When I was a little girl and we would prepare to travel to North Carolina to be with my mom's family for up to six weeks in the summer, my mother's suitcase would appear almost two weeks ahead of time. I would get excited. Slowly the excitement would build as daily another piece of clothing would be added to the suitcase. It was anticipatory delight.
As I got older and began to do my own packing, I learned that I could take a little less time to pack no matter how long or short the trip. When I was traveling as national president of Church Women United, I could pack for a weekend's retreat in fifteen minutes. A week's meeting took maybe sixteen.
I never pack for anything until the day before. Until now.
I go to Philadelphia for a week on Friday. I do laundry on Monday and as I was folding some of my clothes I thought, "Why am I putting them away today only to have to bring them out again on Thursday to put in the suitcase? Why not put them in now?" Thanks, mom! So far the only things in there are my exercise clothes and Tevas to walk on the Delaware beach with my cousins. Still - I am packing ahead of time even if it all comes out to be rearranged on Thursday. This is probably an anomaly and may never happen again. On the other hand, I may find I like it this way. Whatever happens next time, this time I am ahead of the game.
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