Apparently mine does. And it only weighs 100 pounds. I'm not lying. I finally started packing for Spain yesterday. Albeit, I only have a week to have everything packed nice and tight in my new suitcases, but at least I'm giving myself a week instead of the two days I allowed myself the last time I went to Spain. And that time, I overpacked. Or was it that I bought too many souvenirs? I can't remember. Maybe it was a deadly combination of the two. Regardless, Daddy was NOT happy about shelling out 60 Euros (100 USD back in 2008) to buy another suitcase to schlep through customs (he got stuck with it, because I had already maxed out my two bag limit - yes, this was pre-luggage fee days. God, I miss those days. That is valuable spending money that I have to waste on checking luggage. And no, it is impossible for me to pack things into a little carry-on, so don't ask!) This leads me to another question, "Do clothing purchases in another country count as souvenirs or as a necessity for the trip?" I keep advocating for the latter, but I am outnumbered 50 to 1 by family members. I mean, after all, shopping is an investment. To quote my icon/alter ego, Carrie Bradshaw, (JKBO is my other icon and I truly feel that she would wholeheartedly agree with this quote,) "I like my money where I can see it - in my closet." So really, all of the shoes/purses/clothes I have purchased overseas are really going to pay off in the future....Right??!!
But in all seriousness, I have learned my lesson about packing for trips. I had a nightmarish experience in Belgrade. Of course, my suitcase weighed 50 pounds pre-departure and by Day 2, I had already stacked up quite a few purchases. Running down cobblestone streets with a 55 pound suitcase and a 30 pound duffle bag, while trying not to miss your bus at the bus station is not exactly my idea of a good time. But since every day is a fashion show in my humble opinion, the beauty is worth the pain. And this painful experience taught me the importance of buying spinner luggage, which I went out and bought the week after my return from Serbia. Not to mention that on the way back to the U.S. my suitcase weighed 67 pounds. I am forever in debt to Yvonne, who works at the Delta ticket counter at Washington-Dulles airport. That sweet lady (after some coaxing on my part) ignored the fact that my bag was 17 pound overweight and only let me pay the $25 to check my bag. Regardless, I will only be packing absolute necessities for this trip. After all, I am limited to 100 pounds between my two suitcases. So people have asked me, "How in the world do you pack for an indefinite move to Spain?!"
Enter space bags. Ever seen those infomercials that talk about the latest, greatest lifesaver to the human race? As a self-confessed shopaholic, (I really want to say recovering shopaholic, but then I would be breaking rule #1 of shopaholics anonymous....) I constantly run into the problem of overpacking. I mean, I never know when I'm going to need my red peep-toe pumps, instead of my red-peep toe wedges. That's a nightmare. So in my perfect world (because I am perfect,) I would pack both! But of course, that's not possible. I cringe at the thought of leaving the majority of my beloved shoe collection at home. My mother doesn't think it reasonable for me to run through the streets of Madrid in blue suede, 4-inch stilettos. Anyways, getting back to the subject at hand, space bags. Those things truly work! Who would have ever thought that a plastic bag could hold 15 cardigans (yes, I'm taking 15 cardigans....they're so practical!) so tightly? I would marry the inventor of the space bag! They're going to be rich and I need a rich spouse to fund my extravagant, high-maintenanced lifestyle....
Anyways, the entire purpose of my rant and rave tonight revolves around the title of tonight's blog. Does our life have a weight value? Essentially, my entire new life in Madrid, will only be valued at 100 pounds. (Plus the 35 pounds I anticipate my carry-on to weigh....full of shoes, of course!) Kinda hard to fathom when you think about it. Why do we always put a value on things?
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