Week before:
Soooooo much to do...few 'essentials' still to be bought: Vegemite, US/ Canadian converter (thanks Bro), Samsung charger, new socks, knickers definitely new knickers, chocolates for the girls in NZ (Marley, Kahlo, Anna)....find my passport, print out copies of important document stuff..catch up with friends, family...
This is the 6-7th time I've reassessed the contents of my 75L backpack:
Hmmm...how does one pack for 1yr maybe 2yrs...?
maybe indefinitely if I shack up with a wild rugged, cute (intelligent) lumberjack....ok let's read that blog AGAIN on tips & tricks for packing to live abroad...
'Shite I really can't go over 24kg. I'll die from the weight of lugging my backpack!'
Ok, LETs reassess 'my essentials';
Do I really need 20 pairs of undies?! in every color & shade?!
Hmm....probably not.
Awesome yes!! I'm 0.00005g less! Haha! Oh dear!!
Repack, pack, repack ...
OKAY, ok.... so I'll take a few books out of my pack I don't really need
5 paperbacks... 😩 hardest call!!
It's not so bad, I can work out this Kindle thing while I'm there - surely! I'm not THAT crap at technology, right?!! repack, pack!
Awesome with only 2 books
Now I'll weigh 500g less! Haha!
I sick at this minimalist movement..
I'm too nostalgic. Things I pack have memories attached to them& could well come in handy...I bloody hope so as I'll be lugging them around between jobs & volunteering stints!!!
Ok, let's be honest here Jo.
You're not gonna fit in everything before u leave! You won't catch up withEVERYONE, workat Bona Bike tours & wrap up gardening jobs!
Let's hope business side of things works itself out...stay positive!
Friday before I left: I woke with that sinking feeling I won't actually find my Passport - everywhere I've checked: nothing!! I've scoured every accessible box/plastic crate that's in storage at my folks place.
I've checked ALL the cupboards, shelves, nooks crannies in my bed room: nothing!
'Backpack! my back pack its gotta be in there... in some hidden compartment I haven't yet checked'
Nope! Nix! Nada! Nothing! WTF!!
Wait a second.... It has to be here!
I got my visa approved, sent it off to IEP - I had to have my passport for all of that?! Surely I put it in a safe place???? Surely?!
It wasn't until the 11th hour that Mum remember she unpacked my cardboard boxes (so the rats don't eat them & destroy all my stuff inboxes) she'd shoved a bunch of stuff into a red suitcase under all her stuff in the bloomin' cubby!!!!
Hallelujah!!!! I'm not a religious person but thank Jebus, Allah, the Holy Spirit ,Zeus, Buddha, Gaia, those angels, tamboran & anyone else watching over us! Thank you thank you thank you!!!! No need for an emergency passport!!
