Bears, Books, and Bags.

How exactly do you go about cramming three months of clothes, bedding, personal, and school supplies into two suitcases weighing less that 50lbs? I'm convinced this is impossible unless you have the packing skills of a squirrel hoarding acorns for winter. Fortunately, my mom possesses such skill. It's not that I'm concerned with getting everything over there as much as getting it all back- when I don't have Mom's superhuman organizational skills.


For any of you who want to do a study abroad or an extended stay somewhere in the future, here's a trick, fill one suitcase with cheap items- undergarments, socks, pillows, bedsheets, towels- and throw them out before you come back, that way you can fill the bag with whatever you buy when you're over there.


I've over packed. I know this right now. I have too many tops, WAY too many pants/shorts. But these items combined are outnumbered by the books I've packed. How do you guesstimate how many books you'll read in three months? Or if you'll feel like fiction or nonfiction or even a biography? The only answer I found was to pack for all possibilities, and in doing so realized that I don't have many non American books: Pride and Prejudice, Wuthering Heights, The Diary of Ann Frank, and The Hunchback of Notre Dame about cover it. I guess this means I'll be taking a trip to the bookstore.


Lastly I want to introduce you to my friend. His name is Maas, and he will be making the trip with me. Alright, 'tis all for now! I'll see you when I get to Maastricht!

*** note, due to technical problems I can't upload my pictures. I'll work on them later, promise.