packing challenge

UPDATE: Of course, the minute I post this, E. from Academichic totally puts me in my place. I'm in awe.

I will just admit it: I am not a good packer. I start out with all the best intentions of packing light and efficient, and then I start to get nervous about all the situations I might encounter and all the things I might need, then I start making elaborate plans (well if I wear the boots under my pants then I could bring these flats to go with skirts but they don't go with this skirt...) then I get worn out and just bring everything. Which is how I end up barely squeaking in under the 50 pound limit for a one-month trip home. It's humiliating.

I would like it to be known that I once spent two and a half months in Southeast Asia living out of a backpack and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. It was liberating. Now I'm that girl at the airport who can hardly lift her own mondo suitcase of clothes. Lame.

Anyway, I am taking this trip as an opportunity to reflect on how I can become a better packer. My goal is to figure out at least five items I could have done without.

Let's start with what I brought:

The trip: one month at home in a very cold climate which will include three weeks of office temping, casual nights with friends, casual and moderately dressy holiday events, plus some outdoors activities

Bottoms, shoes, and accessories:

Pants: 2 pairs of jeans, 2 pairs of dress pants (gray and black)

Skirts: 1 denim, 1 corduroy, 1 black, 1 fancy print

Dress: 1 gray knit

Shoes: black heels, gray heels, leopard print flats (not pictured)

Accessories: 1 red pattern pashmina, 1 plaid square scarf, 3 belts (brown, black, red)

Tops:

Button downs: white, burgundy, plaid

Cardigans: white, purple, black

Sweaters: black and blue turtlenecks, purple short sleeved, heavy green hoodie (not pictured), purple sweater vest

T-shirts: black, green, red long-sleeved, black long sleeved (not pictured)

Fancy: satin button-down, silver tank top

Not pictured: underwear and socks, pjs, workout gear, layering camisoles

So this is what you'll see me wearing (and re-wearing!) over the next several weeks. When the trip's over I'll do an assessment and see what I could have left behind.