I am (once again) a packing genius

You know this already.
There is always a post about how close my bags are to being overweight and how I can finagle my way onto the plane without getting charged or forced to check a carry on bag that I didn't want to check.

Peoples, this upcoming trip home is by far the most challenging yet.

Why?
Because I have to take a WEDDING DRESS with me.

Ok. When I came here for Lucia, I had- a carry on, a checked bag, and my laptop bag.

Mostly winter/spring clothes, fancy clothes, stuff I would need to live out of a suitcase/hotel room for 5 weeks.

NOW I want to go back with : my summer clothes. Of which I have many many many cute dresses. None of them have been lugged over to Deutschland yet- because, I only moved there at the end of August and brought- autumn/winter clothes.

So now, I had to make a choice...my summer clothes, tennis rackets, summer shoes OR some of my summer clothes and some winter clothes.

Guess who won? SUMMER all the way, baby.

Oh yea, also I have 15 pounds of ceramic engagement presents wrapped in said clothes.

So we have- one checked bag weighing in at 48.9 pounds.
The second checked bag weighing in at 49.3 pounds.

And here's the kicker. Well, I know I'm only supposed to have 'a purse and a carry-on'.
But--what about the DRESS?

Whatever. I have a carry on sized bag that right now weighs 25 pounds (even though the limit is 17).
I also have a computer bag that will be bustin' out all over, because it's acting as my purse--with wallet, ipod, headphones, passports, ricola, and all other airplane-needs inside.

And then..the dress.
What will they say? I dunno.
Hopefully nothing. They'll understand that I need to get it overseas and deal with it.
OBVS I'm not CHECKING a dress!
But I mean, I suppose they COULD make me check my 'carry on' bag so that I am only 'holding' two things...

that would be a buzzkill for 90 bucks since then I'd rather just take a full sized suitcase and bring even MORE things!!

Wow, has this whole post really been about things I want to bring back to Frankfurt? YEP!

I still can't believe that in the basement of my parents house are FULL sets of furniture, dishes, lamps, files, music, ... EVERYTHING that I lived with in the US for the past 5 years... and then some-- all of my childhood favorite books, stuffed animals (YES, stuffed animals!!!), and things I always wanted to 'save for when I have a house'...well, that's fine and dandy, except that MOST LIKELY my house will be all the way across an ocean--and what are the odds the the Berenstein Bears and Doctor Seuss books will be chosen of.. oh, let's say- ALL OF MY OPERA SCORES?!?!

Pretty slim.

Well, I don't care. I'm keeping them. As long as the storage is free and my parents don't 'accidentally' sell them in a tag sale some summer weekend when they decide to stop harboring the bounty of their three children's collegiate lives in the basement.

So I do have to admit that while I don't know what will happen with my CARRY ON bag this time...my checked bags will make the weight limit and I managed to bring most of the fun things that I wanted to bring..

On Sunday my insane 4 days of travel begin.
First, take a train to NYC, then a train to Newark. Then a shuttle to the hotel at the airport.
Super early Monday morning- fly to TX for a concert.
Super early Tuesday morning- Sing.
Super early Wednesday morning- from from TX THROUGH NC back to Newark (if I don't make my 25 minute connection I'm potentially royally screwed), and Wed. afternoon- check into my overnight flight from Newark- and at 6pm- DEPART FOR HOOOOOME!

I have a lot of things to be thankful for in the production that I just finished, the opportunity that it gave me to sing one of my most challenging roles to date, to get to do a new production, try new things on stage, have really supportive and awesome colleagues and directors and conductors around me...
but in the end, there is no place like home :)

So here's hoping for safe and ON TIME travels in the next few days.