My task at hand now is to try and ‘implode’ this mess into two neatly organised suitcases. Not a very appealing prospect. Packing is making choices. After all, each item contributes to the total amount of weight one is allowed to take, so everything has to be carefully considered before being given the final go-ahead. Necessities and luxuries compete for the available space. The most decadent item I will be taking with me – apart from a small fortune in consumer electronics plus accessories – is, well…, wet toilet paper. I know it’s stupid. But I can’t help it, I love that stuff. The luggage allowance is quite generous, so luckily there is no need to leave other potentially useful items such as passports, tickets and malaria prophylactics behind.
In between the violent outbursts of packing activity I am also quite busy saying goodbye to people. And thanking them for their generosity in these past two months I was in the Netherlands. Letting me stay in their houses, feeding me for weeks on end, lending me winter clothes, apartments and looking after my cat, my house and my tax forms. I have really, really enjoyed spending time with everybody again.
This Saturday I am off. Whoever finds him/herself in want of something jolly to do that afternoon is of course more than welcome to come and wave goodbye to flight BA 439 from Schiphol (!6:40), BA 057 from Heathrow (19:55) and/or BA 170 from Johannesburg (11:50).