How I feel right about now...

What to pack, what to pack...

Since the little countdown widget on my computer now says "9 days, 15 hours, and 51 minutes until OMG I'M GOING TO EUROPE" and my room is still a mess of open suitcase, backpack, and clothes everywhere and my trunk is still downstairs waiting until I've cleaned up enough to lug it upstairs, I'm starting to get more and more antsy about what to bring--and more and more determined to make it as bare-bones as possible.

I'm no bushwhacker or hiker or anything, and I've never underpacked for anything EVER: it's usually somewhat an ordeal to get to and from Vanderbilt, since I usually have to bring my large suitcase, which means I tend to bring more stuff than I need. But this time, I'm going to make sure that whatever clothing I put out to bring, I take half. ...okay, maybe like, 2/3rds. And since I probably won't be doing any hiking (it'll be too cold, and I'd like to imagine myself more of an "urban explorer": I'd rather walk around a city all day than hike a trail, which is totally appalling in my family), that leaves out anything like hiking boots, lots of t-shirts, gym shorts, or intense sneakers (me, wear sneakers? Gym shorts? HA). So let's see what this means for my clothing situation:

-Black/dark clothes are KEY, and luckily I'm all set in that department: not only do they hide stains and dirt, but they can go with anything, and in any weather.
-Layerables: I'm not bringing my hardcore Northeasterner winter coat, so I'll need anything that I can layer, and that can be worn from season to season--I AM going to be there from the coldest of winter to spring, after all, and the south of France gets a blistering wind--the Mistral--in the winter, and has a beautiful balmy springtime.
-Shoes: 3 pairs: boots, sneakers/walking shoes, and sandals. I'll be wearing the boots on the plane, so I won't have to take up room. Cute shoes shall take a back seat...this time.
-2/3 pairs of pants: 2 pairs of jeans, max; and my black nice pants.
-Leggings and tights! They're warm and take up next to no space.
-1 black skirt
-Razors, deodorant: I'm not taking any chances.

Things I will NOT bring:
-Scarves: maybe 1 at the most, but since I've probably been told about 5 billion times that I will BUY SCARVES THERE, I'm going to take a guess that Aix is a pretty big scarf-town.
-Hats! I want me a real-time French beret, and I don't want any silly American hat taking up its space...unless it is my super-warm hunting cap, in which case I may make an exception, if I wuss out.
-Anything I barely wear at home: if I haven't found the time to wear it at home, then it doesn't deserve to come to France.
-Knick-knacks: I'm sure some super-girly Vandy girls will deck out their rooms like a Bed Bath and Beyond catalog, but I think I'm good without curtains or decor.
-Towels, shampoo, hair dryer, tooth paste: although the French may not have stick deodorant or Venus razors, I'm pretty sure Europe has progressed enough to use soap.
-More than 3 books: I know I will never read them.
-Bedding: they have it there.

And that's my resolution! Hopefully I'll stick to it...I want to be able to bring back more things than I brought with me!

Hello!

Hi, I'm Ada Desmond, and in two weeks I'll be going abroad to Aix-en-Provence, France for 4 months. Except, if you're reading this, you probably already know who I am, since I had already planned on starting a blog for the purpose of remembering and telling everyone about my travels...telling tons of different people about the same event gets boring. So hi dad, sister, relatives, and various friends who may find the URL on Facebook! This whole space is going to be pretty boring for the next two weeks: until my butt is actually on that plane on January 7th, all anybody is going to get is lame and sparse updates about how much STUFF I have, and why it won't fit all in my backpack. Stay tuned!

(And no, I could not resist an "Aix" pun...I'm sorry)