Packing Issues

Before I left for girls camp, I drank a cup of Yogi tea. Printed on my tea bag tab were the words, "Live light, travel light, share the light, be the light." It was inspiration in a cup. I thought that was just the answer to my anxiety about packing for my trip to Iowa the day after I got home from girls camp.  I would only bring one suitcase.

I told my dear friend Nicole, who is very thorough and organized, about my stress relieving plan.  She kindly offered to print me off a copy of her packing list, just in case I wanted to use it.  I politely decline having complete faith in my traveling inspiration sent via Egyptian Licorice Tea.

I got home from camp Friday evening and in my half dazed-auto-sleep deprived mode, threw together one suitcase of clothes for all four girls and myself and all the small gifts and trinkies I had been collecting throughout the summer that I wanted to bring for my family.  Last minute I decided to bring out a duffel bag of baby girl clothes for my sister so I didn't have to ship them out when I got back.

Our flight to Iowa didn't leave until Tuesday, but Lars had Scout Camp bright and early Monday morning, so Sunday Lars drove us up to Portland and we stayed with our friends Eric and Angela until Tuesday.

Angela is one of my favorite people.  :)  She asked me why I only had two bags.  I told her I wanted to travel light.  She reminded me that when I go on trips, I usually accumulate more items while I'm there.  I could not disagree.  She suggested that we open my suitcases and repack them using an additional one that she would loan to me.  I was so tired I wanted to curl up in the suitcase and go to sleep, but I did it anyway.  The look on her face was priceless when I started pulling everything out that I had crammed into that one suitcase. 

4 grass skirts and 4 coconut bras-check
plastic flowers to make matching hair clips-check
a peanut butter jar full of sea shells-check
card games-check
1 plastic snake and 4 plastic sharks-check
hair bows for my nieces-check
tuna fish and licorice-check
toothbrushes-check
clothes for Heidi-check
clothes for Emilia-check
clothes for Naomi-um....shirts only
clothes for Leah-...also going without pants
dresses for church-Nada
jeans and sweatshirts for the sweltering Iowa heat-check and double check
jackets -check
stuffed monkeys-two
batman cape-check

I checked three suitcases. 

Apprently "traveling light" has a different meaning if you have children...and sleep.