Sunday, June 29, 2008

Packing My Life Into 80 Pounds






















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Well, as you can imagine, packing up my life for twenty-seven months was a bit of a challenge. Thank you to my family for allowing me to make such a mess of the living room, as you can see in the first photo. And thanks, mom, for packing up a little more after I left.
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Eventually, I fit everything into two suitcases, a school-sized backpack, and a laptop bag. I was allowed to check eighty pounds, and I think I managed to pack about seventy pounds into my checked bags. But that means that I loaded my carry-ons with heavy books and electronics. My shoulders are paying for it.
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The books I packed
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Yoga book
An ESL teaching book
A couple journals
Three Buddhist books
Pride and Prejudice
The Poems of Emily Dickinson
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The weirdest thing I packed
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A portable, metal fork/spoon/chopstick set (it's awesome!)
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What I wish I had packed
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My yoga mat
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One guy from my group packed his mat. He said that he had a made a commitment to himself to bring it. I tried to fit my mat it, but it just didn't work. Maybe I'm not as committed.
Packing has been an interesting experience. It told me a lot about myself, primarily that I love, love, love my shoes and clothes! I'm more shallow than I thought! :)
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Love you all, Jennifer

8 comments:

Vanity Cosmetics said...

Loved reading the update! Please keep blogging so we can follow your journey!

Hope your flight goes well today.

Connie said...

Wow! I can't believe you were able to get all that stuff in your bags! This blog thing is pretty cool! Like N said, keep on blogging!

As I sit here and type this, you are somewhere over the sea on the way to China. Crazy!!! Hope you get plenty of sleep on the plane today!

jen D said...

You are amazing. keep blogging.

Sherri said...

I don't see the huge, silver suitcase that I had to carry up many flights of stairs in Paris for you :) I guess it would have easily busted the 80 lbs limit.
Have fun and keep up the blog.

Anna said...

Don't worry about your shoes, Jen. Connie and I are loving them for you. ;)

Cindy said...

I pulled two of those suitcases a short distance and am glad that it isn't me that has to carry around the rest...what I learned about myself is that I could not fit 27 months of my life into 80 pounds...I am SO proud of you and so sad that I don't wear the same size shoe!!!!! Love ya Jen

sayuri said...

Hey Hey Hey!!!! Loving your shoes does not and I repeat does not make you shallow...lol anways this thing is great continue to blog and just have fun Jen!!!

Always Dee ^_~ Mwah!!!

KRussell said...

What! you've left for China already when did that happen? :-)
Awesome can't wait for more to come.