Packing

So, I'm packing for my flight up to Connecticut (which entails bringing everything that I'll need for Oxford plus some room for new clothes and souvenirs I will inevitably purchase). I have so much ... stuff. I'm trying to keep it down to the bare minimum - only essentials - but, what is essential? Should I bring one towel or two? My mug for tea, of course, but should I bring the smaller teacups for my flatmates and I to share and bond over? Will I need an iron? How many pairs of shoes? Will it get warmer as the months go by? What if I fly down to Italy for Easter in April - will it be warm? I have no way of knowing.

Then, there are all the things I'm leaving behind at my dad's house - mementos, dinnerware, clothes, ironing board. Will I need these things? Will I have enough money to purchase them if I do end up needing them? Will I have enough money to purchase the things that I know I will need (a winter coat, for example, and a pair of boots)?

My suitcase is stuffed to the brim, and I've filled about 75% of my duffel bag. That duffel bag has been everywhere with me - Los Angeles, New York, Florida, Canada, Washington, D.C., Panama, Jamaica, and now to Europe. Or not. Should I buy a more chic travel bag, or will the duffel bag be sufficient?

So many questions, and absolutely no way of knowing.

I suppose I'll have to get used to that. They say that that's what study abroad is about - learning to be flexible, not knowing exactly what's going to happen. I've never been good at dealing with uncertainty, or being flexible for that matter. Perhaps that's the lesson I am to learn through this experience. Perhaps not.

We shall see!