The ethics of packing

Usually, I love the week before going on holiday almost as much as the holiday itself, sometimes even more. There's the expectation, the excitement and the endless possibilities of outfit combinations that require much shopping, at least for female holiday-makers.

But then there is the packing. I am not a woman of a capsule wardrobe - I rotate my wardrobe according to seasonal wear to make enough space for all of my goodies. So imagine the dilemma when confronted with the idea of packing exactly what you will want for the entire next week and into one tiny suitcase that you've convinced everyone (but yourself) that you'll be able to cram it all into. I find the notion of planning your wardrobe that far in advance absolutely heinous. How do I know now what the weather will be like, where we'll go and what kind of shoes I need before I even get there? Whilst it would be very handy to see into the future, Minority Report is not quite a reality yet and I don't think the government would approve of me using such a tool for wardrobe selection.

Something that requires so much consideration, so much laying out on the bed, mixing, matching and accessorising cannot be crammed into one evening, as has been the case for me this time. Usually I give myself up to three evenings (depending on the length of the holiday) to decide but thanks to the long hours I now work, I have managed to squeeze the entire packing venture into about 2 hours. No doubt, I will arrive at my sunny destination at bum o'clock in the morning and suddenly realise that I've left behind my new shoes/favourite top/toothbrush at home.

And on that bombshell, I'm going to hunt out my toothbrush. Back in a week or so.