the art of packing
before i post the essay: welcome! this is the first essay that i have written in south africa. it's in its roughest form and has not been edited at all. let me also say that one thing I really want to achieve through posting these essays for critique is establishing my own voice in a way that it is readily apparent to my readers. kim: that means i want to sound like me. I also would really like feedback on my flow. These are two things that I traditionally need the most work on in my essays. and i think it probably needs some more substance, it's really short.
as an introduction to this first essay, let me just say that i came up with the idea, sat down in my kitchen, and wrote it. there wasn't any conscious thought process going on, i just let the words come. so, please read the essay and post comments! i hope you enjoy it!
I am a notorious over-packer, especially when it comes to accessories. I have been known to travel with an entire carry-on rolling suitcase full of jewelry. If someone tells me I will only need two pairs of shoes for a weekend trip, I will tell them that they are crazy. I mean, what if I decide to go for a hike, followed by clubbing? That’s two pairs right there, and that doesn’t even factor in shopping shoes. Naturally, I will also need jewelry to accompany any of these outfits. I am also a sorority girl, which means I always have to pack my pumps, my pearls and my business casual. Since this is not the way I normally dress, that means a lot of extra “sorority” clothes.
However, for my 5 month trip to Cape Town, South Africa I was determined to only bring one suitcase, a carry-on and a purse. The rationale for this was that since I knew I would buy enough jewelry to fill a suitcase, I would account for that and save room. So I decided that there was no way I’d bring any of my sorority clothes to Africa. How could I possibly need pumps or pearls or anything remotely resembling business casual? By cutting out this section of my wardrobe (and by leaving lots of my favorite accessories behind) I managed to leave for Africa with room to spare in my suitcase. This was a phenomenal feat and I was extremely proud of myself. I knew that I was leaving for Africa a different person; a person free of clutter, a person prepared for some serious shopping, a person who could manage to line-dry her clothes.
Upon arrival I was shocked to learn that I had actually brought less than most of the girls in my study program. Actually, they were the ones who were really shocked. “Kerry, your suitcase isn’t even full!” was a common refrain for the first couple days. The first day we went for a hike. I didn’t have hiking shoes, or clothes for that matter. Afterwards it was decided that we should go to the clubs for our first night. Digging through my suitcase I realized I didn’t have any clubbing clothes either, and I certainly didn’t have any clubbing shoes. Watching my roommate dig through her suitcase I wondered what she had brought that was club appropriate. She pulled out her pumps. And her pearls. Turns out she was a sorority girl too.
as an introduction to this first essay, let me just say that i came up with the idea, sat down in my kitchen, and wrote it. there wasn't any conscious thought process going on, i just let the words come. so, please read the essay and post comments! i hope you enjoy it!
I am a notorious over-packer, especially when it comes to accessories. I have been known to travel with an entire carry-on rolling suitcase full of jewelry. If someone tells me I will only need two pairs of shoes for a weekend trip, I will tell them that they are crazy. I mean, what if I decide to go for a hike, followed by clubbing? That’s two pairs right there, and that doesn’t even factor in shopping shoes. Naturally, I will also need jewelry to accompany any of these outfits. I am also a sorority girl, which means I always have to pack my pumps, my pearls and my business casual. Since this is not the way I normally dress, that means a lot of extra “sorority” clothes.
However, for my 5 month trip to Cape Town, South Africa I was determined to only bring one suitcase, a carry-on and a purse. The rationale for this was that since I knew I would buy enough jewelry to fill a suitcase, I would account for that and save room. So I decided that there was no way I’d bring any of my sorority clothes to Africa. How could I possibly need pumps or pearls or anything remotely resembling business casual? By cutting out this section of my wardrobe (and by leaving lots of my favorite accessories behind) I managed to leave for Africa with room to spare in my suitcase. This was a phenomenal feat and I was extremely proud of myself. I knew that I was leaving for Africa a different person; a person free of clutter, a person prepared for some serious shopping, a person who could manage to line-dry her clothes.
Upon arrival I was shocked to learn that I had actually brought less than most of the girls in my study program. Actually, they were the ones who were really shocked. “Kerry, your suitcase isn’t even full!” was a common refrain for the first couple days. The first day we went for a hike. I didn’t have hiking shoes, or clothes for that matter. Afterwards it was decided that we should go to the clubs for our first night. Digging through my suitcase I realized I didn’t have any clubbing clothes either, and I certainly didn’t have any clubbing shoes. Watching my roommate dig through her suitcase I wondered what she had brought that was club appropriate. She pulled out her pumps. And her pearls. Turns out she was a sorority girl too.
posted by kerry @ 4:14 AM
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