Everyone comes with baggage....

No, literally....baggage is the real issue that has been on my mind for the last few days....so much so that I need to vent to someone who isn't my parents or my friends who are traveling with me....because they are all sick of hearing it.

I'm headed to Ireland in March....for 10 days of actual Ireland time and then 2 days of travel.  I have crazy lunatic friends who have all decided that they are going to only carry-on their bags.  I don't know how hip you are with airline rules, but carry-on bags are ridiculously small.  So small in fact that I went against their plans and bought this amazingly huge hiking backpack that I planned on checking in. I knew there was a possibility that it might be misplaced somewhere along the way or miss our flight.  We have a little over an hour in Seattle and a little over an hour in Paris....so there isn't much connection time for my bags to get where they need to go.  But I was ok with that.

Then I looked at my budget for Ireland, and I'm realizing I might not be eating much if I don't get a couple hundred more dollars to cushion myself.  That backpack cost $109.00....now I'm up against a really huge rock and a hard spot.  If I return that sucker....I'm going carry-on only.....and that strikes fear in my heart.  I have been rationalized with the notion that you can pack for 1/2 a week and do laundry. 

a) I hate laundry....why do it on vacation?
b) I hate wearing the same thing twice within a short period of time.
c) I know these two facts make me sound high maintenance, but I can't change them....so judge away!

I am a Level 1 offender for notorious overpacking. When I went on a summer long trip to Tahoe, I ended up packing the most gigantic suitcase you've ever seen in your whole life(so big it wouldn't have been able to fly with me)....plus....another giant suitcase....plus all my bedding....plus another tote bag or two.  Most of my friends only packed one suitcase....which they somehow crammed their bedding into as well.  What the?! 

So, now I need to attempt to cram 10 shirts into my carry-on....mostly because I can wear the same jeans for the whole trip, but the shirts need to be different. There is my concession.  And the only carry-on size backpack that I have is one that I carried to school....so its tiny.  I did a trial run last night...shoved 10 workout t-shirts in (those are the bulkiest shirts I own)....and my backpack was ridiculously packed by the time I got a pair of jeans and sneakers in.  Or my parents have a rolling suitcase......which is almost out of the question.  Pretty sure I'm a mugging waiting to happen rolling my little roller down the streets of Paris during our overnight layover.  And rolling anything brings back nightmares about old people in my classes at Eastern that had rolling backpacks....I know I'm almost 25....but the time has not come for that yet!

So....settled.  I'm returning the backpack, which I love.  Its not worth being $100 short and then possibly having it get lost along the way.  I honestly can't think of anything more stressful and more panic inducing than not having your belongings meet up with you on the other side of the ocean.  I suppose if they are flying in the same cabin as me, I don't have to worry! 

Thank you for taking a little jog through my mind by reading this.....it was pretty unpleasant wasn't it?