Packing

I pretend to be pragmatic.

I talk of minimalism and striving to live within my means. Currently my means are a mere 20 kilos (as stipulated by the airline) and I'm discovering I'm hardly minimalistic, in fact I'm meticulously materialistic. My backpack is wonderful rotund and joyously plump with excessive possessions - terrible euphemisms and excuses for my inability to cull my wardrobe.

Unfortunately I'm a sucker for prints and colour.

The other emily

I've been following The Other Emily for a while now, I find it so reassuring that someone on the road can manage to concoct incredibly stylish ensembles.

But it also sets the bar high - I caved and bought a polar fleece jacket, despite declaring I would only clad myself in stylish clothes and fabrics. But I panicked at my luggage limit and grabbed the fleecy. The trademark of 'intrepid' travellers worldwide, not the uber chic. Perhaps I'm just too pragmatic? [insert: neurotic]

Keeper of the list

I've been a little light handed with blog posts of late. I've been hitting the straps and trying to whip through my to-do list, at last count I have only 11 days to go.

I've been quite successful with some parts of my list, namely socialising, eating butter, gossiping with gaggles of friends, spending money, writing, trying on shoes, selecting books to read, downloading podcasts, watching crap telly with my Mum and trying out a Zumba DVD.

I've been rather too successful at ignoring the less than savoury elements of the list - travel insurance, exchanging cash, find an international sim card, talking to the bank, submitting visa applications, culling through my clothes to prep for packing.

Actually I'm starting to panic with the things I need to do.

Yet I'm not panicked into action. I know I'll regret this in a week's time. But it's so much more enjoyable to sip on free-trade coffee beans and watch Barry Otto mime "Light All My Lights" whilst swinging his hips and twinkling his toes.

I can't wait to hear more music from Seeker Lover Keeper, I also can't wait to get through this bloody 'to-do' list, so it's off to the bank I go.

Challenge accepted

My departure date is slowly inching closer and I’ve been busier than a bower bird, bringing shinny new things back to nest – I’ve got my tent, sleeping mat, pillow, sleeping bag and will soon buy lots of fancy water purifying gadgets.

The trek company stipulate that backpacks can’t be bigger than 80L. They have helpfully provided gives a “rough” guideline of what to bring along: 3 pairs of socks, 3 t-shirts, 2 pairs of pants, 2 pairs of shorts and a swimming costume. Oh and a hat.

I usually bring that much for a day trip to the beach, let alone a six month expedition around the world.

I’ve got the feeling that they are hoping that the list will shock everyone to err on the side of under-packing, so the truck isn’t bogged down before it crosses the English Channel.

I know it’s probably the clever thing to purchase pants that do everything but wipe your arse or the coat that is designed to roll up into the size of a postage stamp and ward off bears. But adventure clothes are in equal parts fantastically clever and often specularly ugly. I like to envision myself in an eclectic array of ensembles whilst sniffing my way through spice bazaars, marvelling at the Ajanta Caves sculptures or ambling through Nepal’s Royal Chitwan National Park.

[Travel chic]

[style]

I know that travelling is more than a fashion parade and I’ve done a fair amount of roughing it. But I’ve also got albums full of photos which seem just like one long (action packed) day trip, as I’m wearing the same jacket and jeans in every photo. So this time around I want options and I'm starting to see the packing guidelines as a challenge. Sure it will probably leave me with a crippled back from lugging around a backpack around full of inappropriate travel clothes. But heck, it would be nice to feel pretty as I swan through Beijing’s Temple of Heaven.

[image via: Lucky pony]