Whenever people have spoken about my impending trip over the past few weeks, they've asked me how my packing's going. Starting out jokily a fortnight ago ("Done your packing yet?" *wink*), it has turned into a more serious question. The other night, when asked "Are you ready? Finished your packing" it was not so much a joke as a relevant issue about how prepared I am.
Sadly my answer yesterday, as it was a few weeks ago was "Not yet!". While at the beginning this answer fitted in well with the ever-so-hilarious joke, but when I told some people this yesterday, it was met with a stunned silence. He hasn't packed yet. He is clearly underprepared. He won't have time to agonise over everything, tick off every possibility. He's bound to forget something.
Well relax, I've packed. Just finished a few minutes ago. About two hours before I leave for the airport.
Packing for a holiday, or a longer trip like this can take some time. You've got to work out how much of each item (whether that's shirts, shorts, hoodies or whatever), and then decide which of those items that you own should make the plane. There are a series of complex issues surrounding which clothes should make the plane. How nice or good that item is is obviously important, but there are other issues. Long standing service - should it be rewarded or punished? New Christmas presents; do they deserve to go after only being in my possession for the past two days? Football shirts - how many is enough / too many? How many pairs of jeans will I need? How many pairs of shorts? Is it appropriate to bring goalie gloves with me? (For the record, yes). One way or another, while there will be a fully packed briefcase with many happy clothes that are going away, there will also be a miserable pile of rejected garments who weren't deemed good enough to see the world. For every Stephen Warnock there's a Theo Walcott.
Anyway, what's done is done. My bag is packed and I'm not changing it now. I have a tendency to horrendously overpack, and I've probably done that here again. But now it's just a case of making sure everything has a charger, squeezing it all into place, and going to the airport!
Not making the plane
Anyway, that's the last blog from home. Next time you read this I'll be in another country! (Unless I do a blog from Heathrow)
Looking forward to seeing what you get up to mate!
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