Today I have started solving the Packing Formula. Clifford the Big Red Suitcase is now almost ready to start getting filled up.

My flight leaves early Saturday morning. I will have one long cross country flight and then a long flight down to South Africa.  I will have to get up very early on Saturday morning for the long drive to the airport.

The packing formula is a little different this time as the trip is a bit longer than my normal business trip.

I am trying to conserve a bit on space by wearing shirts multiple times. I can wash them if needed. Luckily it will be summer there so no heavy sweater, coats or long sleeve shirts. The short sleeve shirts will take up less room.

Here is what the full suitcase will most likely look like. The fleece and shaving kit in the picture above will be last minute additions to the suitcase early Saturday morning.

The suitcase will be zipped up tomorrow in the early evening and ready to go before I get a partial night of sleep.

I also have a backpack and carry on bag to pack. I will go through them carefully and make sure that I haven’t added any items, that are not allowed, since the last trip.

I will have to make some room somewhere to bring a few things back. Including some candy for the neighbor who will be checking my mail while I am gone. I wonder what the favorite candy for preteen South Africans is. It will be easy to find out. I will just need to ask my students what their kids like.

Steven