It's that time again...

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And so we begin international packing job number four of the summer. (For those who are counting on their fingers... two bags to Brazil, one bag to Europe, one bag to Cameroon, and now this one to China. For those who are trying to figure out if they missed out on hearing about all of my travels, I actually didn't travel with the bags to Brazil and to Cameroon. If this sounds confusing, maybe it will help to know that I packed those bags as a favor to others.)

You would think that I would have this all figured out by now. I could just wake up one morning and think "Today I will pack my things and then I won't have to worry about it until I leave."

Alas, tis not so.

When I pack other people's bags, packing carries almost the same satisfaction as loading a dishwasher. The goal is to see how much you can fit in without rendering your work useless. In a dishwasher, that means making sure everything will get clean. In a suitcase, that means making sure nothing will get broken, the bag won't get too heavy or awkward, and that things needed immediately won't be under everything that won't be needed for quite some time.

But with my bags, there are a few more concerns, such as
Will I need six pairs of socks or seven?
Will I need another stick of deoderant or will this see me through?
Will I want my flashlight?
Will I have time to read the complete works of Plato on the plane?
If every traveler should carry a towel with them, should I have one in my checked luggage and one in my carry on just in case one or the other should get lost?
Do I trust this airline's meal service or should I pack something I know is food?
Do I want to coordinate my clothing options so that I only need to bring my brown shoes or should I just plan on bringing my other shoes, too?
And if I am wearing green toe nail polish now, but I plan on wearing a lot of red, should I repaint my nails now or just bring several different colors so that I can choose once I'm there?
Am I likely to forget about sunscreen and so want aloe vera or if having one will mean I won't need the other, which one should I take?
Will the weather make me develop a pimple the size of Vesuvius so that I should bring some good acne preventers or will it be so humid that my hair will consider running for office?

Oh, and what if I forget to pack my toothbrush?

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