The Seven Stages of Packing

It seems that I always have the best intentions.

For example, when I found out that I would be leaving for South Africa 16 days later than I originally thought I planned to be all set and ready to go y July 1st. Lets just say that things did not go exactly according to plan...

It seems like some other interns (not naming any names) I have a bit of a problem with procrastination. I thought I would take you through my version of the seven stages of grief packing.

Stage One: Shock and Disbelief

It all started this morning while I was downloading pictures to print off to bring on my trip. Mid-bite of my breakfast burrito I began to cry when I realized that in a short 8 days I wouldn't be seeing any of my family until February. After I pulled myself together I realized that Saturday morning I was leaving to go to a cottage with my parents and that I hadn't packed a single thing for that or Africa. Time to get my butt in gear.

Stage Two: Denial

Let me take you through some of my afternoon...

2:30 pm - Decided I should start to pack

2:58 pm - Actually got off facebook, twitter and youtube

3:03 - 3:25 pm - Wrote a thank you card that was long overdue (Apparently procrastination resonates deep within me...)

3:25 - 3:31 pm Cancelled my gym membership in St Catharines

3:31 - 3:40 pm - Googled gyms in East London

3:40- 3:41 pm - Tweeted about how much I hate packing.

Needless to say the importance of packing was really not sinking in quite yet...

Stage Three: Bargaining

This time period includes all things that I tricked myself into believing were essential for the packing process.

Spoiler alert: None of them are.

3:41 - 3:52 pm - Brought my computer upstairs and picked the perfect playlist to pack to. Upbeat music is key for motivation. Here it is, in case you need to waste some time yourself.

3:52 - 4:00 pm - Braided my hair 7 times so that it would stay out of my eyes and I could focus on packing.

4:00 - 4:03 pm - Explained to my Mom that I was WAY too busy packing to do my own laundry and begged asked her nicely if she would mind just grabbing my clothes off the line.

4:03- 4:11 pm - Got my own laundry off the line.

4:11- 4:15 pm - Decided that I should start writing a list of stuff to pack; spent 4 minutes searching for a pen.  Eventually gave up and went to the kitchen where I already knew there were pens.

4:15 - 4:17 pm - Started writing list, then decided to use the one I already made one.

4:17 - 4:32 pm - Looked at my ridiculously messy room and decided to go make a snack. Snacks are essential packing fuel. I carb loaded with these delicious babies.

4:32 pm - Actually started packing.

Stage Four: Guilt

This stage is explained as trying to make sense of the situation. I like to think of this as me trying to make sense of how I have acquired SO. MUCH. STUFF. This was also the stage of packing where I was completely overwhelmed thinking "How am I possibly going to fit 5 garbage bags and countless bins of stuff into a camping backpack, carry-on and a laptop bag". In this stage I started to seriously wish I had taken magician classes instead of ballet when I was a child.

Stage Five: Anger

All the anger that I felt in the process of packing was directed at my sweaters. You see, if there was one thing I was told about East London winter's it was that I NEEDED to pack sweaters. While I have been warned about over packing I still wanted to bring a ridiculous amount of sweaters. 

As you can see I have just a few more than the 2-3 sweaters I planned on bringing. I tried rolling them all up to see if they would possibly shrink enough so that I could take them all. Alas, I had to scale down and part with some of my favourites remembering that I could cozy up in them when I came back in February.

Stage Six: Depression

At about 5 pm I realized that I had forgot several things I needed to go buy and now have to go to Walmart (also known as the busiest store in the world) again. Enough said. Majorly depressing.

Stage Seven: Acceptance and Hope

Also known as I. FINISHED. PACKING!!!!

Now all I have to do is go to Canadian Tire and purchase my camping backpack and try and fit it all inside!

This shouldn't be too much work; if packing was like tetris I would beat the game. In other words... I am excellent at making as many things fit in a small space as possible.

Reflecting on the whole experience packing was not as bad as I thought it would be! It only took me three hours from my 2:30 start. Now that I am finally all set to go I can relax, finish my reading about my job and look forward to my first flight!