I think we need to vastly improve our organizational skills. Anyone having read earlier posts will probably be facetiously scoffing “Hello!” right now, but to be fair, I did do a lot of sorting and organizing in order to pack up our entire house into a tractor trailer, especially since I had to leave out what we needed to take with us on our travels. The problem is, the stuff I left out to take with us could fill a pick-up truck. And I seem to have to look through a minimum of three suitcases and four totes to find any one particular item.
Example: Saturday morning I showered. I used pink princess toddler shampoo to wash my hair, man-scented shower gel to wash my body, and my legs are really hairy because I couldn’t find my razor. Still haven’t found it. Based on the volume of stuff I kept out, this should not be happening. I have my own shampoo (three bottles, I believe), and I have my own body wash. And I have a razor. And none of them are in the tractor trailer. So, where are they?
Last night, we moved into our third location since leaving our house, and just to find the kids pj’s and toiletries, I think I must have made at least 40 trips up and down the stairs rooting through stuff.
Another example: Lost my husband on Saturday. As in, couldn’t find him. He went off to a supposed two or three hour event early in the morning, was to call me when it was over and I was to pick him up to go visit friends about an hour away from, here. No call. I didn’t exactly know where he was (mistake), and his phone was “out of service area”. So, at 3:30, the kids and I left to go to to our friend’s place without him. Then, when we were ready to leave there later that evening, we find out he’s on his way. So then we had to wait for him so we could come home together. An organizational disaster caused by only one cellphone, only one vehicle, and somebody’s organizational weaknesses. Not saying whose. But I was where I was supposed to be at the time I was supposed to be there.
So, today, I am going to sort, yet again. I need to pare down, and consolidate. Each child needs a bag of their own clothes. The totes need to go. And I need to come up with some kind of system that is more streamlined and seamless. What’s kind of worrying is that we haven’t even gone anywhere yet….it’s going to be an interesting year!
Roadschooling Claytons 
Do you think you may have over organised yourself? Every 5 minutes check kids, passports, money, phone- you can buy anything else you forget/lose. Nomads do have some essential comforts- books, (ONE bottle of ) shampoo and a camel for milk. Pare down, pare back and reduce again. This is advice from your friend who took 500 books, 4 bikes, 5 crates of toys and a typewriter around Europe 20 years ago. My idea of ‘essential’ furniture in Paris for the last 2 years was my 1960s cocktail cabinet. Only used it once- go figure! ( as you people say)
Damn! Forgot to get a camel!
Here I am stressing about 1 bag each and my hairdresser only shampoo and conditioner! I think the next 18 days will be spent letting go of the stuff that does not really matter. Any packing tips?
Don’t take much. Someone might steal it.