Excess Baggage

Today is the day before. Late last night, in a bid to be compliant with the airline's baggage weight limit policy, I attempted to remove some clothes and repack the bags to make everything I need in the next 18 months fit. In the end, I think the 3 garments I removed hardly made a difference. In my mind's eye, I contemplated every item of clothing I had packed, everything seemed to be things that I wear regularly and not "just in case" outfits. What else could I remove? It looked like mission impossible. I went to bed.

This morning I rang the airline. They needed faxed copies of evidence to prove that I am going to be a student in order to consider waiver of the weight limit. I make some more phone calls and send more emails. Ok that request will be sent off today for their due consideration. Actually all in all, I think I'd packed off 70 kgs, part of which had gone on an earlier trip, another portion in a DHL jumbo box and now the balance, with me.

The problem is everything looks necessary, feels relevant and doesn't appear dispensible. Maybe we all go through life with too much excess baggage, but yet at the material time, every single thing is something we feel we cannot do without. We can't let it go, we can't imagine life without it, we don't think we'll be able to find something similar (or completely different for that matter) to replace it. But ultimately, we can and we will be able to do without certain things in life, one just needs to let it go. Having said that, I'm going to go remove that rice cooker from my suitcase now...