But it's not my fault, I swear. I blame my parents.
I am leaving for Australia on Friday and have been packing for three days. Not consistently, but I pack a bunch one day then unpack some and then add some more. It's a process.
But how could it not be? I'm going to a whole other country I have never been to and it is 18 hours from here.
Honestly though, when I go to Wisconsin for a weekend, I overpack then too. I have gotten better over the years. Unlike my mother who had to buy a van to go up north even though she had one less child to pack for.
Overall I would say that I get the worst part of this curse from my father.
For instance, my father and his buddies go on a camping trip every year and every year my father acts as though they are leaving civilization to live not only in the wild, but in coldest, farthest and most rugged place in the wild possible.
Of course he brings the required tent, first aid kit and bug spray. But the tent is a five-bedroom tent, the first aid kit includes a snake bit kit and the bug repellent spreads over a 1-mile radius.
Not to mention the extras he brings like the portable shower, a stove and a back-up stove, two-way radios for when they get lost at the family-friendly camp site and a water purifier, which he says is "in case they are forced to drink out of a puddle."
So as you can see, it's in my genes. I can't help the fact that I'm bringing four pairs of shoes, 16 shirts, and 12 pants, shorts and skirts for my 7 day trip.
And when my boyfriend is forced to take some of my clothes in his bag, I will simply explain that it is my dad's fault.
I wonder if that will work with the airport employee who will undoubtedly charge me because my suitcase weighs more than 50 pounds.
Mallory Medved is an assistant managing editor of weekly publications for
the Sun-Times News Group. She helps cover the Lincoln-Way area and towns
southwest of Joliet. Being naturally nosy has led her to a career in
journalism and fulfilled her dream of getting paid to read. Being a new
homeowner and a future bride, she's also perpetually broke, but enjoys
hearing about other people in the same situation. She lives in Plainfield
but is a native of New Lenox.
Christina Chapman is a Will County resident who desperately wants to live in Grundy County. But since she lost that battle with her boyfriend when they bought a house, she makes due covering Grundy County news for The Herald News in Joliet. When not covering municipal meetings, school events and finding the truth behind the latest coffee talk, she is trying to balance life as a young home owner who is fighting the stereotype that she is living in sin because she is not yet married. She hopes to share with you her perspective on life and the news in hopes that you’ll share yours.
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