Packing Is an Art

So, I knew I had a lot of stuff, but really! Packing it has trimmed it down a lot. Especially as I keep downsizing in bag size to fit into the baggage requirments. I have a large pack (the REI Mars - small size), a medium-sized rolly suitcase, a carry-on backpack, plus a carefully stuffed bike helmet with my toiletries (really just tons of floss, a hairbrush, and a small tube of toothpaste). Against many recommendations, I've gone with the rolly suitcase because of its hard frame so I can put my heavier stuff inside for the plane flights and not worry about it bursting out from poor manhandling (one of my bigger fears because of recent experiences). In a land of unpaved roads, I know the wheels won't survive, but I have a plan involving duct tape and swapping the contents of my pack and my suitcase.

I'm sure a lot of you are wondering what I've packed:

- Clothes (less and less with each down-size)
- Lots of underwear
- 1 hat
- 2 pairs of sandals, my cheapy Nike Frees (already sporting duct tape courtesy of my orthotics), pair of not-terrific sneakers, and my orthotics
- Linens, laundry bag, work gloves
- Sharp pointy objects
- Bright shining objects (of battery-powered and hand-crank variety)
- Camera/Laptop/iPod/calculator/associated electronics junk
- A power inverter/assorted cables
- A big, fluffy sleeping bag (and also the bane of stuffing into my luggage, but I really didn't want to buy a thermarest or a new one that was a smaller stuffsize)
- A sleeping bag liner
- Toiletries in liquid and (mostly) bar form (including the shampoo, I'll let you think about that)
- Cooking utensils (minus the frying pan, that's either being shipped or I will attempt to bargain it off of a PCV who's on their way out)
- A screen tent (the Bug Hut II from REI)
- Some canvases and business cards for painting
- Paintbrushes, art pens
- Stationery and writing utensils
- My flattened basketball and a tire/basketball pump
- Lots of ziploc bags...

Things I had to take out...

- Clothes
- My acrylics. They were about five pounds worth... actually... now that I think about it I think I've downsized enough to repack them... I may actually bring them after all... and not have to have them sent
- The frying pan
- Books, lots of books
- My yoga ball + pump
- Tupperware

Why did I...

- Choose the basketball over the yoga ball... I love basketball, end of question.
- Bring the paintbrushes if I'm not bringing the paint... I have hope... and maybe I'll be able to squeeze a few bottles in.

Well, it's lunch time... maybe I will try to rearrange some more and downsize a little bit more so I can fit in my paints. That would make me very happy.