call me crazy, but...

I LOVE packing. 


There's just something about organizing and preparing for a trip that gives me a rush. It's probably more about being about to go somewhere than it is about organizing, but I just have a lot of fun doing it. 


That would explain why I just finished nannying for the summer yesterday and I'm already more than halfway finished packing....and I leave in 2 weeks from tomorrow. Yes, two weeks. Before you think I'm really super crazy, this packing in advance is allowing me to spend a week in College Station saying my good byes to my friends and church family, so it's well worth it. 


In all my packing experience, I've never had to pack for this long. When you go somewhere for 3 weeks, you can get away with forgetting things like nail clippers and tweezers. Not for 14 weeks. My mom and I went to Sam's and HEB bright and early this morning to check the last few things off my to buy list. I've really never noticed how long it takes me to use a bottle of shampoo and conditioner, but I'm thinking 40 oz. bottles better last all 14 weeks....


All summer, anywhere I've gone, I've had Guatemala in mind. So when I came across the best sale ever at Old Navy, I probably went a little overboard on ankle-length skirts....but they were only $5 each! Thats 6 for the price of 1! It will be mid-60s to mid-70s while I'm there, and I'm thinking you can never be too modest in Latin America.

The trick is packing all of these...


You know those commercials for those space saver bags that you can press all the air out of? Way too expensive...today I'm thankful for 2.5 gallon ziploc bags! 

Another favorite purchase...

Comfiest skirt ever, and you can even unfold it and wear it as a dress. After I bought one, I went back and bought another a week later. Good thing, because this little guy decided to jump up on me and sink his teeth into my grey one...

So here's the finished product of my day....

There's a bag with laundry stuff...a bag with toiletries...a bag with rain gear....there's even a pair of shoes INSIDE my rainboots...told you I had fun with this!

The ironic thing is that I'm spending a lot of time and energy thinking about what to pack to go to a country where most people are living on $2 a day. I'm making sure I pack plenty of everything I could ever imagine needing into a 50 pound bag, a carry on, and a back pack...only to go take care of babies whose parents are rummaging through the city landfill to make a living. It just doesn't really match up, but I don't know how to process it in my mind yet. 




Ultimately, everything I'm packing will end up in a landfill just like that...




Heal my heart and make it clean
Open up my eyes to the things unseen
Show me how to love like you have loved me
Break my heart for what breaks yours
Everything I am for your kingdom's cause
As I go from earth into eternity...
Hosanna, Hillsong