And I feel like I just got home

Take-off is now less than a week away... YAHHHYIKES! :D What happened to the month of July?!? Time never passes quite as I want it - seems to speed up just when I'm in a "woah there, back it up, Bessie!" mode. (Yeah, I don't know where the whole "Bessie" came from either...) OR time seems to absolutely c-r-a-a-a-w-l when I'm quite ready to zip forward. oh well :) LIFE.

I have officially finished packing. DONE. Indeed, I feel very accomplished :) Unfortunately, I wasn't able to make everything squeeze into two suitcases, but I do have it finally down to three lovely 50lb pieces. Don't be fooled; I also have a bulging carry-on piece and "purse."

This packing experience has been quite an ordeal. I've realize just how scarily optimistic I can be. In my delusional mind, there were certain items that would all fit very nicely into two suitcases, maybe the additional third for luxury extras. But in fact, when it finally came to putting all said items into the suitcases, I ended up with three extremely full suitcases... and four additional boxes of items that I once thought would fit! Perhaps in actuality its my spatial reasoning that's lacking but clearly, I was absurdly optimistic in the mental packing.

Another delightful scene is in the weighing process: 50 pounds go really fast! I was using a simple bathroom scale; of course, once you put the suitcase on top of it, you could no longer read the numbers. So, I had to weigh myself and then weigh myself again holding the suitcase. It was probably not the most optimal and accurate reading, but I'm hoping for the best! Interestingly, sometimes when I would lean slightly off to the side, the numbers would fluctuate on the screen. Usually I assumed it was the lowest of the weights and called it good to go! :D

Then of course, there was the decision making. Oh boy, what fun! Decisions between perhaps 2-3 items that were smaller in size versus one larger item? Decisions between a heavier item and 2-3 lighter items? Decisions between equally sized objects of differing weights? Decisions between equally weighted objects of differing size? Decisions between how many times I might use one item within a week versus another item that could have vital importance for just that one occasion? Yeah... fun stuff.

All in all, DONE. ahhhh...