Le Packing.

I wonder when the first list was made, and what for. Did the Neanderthal people of yester-Ice Age write down what in the hell was believed to have happened before they showed up? Or was it the Egyptian slave driver's List O' Slaves To Push Stuff? I guess we'll never know. Either way I'm glad they're here because for as long as I can remember I have used one.
Some of the more primitive ones included things like, "Get License, Lose Virginity, Shave Chest Hair, Get Lots of Meaningless People/Attractive Girls to Sign Yearbook"; to my college lists of: "Buy Books for Class, Do Paperwork for Loans, Find Fake ID, Lose Virginity" which led ultimately to my new-found Adult lists such as: "Defer Loans, Buy Adult Clothing, Pretend to Be A Teacher, Avoid Humiliation, Figure Out What 'Classroom Management' Is."

Even for all my important list-making opportunities, I've never made one for one of the (sometimes) most complicated of events: packing. For those of you who don't know, I'm leaving this Friday for two weeks to France for my cousin's wedding. I'm pretty excited because when I was abroad in Ireland I didn't have the time or the money to visit. Plus, I'll be able to put my six years of French instruction to good use as my brother and other non-French speaking relatives will no doubt be scoffed at as manifesting the "ignorant American."
So if I wanted to do this thing right and have my full attention on those speaking quickly at me, I couldn't be bothered wondering if I had packed four pairs of socks or six, a tweed jacket instead of a rain jacket or if I left my Macbook in Logan Airport thousands of miles away. It is necessary to both ensure I have the basics and also that I don't stick out too much as being American. [My "These Colors Don't Run" t-shirt will be left at home.]

This brought me to the easy decision that if I wanted to stay organized in the way that had worked rather flawlessly thus prior (unless I lost it), I made a list.

Today is Tuesday, here's what I have so far:
-7 Pair socks
-7 Pair underoos (sic)
-2 Packs unfiltered cigarettes
-4 Pairs Jeans
-1 French Dictionary
-1 Wedding Outfit
-1 Rain Repellent Beret
-1 Non-Rain Repellent Beret
-Rain Repellent Jacket
-2 Pencil Thin Mustaches
-Arrogance
-Toothpaste

If anyone has suggestions to add or subtract, I'm all ears.