Oh The Loads I Loathe
One of the things I’ve learned about myself through traveling is I’m a quitter. Before a trip, I assume a well organized, and diligent role and begin packing at least 1 week in advance. Narrowing down which pants and shirts to bring according to weather reports, making sure we have disposable razors, enough diapers, emergency pants, dog sitter booked…I clearly have the prep work down. It’s after returning from a trip that my alter ego, “ball-dropping-disarray-frazzled-quitter” takes over.
Since my family grew beyond just myself, there have been some major adjustments for my traveling habits. When I was single, I would return back to my apartment, unload my backpack directly into the washer, and call it a day. Now that I have two children a child and a husband, the aftermath of whirlwind vacations are more catastrophic requiring a more vigorous clean-up.
Although my packing strategies are seamless, I hate unpacking. To the point where I just won’t do it. Perhaps because I expel too much time and effort into preparing, that when it comes time to clean up, I have nothing left to give. Or, I’ve enjoyed myself so much elsewhere, that I am subconsciously denying my return to the status quo by not unpacking (buy any of that?). It is not uncommon for my husband and I to just live out of a suitcase for about a month (or until we run out of clean underpants), regardless of how long a vacation was. Friends would come over and ask, “did you just go away again?” *Deer in the headlights stare* Uh, no I was just too lazy to unpack since the last one. *Close bedroom door immediately.
After returning late last night from our Thanksgiving trip to New Jersey, we somehow made a drastic leap in progress. Before I even finished taking off my shoes, my husband began shoving dirty clothes from our suitcases into the washer, ON HIS OWN! An entire load of laundry was washed and dried before we went to bed. Dr. Travel Syndrome, I believe someone may ready for a lowered dose of the don’t-be-a-lazy-ass pills, thank you.
Here is the current status of the laundry project (don’t worry, all pannies and undies are hiding deep within the pile in embarrassment):
This is our spare bedroom where no one sleeps regularly. So that bed is really just an ultra plush, laundry haven/ folding table/ dresser/ closet throughout the month. I’m not even sure what the top of that comforter looks like. So maybe, I’m not a qualified candidate for those pills just yet. But I’m making progress.
Have a closer look…
See. I’ve folded half the mess. But I seemed to have given up here…
This seems like much more work than just living out of the suitcase for another week or so.
To unpack, or not to unpack: that. is. the question…
Good gravy…4 more posts until this NaBloPoMo-Psycho month is over!!!!!
hahaha, that’s an uber-blogger for ya… taking photos of their dirty laundry! woo-hoo!
November 26th, 2007 at 5:02 pm
I am the worst for living out of a suitcase following a trip. I also use my guest bed as a laundry folding/storing table. haha.
November 26th, 2007 at 5:56 pm
I think I can top your living out of a suitcase trick… I also hate to unpack… I do, like you put a lot of effort into planning and packing before a trip. I know I definitely over pack too, maybe part of my problem. Any who… we went tent camping last year for about a wk, and we packed all our things in these great tubberware bins so things would stay dry… well we went in the end of August, at the end of September, I had to force myself to empty them before we had my son’s birthday party. UHHH!!! Just thinking about it makes me cranky. I hate to unpack from vacations!!
Also, I don’t have a guest bedroom, so I use the couch as our laundry haven, thank God we have a pretty big sectional so one part is for laundry the other part is for tushies!!
You are doing a GREAT job with the laundry… keep it up!! ;o)
xoxox
Jenn
November 26th, 2007 at 7:23 pm
The unpacking is always the worst … kudos to hubby for actually getting the wash in PRONTO!!
Now that I’m packing for two kids and me (I leave the hubby’s to himself, he travels a fair bit for work, so if he packs a suit instead of a swimsuit, he has to figure out that on his own at the other end!), I find I almost have to start three weeks in advance!
BTW, our guest room is full of piles o’ clothes too! It’s my sorting station for G’s hand-me-downs to her baby girl cousins. We’ve having family stay over Christmas – I am so dreading having to clean that room up!
November 26th, 2007 at 8:36 pm
Don’t you feel guilty for one minute! I don’t have kids and it takes me at least a couple of weeks to unpack from a trip. I thinks it’s because I don’t really want to let it go. My husband just shakes his head at me. He was unpacked the minute we got home..
November 27th, 2007 at 1:16 am
I’ve been known to keep the suitcase packed until the next trip!
November 27th, 2007 at 1:53 am
let’s do an i-can’t-wait-til-the-end-of-nablopomo dance!!! geez. i’m feeling beaten, bedraggled and even a bit downtrodden. honey please! i can’t even tell you how long i’ve stayed packed for trips. i did a celebration on my blog when i almost immediately unpacked after one trip. tres amazing. the last trip? uhh… def. more than 3 days to unpack– still a milestone!! in college i used to just live out of suitcases the entire Christmas break.
November 27th, 2007 at 1:26 pm
Heh – we got up, showered, packed pretty much everything, and left our house in about three hours last Wednesday. This is not how things were done when I grew up as we’d pack at least the night before and then leave bright and early. Things happen more slowly now with two kids…and we don’t set anytime departure time. That’s leads to less anxiety for me as I would obsess over the time approaching, coming, and passing without leaving the house. Too much stress worrying about that!?! So, one trip I decided not to set a time or fret over what time we would arrive. It’s gone much better since then.
On the flip side, I almost certain that most everything will be right where I left it last night after unpacking the van. My wife can go *weeks* without unpacking her suitcase sometimes
November 27th, 2007 at 3:08 pm
I’ve just simply decided that the laundry gene skipped my generation. My aunties and mum would come home with a suitcase full of clean clothes…somehow, I end up just walking around suitcases for a week, until I finally give in and deal with the post-trip trauma.
And YAY for the end of NaBloPop….I’m done!
November 27th, 2007 at 3:23 pm
I’d take pictures of my dirty laundry-if I weren’t scared my husband would find out the closet where I stash it!
November 29th, 2007 at 4:15 pm