soon on her way to Boston, and was generous enough to ask me to guest blog for her in the travel vein- a blog on packing.  I was flattered, and began thinking about what wisdom I might impart, from my travels and time living abroad.  I thought about packing tips like saving time at the carousel by packing in anything BUT a black rolling back, or saving space by rolling clothes instead of folding, or how keeping a spare set of duds and toothbrush in your carry-makes all the difference when you’re stranded. 

And then, just as I started to feel like quite the travel expert, the thought struck me that my upcoming trip to Guatemala is less than 24 hours away and I have yet to even begin packing!  How ridiculous it is that I should give any packing advice at all, as I am quite possibly the world’s most last-minute packer!

This has in fact, been my pattern for some time now.  Our friend Michelle would often point out how at the end of each school year in the dorms most everyone else would be cleared out for the Summer, and I would have yet to have begun filling the first box.

(insert picture of me holding box, packing up on HUOD?  I’m visualizing a picture from soph. year, but I can’t find it and neither can EvY)

So why am I such a last-minute packer? All I can say is I continue to pack at the very last minute is simply because I can! 

And what enables me to pack in the blink of an eye?  I shouldn’t tell you, because you may also torture your friends and family with the stress of your last-minute packing endeavors.  But if you want to come over to the dark side and join the ranks of the professional procrastinators, I will let you in on my very simple secret.

The List.
Without a doubt, the key to quick and successful packing is having a kick-butt list of what to bring.  It takes nearly all the stress and brain power out of wondering if you packed the right things, or are forgetting something essential.  There are packing lists all over the web (http://upl.codeq.info/ ) that you can adapt to the length of your stay, weather, and any special events or activities. For each trip, I simply check off the items I will need to bring, from travel documents to leisure reading to hospitality gifts.  I know that as I long as I pack what’s on my list, I will always be good.

So, make yourself a list.  Save it on your computer, and see if it doesn’t cut your packing time in half- and make you feel more prepared than even a boy scout.

-Ambre

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