Since I leave on Tuesday, I decided to pack today. I blithely thought, This'll maybe take an hour. I'm not slow or stupid. I know what I need. Let's get this done.
Many Meat Loaf songs later, I realized that packing for 5 months in Europe is much more intensive than packing for 10 days in Mexico or a week at band camp. When I thought I had completed my quest, I attempted to lift my suitcase and nearly gave myself a hernia (can that even happen?). I decided it was a bit too heavy, removed two scarves, and dragged it downstairs to the scale.
The beast weighed close to 70 pounds.
Cue the excessive anger. I was annoyed that my hours of work had led to this calamity, and offended that Scandinavian Airlines had a baggage weight limit of 50 pounds. Did they not respect my need for a complete wardrobe?!?
As I reorganized my suitcase, a large fuchsia contraption named Elton, I noticed the heft of one of my new yellow Converse sneakers. Out of curiosity, I dropped it and its mate on the scale, then added another pair.
They totaled about five pounds. Those two pairs plus heels, snow boots, and regular boots added up to about 20 pounds of shoes.
I had found my packing's Kryptonite.
I ended up moving two pairs of shoes to my carry-on bag and ruthlessly eliminating sweaters and perfume from my suitcase, which as of now weighs in at just under 50 pounds. I'm sure when I unpack in Sweden, I'll be dumbfounded by its contents. That, however, is a worry for another day.
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