Packing

Packing is difficult.


I know anybody who has ever traveled somewhere for longer than two days knows that, but it's especially hard when you're going to be gone for four months. And if your destination has a cooler climate than where you're coming from? Hopeless. I have no clue how many sweaters and jackets I should bring! If I bring too few, I'll wear the same clothes over and over, but if I bring too many, then they're just taking up space in my (already crammed) suitcase.


I could get along perfectly well in an Austin winter with two sweaters, six long-sleeved shirts, and a few hoodies. But Vienna? It actually snows there - more than once every three years. How absurd!

My shirts have made this nice, tall pile in my suitcase. Is this really going to work? I tried out some travel space bags. It's quite impressive when you roll out all the air and everything's all squished in there. That is, until you look at the bag 30 seconds later and notice that the bag has filled with air again and your clothes shifted around and expanded. Spectacular. I can at least use them like giant ziplock bags so I don't have security guards pawing through my underwear.

Actually, I think shirts are all I can handle tonight. I'll try for more (shoes, jammies, socks, etc) later.