Pack mule, pumpkins

Although I consider myself a relatively seasoned traveler, I’ve never mastered the art of packing.  Depending on my mood right before the trip, I either woefully underpack, telling myself it’s perfectly fine to wear the same sweater for an entire week or I end up lugging a suitcase filled with ridiculous just-in-case items and four potential outfits for every possible type of weather. 

I wish I find some sort of a balance, and before every trip I tell myself that this is going to be the time I get it right.  But instead, I found myself on a train to Boston on Friday with the following items in my suitcase:

• Five (5) books.  Two were being returned to NPW, so I guess effectively I only brought three books with me. Three books for one weekend it totally acceptable. I was halfway through one when I left, so I definitely needed a backup. And what if I didn’t like the backup?
• One (1) Laptop, whose only use was to type up a draft of the post you're reading now. Theoretically, I could have found somewhere with internet at some point and… done work? Checked my email? I am not really sure.
• Two (2) DVDs, which I brought just in case the backup book and the backup’s backup both end up sucking. Plus, the DVDs justified the bringing of the laptop.   I watched neither. 
• Two (2) faux-down coats. OK, a coat was actually a smart move since it’s October and it was Boston and it was SNOWING on Friday, but I probably could have gotten away with just the puffy faux-down coat and left the puffy faux-down vest at home.
• Three (3) pairs of shoes. I actually wore two of the three, so I guess that's actually  not bad. 
• One (1) flat iron, which I have used approximately five times in my entire life and did not use on this trip.
• One (1) hat, in case my hair still looked bad after flat-ironing, I guess.
• Enough travel-sized toiletries to last me a month

If I had to choose one packing personality for the rest of my life, it’d surely be The Underpacker.  At least when I underpack, it makes my return home that much sweeter.  My moisturizer!  My pajamas!  A clean pair of socks!  My toothbrush charger!  They all seem so novel and wondrous.  But if I’m in an overpacking mood right before the trip, I just can’t talk myself out of packing twelve of everything.  I mean, I wouldn’t want NPW to think I’m lame and gross because I wear the same sweater two days in a row! I wouldn’t want to be stuck without a cute pair of shoes if Joel and I are on vacation and decide to go out a fancy dinner! And certainly I need to bring a hairdryer, two hairbrushes AND my flatiron just in case.

I’m thinking of trying out the idea of a packing list for my next trip to see if that helps, but somehow I doubt it.  I think this is just one of those ingrained personality traits, like always being anxious about missing a flight or train.  I mean, if packing and traveling were too easy, there’d be no beauty in coming home.

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So, speaking of Boston, it's lovely!  And so are NPW, Heidi and Janssen and Bart, who I traipsed around New England with this weekend.  I've had the pleasure of meeting both NPW and Heidi before, and Janssen and Bart were exactly as I'd picture them (except Janssen talks faster than I'd imagined.  It's funny what ends up fitting your mental image of someone and what doesn't, isn't it?  I certainly never sat around postulating about the speed of Janssen's speech, but that's what struck me at first.  Heidi tells me that she thinks NPW and I both have accents.  I agree that NPW has an adorable accent when she says "about", but I didn't think Heidi had one at all.  And clearly, I don't have an accent.)  We went on the world's worst ghost tour, which was so bad it was hilarious, we saw the 25,000 pumpkins at the World's Largest Pumpkin Festival, we gossiped and twittered like the nerd maniacs we are.  It almost made me want to move to Boston, except for the whole IT'S REALLY COLD THERE part. 

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Some of my favorite photos from the weekend:

NPW "participating" in our "interactive" "ghost hunt" in Salem, MA.  

Keene Pumpkin Festival in Keene, New Hampshire

 

Best pumpkin there, hands down.

I respect their creativity, even if I don't agree with their lifestyle choices.

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Instead of me moving to Boston, I think instead we should all just pick up and move somewhere more temperate.  Like, say, Hawaii. 

Comments

[heidikins]

Boston/New England Weekends are the New Awesome. It was so fun to hang out with you!! Even if the "Ghost Tour" was laaaame. :o)

xox

[nancypearlwannabe]

Ha! I literally had to participate in the ghost tour. For about 12 seconds. With no interaction whatsoever.

In any case, I am down for moving to Hawaii with you ladies. We can gossip to our hearts content with a rum-type drink in a coconut, surrounded by palm trees, instead of a pumpkin beer on a freezing patio in NH.

So glad you came to visit!

[Janssen]

I love what you said about me talking fast - it's true. (I had a kid raise his hand the other day and say "Um, can you read slower?").

And I know what you mean about it being different than you imagined. When I met Kayla, I was like "but your voice is so much higher than I imagined!"

[Frema]

A ghost tour in Salem, MA, was bad? I wouldn't think that could be possible.

I am hella jealous of your New England weekend. I have long harbored fantasies of spending time near Boston. Luke and I hope to scrape up some money for a getaway there sometime next year.

[RA]

GAH, so jealous! Pumpkin festivals are my dream fall activity. Boo. I do love that caterpillar guy. I'm glad you all had fun!

[Kristan]

"At least when I underpack, it makes my return home that much sweeter. My moisturizer! My pajamas! A clean pair of socks!"

Lol! Kinda funny because my boyfriend and I just finished packing for a trip to Ireland, and it always amazes me that I pack lighter than anyone else I know. 1 roller carry on and 1 (not even full) backpack. And I never start packing more than a night or two before. Am I defective??

In unrelated news, omg wow those are some great pumpkin pics!

[Ashley, the Accidental Olympian]

The tower of pumpkins is seriously IMPRESSIVE! I am going to hunt down a Northwest pumpkin festival because that was too adorable! Great pictures.