Packing....

I try to live a simplistic lifestyle and for the most part I feel like I do a good job. However when I pack to go on a trip I realize how very non-simplistic I am....IF I packed everything I usually use in one day I would take 2 suite cases and would travel comfortably...That's how we packed last winter for Holiday break. And if you asked me, Curtis or Josh about our packing abilities for that trip we would all tell you we are HORRIBLE packers. Living in China calls for a different style of packing since most of the transportation takes place in tiny cabs, crowded train stations or buses and subways packed to the door with people. We have seen people squeeze onto buses and subways when we thought there was no more room for ANYONE. So carrying two suite cases while traveling in China just isn't possible, if you want to enjoy your vacation.

For this trip Curtis and I are each going to take a backpack. I am taking my backpacking backpack and Curtis is taking his new rather large backpack. We were able to get plane tickets at a cheaper price than train tickets to Xi'an so we will check my backpack once at the airport. I think we did a good job of packing for this trip. Thank goodness its only 5 days. After this trip we are headed to the north, so this will be a good trial at how well we survive on so little. We are only bringing extra pairs of underwear, socks and one other shirt, plus pj's. We might be stinky but at least the backpacks will be light!!!

But back to my simplicity packing. I usually start a day before the trip (if its a short one). Curtis (who only takes 7 mintues to pack) always jokes with me that I should start a week before. This is because I go through about 5 rounds of packing. The first time is in my head. I think about the days and what we could possibly do and all the things I should bring for those possibilities. Then I actually start laying clothes out on the bed, only to realize how much I like most of the clothes in my closet and would feel bad if I left some of them behind, so I throw those in with the already preplanned clothes. Then i stuff it all into my bag and realize its WAY to much...so I take it all out and go through it again. 4 piles - definitely going to take, definitely not going to take, take if there is enough room, and don't take if there isn't enough room. Anyways this process going on for awhile. Then I sleep on it, thinking about my choices while falling asleep and usually while I'm lying in bed trying to wake up. During the sleeping process my mind usually changes drastically and i switch a lot of things out. Then I leave it and go do other things. Come back and so on and so forth. Usually the clothes I think about in the very first step end up being the ones I take. But I can't help myself in going through the other 24 hours of the process. And you would think, with all of the traveling I do it would be really easy to pack. Well now that you've seen into my mind a little, you understand the complexity of packing...

I'll let you know how the choices turned out....Off to Beijing now!!