No matter how accustomed you are to it, living out of a suitcase is always uncomfortable. If it isn't regretting what you didn't pack it's the nuisance of trying to organize things in order to find them efficiently and it seems no matter what you do you still end up with a giant pile of clothes after a search for a simple pair of socks. For Ireland I'm glad I packed a couple of new sweaters (like this one) and my two coats, but I wish I had taken more walking shoes. I knew I would be walking a lot because there were so many places I wanted to see and you can't really visit somewhere beautiful and properly admire it from your car, but the reality of walking a lot didn't sink in completely for some reason and a few more flats would have been handy. Clothes shouldn't get in the way of your mobility and it's rather annoying to say, "oh yes off the beaten path looks good but I'm going to walk very slowly on this uneven ground, just so you know..." Even as a frequent suitcase packer I'm still always learning how to be more efficient and accurate with the things I need while traveling.
“Here undoubtedly lies the chief poetic energy--in the force of imagination that pierces or exalts the solid fact, instead of floating among cloud-pictures.” -T.S. Eliot
CONVERSATION