No such thing as too many pairs of shoes....

Hello. My name is Grace Larson, and I am an over-packer.

It’s a condition I’ve been living with my whole life. Anyone who has traveled with me knows this already. Going on a three day trip? I pack for ten days. As a worrier with packrat genes, it’s kind of the perfect storm for wanting to bring everything I own with me every time I travel. I have a strong urge to be over-prepared for every possible situation, and an unstoppable biological anxiety that drives it. What if it rains? What if it’s cold? What if the hotel has a pool? What if I need band-aids, or a travel sewing kit, or extra batteries, or a wine corkscrew??

My "maybe" pile has gotten pretty big.

The fact that I have an interest in fashion only compounds the matter. I have not yet mastered the art of buying basics that can be mixed and matched, so my wardrobe is very outfit-based. These shoes can go with these jeans but not that dress. This cardigan looks great with this tank top but not that shirt. Et cetera. This sets up unfavorable odds for packing lightly. I might have made some progress un-doing this bad habit, but when I was about 12 I learned the Rick Steves-approved method of rolling (come on, folding is so “free-checked-bag” ago), and instead I found a new way to shove even more things into my suitcase. I’m more or less a professional at it now.

Rolled, not folded.

This trip, however, was going to be my greatest challenge yet. Three months abroad, ten countries, vastly different climates, countless planes, trains, & automobiles. Traveling in a new country – without knowing the language – while jetlagged – is stressful enough, without schlepping around half your bodyweight in high-waisted shorts and open-toed flats. So this trip was going to be different. I had a lot further to travel and no family members to discard overflow items onto. I was going to be a practical, resourceful traveler that wears zip-offs (shorts and pants in one!) and Merils (comfortable and sturdy). I was going to make Rick Steves proud.

…….

I'm a visual learner, and a visual packer.

I tried really hard, I did. I carefully belabored over my outfits. I created a flow chart. I packed and unpacked and packed again. I was making progress, and eliminating redundancy and bulk…. And then I discovered air-tight travel bags…. And suddenly I can fit that extra skirt and another button-up. It was a slippery slope that landed me back at square one, and I shamefully indulged.