Too Much
In general, this "too much" is a way of life for me and Partner. We joke that we don't know the meaning of the world "moderation." With some things, this creates a very good situation. For example, when we have people over, we like to feed them and drink them until they are satiated. I don't know, maybe you don't think this is a good thing, but we do. But sometimes the too much goodness translates into too much badness. Like when we went to Crate & Barrel the day after Thanksgiving and bought an entertainment armoire, two chairs, one ottoman, a lamp, and a side table. Damn! It looks good-- but damn! Didn't our credit card company just love us? Yet it usually all works out in the end. (Here's one of my favorite life philosophies in action: if you believe you are lucky, you will be lucky. Quite a complicated thought there, you might have to read that theory a few times before it sinks in. Really.)
Notice how "too much" translated to our choice of Private Aggressive Associates for the IUI as the first choice, before El Cheapo Clinco. Too much.
Today's 'too much' in action is a very visible choice, just like the Thanksgiving furniture choices, and it's our packing. I just know that we have packed far too much shit. When I was living in Ireland, and did some traveling around the isle, I was constantly impressed by these European boys carrying a small knapsack, and when I asked how long they'd been on the road, it was usually something crazy, like seven months or twelve years. How did they do that with only a knapsack? My vacation books take up more room than that! Or the guy that I lived with in London,-- when his sister went off to Uni, she took one big duffel bag. That's it. Shit. I wish I could be so Spartan. (Well, no I don't, but for purposes of travel, I do.) See? And it's even too much that I wish myself a personality trait so much in the opposite direction of my true personality.
Still, two rolling bags, a duffel, and two carry-ons for two weeks in Europe? Too much. But absolutely everything I packed is essential, riiiight? Right. Love me or leave me, baby. Love me or leave me.
Notice how "too much" translated to our choice of Private Aggressive Associates for the IUI as the first choice, before El Cheapo Clinco. Too much.
Today's 'too much' in action is a very visible choice, just like the Thanksgiving furniture choices, and it's our packing. I just know that we have packed far too much shit. When I was living in Ireland, and did some traveling around the isle, I was constantly impressed by these European boys carrying a small knapsack, and when I asked how long they'd been on the road, it was usually something crazy, like seven months or twelve years. How did they do that with only a knapsack? My vacation books take up more room than that! Or the guy that I lived with in London,-- when his sister went off to Uni, she took one big duffel bag. That's it. Shit. I wish I could be so Spartan. (Well, no I don't, but for purposes of travel, I do.) See? And it's even too much that I wish myself a personality trait so much in the opposite direction of my true personality.
Still, two rolling bags, a duffel, and two carry-ons for two weeks in Europe? Too much. But absolutely everything I packed is essential, riiiight? Right. Love me or leave me, baby. Love me or leave me.
posted by Katie at 4:00 PM
5 Comments:
Oh I don't know...that doesn't sound too bad. I always bring twice as much as I will probably need. Goes back to the time when I was about nine and my family had a cabin for a weekend in the woods. I fell into a stream and soaked my only pair of jeans. Since then, I am always super prepared. Have a great trip, and tell us all about it from Internet cafes!
Since you gave me the correct terminology I thought you'd appreciate this...Temple Isreal here in Duluth (MN) is the place my sis and I have gone to twice where we discovered our love to be culural Jews...The rabbi is a female and she is a lesbian. How awesome is that!!! Perfect role model for my sis who is a Culural Jewsish-Lesbian ;)
I used to be SUCH a light packer (my UK/Ireland knapsack was about one third the size of the Euro boys'). But babies, man, they need a lot of stuff! I was all about one small rolling carry-on for my two weeks in Europe (assuming my partner would buy me a couple of new things for souveniers). But the baby requires a bag of clothes with an outfit per day + an emergency one or two, a bag of diapering supplies, and a bag of formula cans and bottles and things with which to clean the bottles and possibly (depending on the desitination) even bottled water.
SO I am still wheeling my small carry-on, but then there's the carting of the baby goods.
It's probably the only "lifestyle" change I really resent about mamadom.
Thanks for the wishes, friends. I am worried about babystuff too, S. We have visions of still doing travel with the babe, even internationally, but as I saw all the stroller machinations and the bags and bags of stuff... Who knows... But we managed the luggage, and it was all fine.
If it's any comfort, my partner & I traveled to France for three weeks when our daughter was 10 months old. We traveled a lot overall in her first couple of years, to visit all the relatives. And we *learned* to be light packers. We probably brought about the same amount of stuff total that we had before, it's just that most of it was hers.
It's totally do-able. All part of what my stepmother-in-law calls the Lifetime Self-Improvement Plan of parenthood.
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