packed up.

I'm just going to come out and admit it, packing is not my strong suit. This has long been a challenge for me. In Bolivia and Peru, my bag was so big I had to pay to store it in Cochabamba because it was too bulky to take to Machu Picchu. For my summer in Honduras, I took one of those oversized, giant LLBean duffles. Very inappropriate for working on sanitation projects in a rural town. And in Vietnam, my house caretaker was truly astounded by the size of the bag I showed up with and used his hands to emphasize that to me after we carried it up the stairs.

Short story,  I am really making a concerted effort to mentally prepare and try to think ahead for this trip. Years ago, Huma who has traveled the world with HRC and goes everywhere with her, told me the secret to her packing was to pack in only three colors. For a 3 or 4 day trip, she would pack everything in, say, black, purple and beige and then she could wear everything interchangeably because it all matched. Very smart. But not practical for me. Someone else recommended these air tight bags that you can buy at Bed, Bath & Beyond to compress your clothes and keep them neat.

I am also facing some particular challenges. As of today, I don't have suitcase. Does anyone have one I can borrow?! How do you pack for the desert? Shoe recommendations? Morocco vs Spain?