Packing

Today I leave to attend a professional conference and I spent the weekend mulling over packing. There is this dilemma where they don't make suitcases the right size for my needs. They are either just a titch too big or too small. Also, I no longer have a backpack that also carries a laptop, which is a problem when you have to take a laptop on your travels (most of the time I don't). To make this all even more fun, I carry a DSLR camera, which is an item of luggage in and of itself. considering you have to pay to check bags, and half the time you have to pay to carry on bags, and you only get one personal item*, this becomes hard to afford.

Also, between the laptop, camera, purse, luggage, etc., that is just a lot of baggage to haul around. Plus, I think I always over-pack, which doesn't seem like a big deal, but it just adds to the travel clutter. It makes the suitcase more of a disaster, which drives me nuts. So I am very motivated to pack as lightly as possible.

That being said, I am incredibly proud to announce that I have fit everything for one week of travel (including professional clothing for the conference and recreational clothing for afterwards, and shoes to go along with) into one duffel bag, one laptop bag, and one camera backpack (which is mainly the camera). Which seems like a lot of bags, but considering last year I took an enormous suitcase and backpack and the camera, I'm feeling pretty good.

Another bonus: there's not much room left over, which means I don't have a ton of space for souvenirs, which is a good thing.** That will be nice on my budget, which I need to save for my trip next week to Michigan.

Yay, travel!

*I have issues with this. I can easily fit my camera bag and laptop bag under the seat in front of me, so what is the problem?
**Not that I expect to come home with many souvenirs. Last year, I wound up with a squid hat, a snow globe, two books, and a lot of photos. And while I am going to be in Portland, which I hear has a book store so large you need a map to navigate it, I don't anticipate buying many books. I'm trying to cut back. On buying. Not on reading.