Packing Overhaul - 2 Days Until Utah

Laundry Day

Doing laundry can be kind of a chore, especially when you have mountains of it, and you need clean clothes to pack for 5 weeks in another state. However, my laundry enjoyment has greatly increased in the past year and a half due to a certain 4-legged family member who LOVES laundry. When he was a tiny puppy, Lincoln would just steal your socks and run as you tried to empty your laundry basket. But, as the mature, gentlemanly puppy that he's grown to be, he actually enjoys helping with laundry! He will pick things out of the hamper and hand them to me to put in the washer. And he leaves the clean clothes alone. He knows he's only allowed to "help" with the dirty stuff. Plus, he's very thorough. He makes sure that absolutely nothing gets left behind in the hamper:

Suitcase and camera switch-up

Who was I kidding when I thought I could pack for a 5 week trip in my small, carry-on sized suitcase? I threw a few random things in there throughout the day that I knew I'd need and by afternoon it was full. And I hadn't even started packing clothes. So I made the switch to my large suitcase:

This will be a much better fit. To the left you can see the random things accumulating to be packed. Inside the suitcase are my food staples. And to the right, my towering pile of clean laundry, all set to be either thrown in the suitcase or put back in drawers. By the way, I did wash the hamper liner after Lincoln was done inspecting it. My clothes will end up slobbery and full of dog fur, but at least I can give them a brief period of true cleanliness! 

I'm also having second thoughts about only bringing my point-and-shoot camera. I think I might bring that for daily use at Best Friends and around Kanab, but if I end up going to one of the National Parks or the Grand Canyon (which is not far away at all!), the photographer in me will just be dying if my DSLR is at home. I think I might bring both now...

The list

One final useful thing I did today was to make a list of everything I use during the day, including toiletries, food ingredients, clothes, and my computer. Everything I used today, or could imagine needing to use on an average day, got listed. So I think all I have left to do tomorrow is pack the rest of my clothing and make sure that everything on my list is either packed or I can buy it at the store when I get to Utah! I can't believe I only have one more night at home after tonight!

Packing Progress - 3 Days Until Utah

I got a lot done today: I renewed my driver's license (and the photo even came out decent!), I organized some things, made sure bills were paid, etc. Most importantly, I got my suitcase out of the closet and ready to be packed! So far, all that's in there is a really good pair of hiking boots and one of my dietary staples that I'm bringing in case they don't have it in Kanab!

This is the smaller of my two suitcases. You'd think for a 5 week trip I'd take the larger one, but my luggage is old and very heavy, so if there's any way I can fit everything in the smaller one, I'm going to try! Anyone want to place a bet on if I can do it or not?

I also went to a local thrift store today that sells some cute things, and for only $30, I bought two pairs of pants and a t-shirt to bring out to Kanab. If they get dirty or ripped or covered in red dust that no laundry detergent of any strength can remove, I will feel better knowing they're not my favorite pair of jeans!

I know I obviously have a long way to go in my packing, but I also have a lot of laundry to do first. I really don't think I'll end up needing too much, even though it's a long trip. I will have access to free laundry machines, which helps a lot. Life out there seems very simple, and it's all about working with animals and being out in nature. I'm pretty sure I don't need to pack super fashionable outfits.

One big packing decision I made today is about what camera to bring. I am hugely in love with photography and I'm lucky enough to have a nice DSLR camera. So, given that the place I'm going is absolutely beautiful, I naturally wanted to bring my good camera. However, the more I thought about it, the more I wondered how I'd carry it while working with the animals and if it would get broken or dirty out in the canyons if I go sightseeing on a day off. So, I'm playing it safe and bringing my point-and-shoot. My photos will be less glorious, but I can have it on me at all times and it's many years old, so I won't have to worry about it. Now if only I can find its battery charger...

Tomorrow I hope to get my packing essentially done (including writing up a grocery list of things to buy in Kanab that my medical conditions will allow me to eat!). I also want to make sure I have the directions down for getting from the St. George airport to Kanab. If I can do all that tomorrow, I'll get to relax and spend time with family on Friday before I leave. I'm already getting sad about leaving! I won't see my family for a while even when I get back because they'll be traveling themselves. I'm very family-oriented, so that's tough for me. And what am I going to do without Lincoln, our family dog?!

I will miss him so much! But he gets a ton of love from everyone in the family, and the animals at Best Friends may not even know what it's like to be around a loving human, so I know I need to leave my baby boy for a while and help the other animals.