The first time I went back to Evanston for Thanksgiving, my
freshman year, I was clear- I was going home for Thanksgiving, then back to
school. But by winter break, I was going home for break, then home again-
Providence had gotten the name as well. These days the home I own is in Newton,
but Evanston’s still home, too, so I’m not sure it really counts to be starting
my travels when my first stop is
home.
Whether it counts or not, it is fortunate. I spend all of
the week between the end of Froshcab (my show I advise at the high school) and
my flight to Chicago frantically cleaning my apartment in case it rents (let me
know if you know someone who needs a nice place in Newton! And if you are a
crazy burglar: Allyson is staying in my house. And she knows karate.) Like, I
am still throwing things in boxes when the taxi arrives. (My neighbors put them
in the attic for me. Thanks guys!)
All of which is to say, I have spent exactly NONE of my week packing for my 8
month trip. So I ship a box of stuff I might want to Chicago on Christmas eve
and decide to sort it out there.
This was a genius idea. I got to spend all 8 nights of Hannukkah with my family, for the first time since high school. Kim and Jeff and Oren and Rachel make it to our Hannukkah party, the Silins and I do our annual Fancy Tea, and Awesome Friends Jess and Sara come to spend time with me before I depart. Stage Manager Sara makes an insane list of things I need to do and pack, goes on a camping store crawl (we hit REI three times), and provides moral support as I actually stuff things into packing cubes. (Sara, along with fellow SM’s Denise, Elana, and Ezra, also stage managed my move into my house in Newton. Literally, they unpacked my house while I sat on the couch. I think all my Stage Manager friends should start a business called Stage Manage Your Life. Possibly they already have and just haven’t sent me the bill.)
 |
| Camping Crawl! |
 |
| Fancy Tea! |
 |
| Stage Manager's reward- pie! |
I use a combination of halftheclothes.com and The Wirecutter's packing lists, despite the fact that halftheclothes starts by saying “never
pack anything just because it’s on a list, even this one.” Though 100% true,
where else do you start?
I fit everything, as hoped, into my new backpack (a little
smaller than I maybe should have gotten- 20 liters- but brilliantly organized)
and my trusty travel duffel that I have used for every trip since high school.
I’m a bit proud of myself. Next stop: Boulder!
What I’m Reading: Lab Girl, by Hope Jahren. Delightfully written
and a fascinating look at a life in science by an unreliable narrator, whose
voice is intriguingly such that I can’t tell whether or not she knows it’s
unreliable.
Packing list:
Stuff sack for laundry
Nylon shopping bag for whatever
Travel vest (very excited about this- 18 pockets! I LOVE
pockets!)
4 half packing cubes and one quarter cube (I got the REI
brand, which has zipper compression built in.)
folding toothbrush (you don’t need a cover because it is its
OWN COVER! BRILLIANT!)
travel lock, hankderchief, headlamp, my grandfather’s
mechanical pencil, notebook- all just in case
dad’s macbook air (now mine) and my kindle, and a universal
adapter plug
noise cancelling headphones (heavy, but I’m going to be
flying a lot)
sleep sack (I used this a lot in Europe in college)
rain jacket (that folds into its own pocket! So cool!)
10 I Heart Chicago wristbands (to give as gifts)
clothes and toiletries (minimalist.)
Canada Moose (you never know when you might want a friend.
Or to pretend you’re Canadian.)
