DAY 4 - Comparative Packing Lists 101

WHAT AM I GOING TO PACK!?!?

(helpful blog followers write in...)
You might think it's easy taking off for two years. Well I thought so too. And then I faced:
THE BAGS

THIS IS HOW I WANT TO FEEL:

  

THIS IS HOW I ACTUALLY FEEL

 

My brother Brian says to pack

Deodorant

Toothpaste

Underroos (yes, he really wrote that; I'm really more of a Granimal person myself)

A book

A hat.

   

My Friend Karen's Suggested Packing List for Europe and Other Far-Off Locations Including Cairo:

Immodium	5 t-shirts, light color and same color group (same rationale)	eyedrops ( they smoke there)
Tums	1 summer suit or 1 sport coat (only if you plan to go fancy)	condoms (I think the french word is preservative, or similar. which begs the question, what do they call jams and jellies?)
15 pair underwear (you'll thank me later)	1 sweater or sweatshirt	tunes ( gotta have tunes)
15 pair socks ( honest, it's way humid over there)	2 swim wear ( is there water where you're going?)	iPad or laptop ( blog!)
1 black belt (or go beltless and buy one there if you need one!)	3 sleepwear ( you never know when you'll have to evacuate the building)	power converter ( I once exploded my hair dryer )
1 brown belt	2 pair dress shoes, black,dark taupe and or brown (only if you need them)	camera
2 pair jeans	2 pair casual shoes	snacks
2 pair casual short pants (in the 1980s when i went,the men in Paris wore capris)	1 pair sandals	essential meds
1 pair linen slacks	1 pair flip flops	Tylenol
5 shirts, lightweight and similar hue (so you can wash them all together)	1 hat	passport
deodorant( the men there are ultra stinky, but you don't have to be)	suncreen	manbag (if you carry one. They are really handy.)
toothbrush, toothpaste	moisturizer	chapstick

Or, follow Anderson Cooper's lead and pack one change of clothes, combat boots, a pound of nuts and tunafish in a pouch, a satellite phone and go. 

 
I think Karen has a sherpa on every trip she takes!

TUNE IN WEDNESDAY TO SEE WHAT I ACTUALLY PACK! And yes Shelli, I'm up way past midnight, so I'm counting today as SUNDAY. And I'm counting DOWN to my departure.