Abroad in Prague 2012

With 6 days to go until my flight next Monday, I’ve entered the packing rush. That is, I am running around looking for ways to fit four months of myself into a 50-pound Travel Gear luggage (and a carry-on). Yeah, right.

Might I need furry socks? Sure! Cocktail umbrellas? Pancake molds? If I didn’t leave myself a week to sort through my belongings I’d have an entire checked bag of emergency kitchen gadgets. I’m having a hard enough time picturing my life without the Magic Bullet, let alone the rest of my crap.

But I made a promise to myself: let Fight Club‘s mantra “The things you own end up owning you” scare me into stripping down to the essentials. What do I really need to be me?

So that’s what I’ve been doing. And in the process of packing, I’ve donated so many old sweaters and suits to Goodwill that I’m expecting them to create a clothing line solely from my contributions. Who knew the walls of my closet were white?

For those of you who know me, remember that I am particularly bothered by the unknown: Will they have my contact solution in Europe? Do they sell Sharpie Pens? Are the knives sharp enough? Are the Sharpies sharp enough? Am I sharp enough?

But I am a big boy. And I like new things! I’m not going abroad so that I can have the comforts of home, the foods I grew up with or the pens I’m used to. I am traveling to Europe so that I can learn how to do everything differently.

But first I have to pack.