the essentials

With the countdown to London only twelve short days away, I am beginning to feel a sense of urgency.  This morning, I approached the lofty task of packing.  For Christmas, my parents gave me a beautiful new luggage set and a hiking backpack for my travels.  While this gesture was awfully kind of them, I could not help but notice that the bags seem exceptionally small.  I know from past travel experiences that I am a notorious over-packer so I promised myself that, this time, I would not make the same fatal error.  To begin, I created a list of essentials.  Obviously, I must not forget things like my passport, warm clothes, and daily toiletries, but I know that there are some other items that I simply cannot leave behind.

The real essentials:

1.  My French Press

2.  Shoes

3.  Travel Journals

Obviously, this list still requires work.  Updates to follow.