So the journey begins....

"He who would travel happily must travel light."
- Antoine de Saint Exupery



Haha. RIGHT.

I have come to believe that the true beginning of a journey starts with packing. It didn't seem like a big deal at first: Drag the suitcases down from the attic, fill with clothes and other necessities, zip up. Done. Right?

WRONG. Trying to figure out the most efficient means of preparing myself for the next four(ish) months of my life has turned out to be a rather difficult task. Not only that, but two seasons will pass while I am abroad, meaning that two seasons worth of clothes must be crammed into two suitcases weighing less than 50 pounds each. And since apparently personal hygiene is not high atop the priority list in Europe (a traveling companion informed me that deoderant is certainly not considered a necessity in Europe, therefore, we would all do well to pack extra as it may be difficult/expensive to buy) all my necessary toiletries must also fit into said checked luggage.

Even with this in mind, I still find that the piles continue to grow instead of shrink, but I am fairly confident that no matter what I will make it work! After years of packing suitcases under the supervision of my dad, my packing techniques have prepared me for this journey. (Whoever said to roll your clothes before packing them was a fool, pack them flat!) Don't underestimate my packing abilities, I assure you it WILL all fit! :)