Tomorrow I head off for a five-day camping trip.
Such a trip requires some sort of preparation, of course. But every year I over-prepare and over-pack, and this year is no exception.
I had originally planned to pack just enough food for myself. Then the usual thoughts intrude: What if my friends don't have enough? What if I want to invite someone over? And I have to make extra vegetarian wraps, just in case my vegetarian friends stop by.
I'd attribute this to my food issues, except that it doesn't stop there. I don't need to bring an extra cushion… but what if one of my friends wants to hang out in my new yurt? I bring a couple of chairs, but I usually put stuff on them.
I'd attribute this to my co-dependency issues, except that it doesn't stop there either. I'm bringing two hats, one for when it's sunny and one for when it's cool. I'm even bringing extra clothes, to have something to wear at night in case my clothes get sweat-soaked during the day.
So I attribute my over-packing to being an over-prepared worry-wart. There are folks who can go on a trip at a moment's notice; all they need to do is throw an extra set of underwear in a manila envelope and they're off. At times like this, I envy them.
Oh, well. At least there's room enough in my car for all this stuff.