L'Art di Packing

I got to the airport at 3 in the morning because I was afraid that if I slept I wouldn’t make it by 4:30 to catch my 7AM flight. Who would have though that O‘Hare International Airport would ever be closed? I found the only chair available that was away from the chilly Chicago air. It was by a family that was being really loud. Great, I thought, I wont even be able to rest at the airport until the security opens at 4:30. As I got closer though, I heard them speaking Spanish. It was a Guatemalan family that was going back after having been away for ten years. The teenage boy in the family was trying to see if he could remember the entire Guatemalan National Anthem. It made me think about how it would be to be gone so long from your home country.
Traveling with just a backpack is totally different experience. Talking to others along the way and telling them how long I’m going to be traveling for, they are always surprised that everything I have is in one backpack. I had actually thought that perhaps I had to much stuff with me. Packing everything that I need, including different climates, was a difficult challenge for me. Those of you who knew me my first year of college (especially my roommate then!) know that I managed to get 11 suitcases on the plane and into a small dorm room. One bag is a huge step for me.