How on earth...

...do I fit all of this into one bag?!

I leave to go travelling tomorrow (the countdown is finally over!) and, true to form, I've left everything until the last minute. My first trial pack was done this afternoon, and I'm about to pack for real (hopefully!). I've since added some stuff... so I'm just hoping that it all fits in. I considered cheating and wearing all of my bulky items on the plane, but figured that's not going to serve me well when I'm trapsing through Tokyo in shorts, vest and sandals, with everything else on my back... so I've got to pack properly. Oh dear.

It's 4.45am and I've still got a few hours of work to do, including moving money to various bank accounts, sorting out my ipod, and packing all of my other belongings into mum's attic room. I leave home in 7.5 hours, and I need to fit in some sleep before then too. Nothing like leaving everything 'til the last minute, hey?! But then... how could anyone expect anything else from me?! ;)


I know that I'm breaking a major rule of backpacking, and ignoring the well-meant advice of family and friends but... I'm taking a pair of high heels. I love shoes, I truly do - so the thought of not having any for 2 - 3 years makes me very sad indeed! I know I could buy them later if I decide that I want them, but that costs money, and when I've got so many shoes already, I might as well take some! Hey - I can always send them home if I'm proved wrong...

So now I'm going to attempt to pack. Wish me luck... heavy things in the middle. Right... let's go.

Haha!! Not a chance. I've reached the top of the bag and still have all of this left to pack:

Maybe I was a bit too cocky thinking I could take high heels...

Moving onto attempt number two...

Oh god. This is actually impossible. What can I take out now?? I can't fit my high heels in... nooooo! Or my hiking boots (but then again, I do have walking trainers & walking sandals - are they overkill anyway?). Or several other bits of essential kit! And I have to re-pack this EVERY TIME I MOVE HOSTELS?!?! Oh cr*p.

What else can I take out? My first aid kit?! It's pretty big! Obviously not, but I wish I could. Can I put things in the outside pockets when it's going on a plane? Hmmm. I'm really not sure. Maybe books could go on the outside? People don't tend to want to steal books.

And it's HeAvY. Uh-oh...

That's it. There's no more room, so I'm just going to have to accept that I won't have heels for the next few years. Boooo. I'm glad I didn't get a smaller bag. How on earth do people do it? I know that I won't need it all, and that I'll get fed up with stuff and leave it along the way, but a girl's got to have clothes, right?? It's 6.00am now. It's taken over an hour to windle it down to what it is now:

The moral of the story?? If you're going backpacking for a few years, don't leave it until the night before you leave to pack your bag... and sort out your music... and your money.