Amanda's superpower is upholstering. She's just a kickass upholsterer. (She's great at other things too, but you only get one superpower). Strummer is really, really good at wine. He's good at matching wine to food and intuitively knowing stuff about wine which most people need years of study to perfect. He is also extremely kind, which isn't a superpower but is a great thing to have around. My superpower is packing. I am always being asked for advice on what to pack and how to pack it. After being pinballed across continents between my parents since I was six, I have perfected the art of taking everything in an overnight bag. I once spent two weeks in the UK with only the following: two woolen dresses, a cardigan, a pair of leggings, a jacket, a cocktail dress, a pair of heels and a pair of ballet flats. Usually I bring a few more things with me, of course, but I rarely need more space than one piece of carry-on. Here is a collection of all the things I have learned about packing (mostly from Ami, who is an expert packer):
1. Really, you don’t need all that stuff. You really don’t. And taking all that stuff is going to cause heartache when you realise you can’t buy that gorgeous solid glass fishbowl in Venice, or that life-sized fertility goddess in Kenya, or that vintage Chanel coat in Paris. Here is what I take:
WINTER – CITY
One pair of flat, warm, sturdy, comfortable boots which both look nice and are COMFORTABLE (I cannot stress this enough). There will be walking.
Several dresses
Thick tights
Several scarves
One gorgeous coat.
SUMMER – CITY
Summer dresses
One pair of shorts
One cossie
Two T-shirts/singlets
Flat sandals, thongs
One cardie/light jacket and a pair of tights in case it gets unseasonably cold
That is REALLY ALL YOU NEED. You can take a pair of jeans and a jumper and tops and skirts if you want. I find jeans add unnecessary weight and bulk, are hard to keep clean/dry when you are travelling and lead to a whole host of additional packing (ie tops, jumpers, shoes) which adds more weight/bulk. Remember, weight is your enemy - you want to be able to fill your bag with many new things. You can take dinner dresses. Heels are beautiful but heavy and impractical and you probably won’t wear them (no matter how hard I try, I always seem to spend my holidays in flats)
If you’re going to the country or the desert, pack old clothes, pack for comfort and throw fashion to the wind. Trust me, you will look like an imbecile if you show up in the outback with heels and a floral dress.
And if you’re going to India or Africa, pack one loose, cotton outfit and buy local clothing when you get there. People will appreciate the respect that you show for local customs by wearing the local clothes.
As for packing itself: divide everything you're taking by weight (underwear in one pile, light tops and singlets in one pile, shorts and dresses in one pile, jeans and bulky jumpers in one pile) and roll EVERYTHING before you put it in your bag. Don’t fold the clothes.. Pack small items into shoes. Don’t take too many books (they’re heavy and you just accumulate them while travelling.) Pack shoes at the bottom and jam clothing around them, starting with the heavier items and working the lighter items into the smaller spaces. You’ll be surprised how much you can get in.
Also, I find it helps to start packing about a week beforehand, either by writing a list or just chucking everything you plan on taking in a corner as you remember it. At the end of the week, put everything in the pile on your bed. And then halve it.
My other big tip would be: if you don't wear it in your real life, you won't wear it on your holiday. In fact, if you don't wear it in your real life, sell it on eBay or give it to Vinnies. You don't become a different person on holiday.
