Boys vs. girls, in terms of packing....

I just thought this was pretty funny, and maybe the Peas would get a laugh. -- And yes, I do realize that there are boys who act like my neighbor's girl and vice versa, but in just our study of two this is how it was...

So 'tis the season for studying abroad. My neighbor's college dd is heading to Scotland for a month, and my ds is going to France (Lyon). Neighbor's dd left a few days ago, my ds is leaving this afternoon. After talking to neighbor the other day this is what went on over there vs. what went on here:

Neighbor's dd: "Mom!!! I need a bigger suitcase!!"
Neighbor: "Check in the basement, but remember you're only allowed 50 pounds."
Dd: "How can I do it in just 50 pounds???"
Neighbor: (Later when they weighed her bag (still at home): "68 POUNDS?? WHAT DO YOU HAVE IN THERE??"

She discovered six pairs of shoes (her dd: "Mom, I can't leave *those* at home, I searched three stores for that exact shoe to take with me!") -- then ended up convincing her to leave two at home and she switched one to her carry-on.

She found five jackets, all basically the same weight (so in other words they were for looks not for weather). Neighbor's dd: "But that one goes with this skirt, and that one goes with those pants..." 

And a HUGE cosmetic bag stuffed full of everything you could possibly think of plus some.

etc. Multiply that by at least a week because that's how long it took her to pack and re-pack and re-think her options, etc.

Okay, now my ds: He arrived here from Georgia on Monday with all his stuff for the summer. Tuesday he hung around doing nothing much. I said "how about thinking about packing?" Ds: "oh I still have tomorrow, it'll be fine." Me:    So then it was Wednesday (yesterday, day before he's leaving). He brought out to the living most of what he wanted to bring so he could spread it out on the couch and practice with packing cubes. He also brought up one of the backpack things that dd and I used when we went to Israel, that we took as carry-on! 

Me: "Really? you know we used those for carry-on, are they big enough for a month?" 
Ds: "Oh sure, no problem."
Starts rolling things into packing cubes. Five minutes later. "Done". 
Me: "What other shoes are you taking besides the tennis shoes you're wearing?" 
Ds: "Other shoes?" 
Me: "Yes, like maybe something a bit nicer looking but still comfortable!"
Ds: "Okay, I'll look at Costco when we go there."

At Costco he found some basic slip-on Speedo things that are probably their version of boat shoes, but they do look one step up from athletic shoes.

Later, finishing packing. Me: "How about that field trip to the mountains? Shouldn't you take a jacket of some kind?" 
Ds: "Well...I'm wearing this sweatshirt on the plane..." 
Me: "How about this thin vest as a layer?"
Ds: "Okay."

Omg. lol. He also managed to get into that small-ish bag a backpack! It's a bit bigger than a daypack size...he plans to use it for their daytrips and probably as a carry-on on the way home because he'll use that to carry souvenirs. 

He ended up with something like 14 shirts in one cube (a mix of tee-shirts and polo shirts), two weeks' worth of underwear and socks in another cube, two pairs of khakis (he's wearing jeans) laying flat in the mesh zip compartment under the top flap, a VERY small bag with a few things like toothpaste, shampoo, razor, and a toothbrush. 

Ds: "Seems like I'm taking a lot Mom, maybe I don't need so many shirts."

hahahahaha Then he decided it was fine because he wouldn't have to do laundry as much.

Final weight: 28 pounds. And that includes an international surge protector, a book on our local history that he's taking as a gift for his host (a history buff), two notebooks for class (I did remind him that it's possible to buy notebooks in France, lol, but he said nope he likes this particular kind), and a few other miscellaneous things. 

And his carry-on is a tiny computer bag with his Chromebook, his passport/tickets, phone, chargers, and that's it. 

lolol.