The bane of my existence: packing

Sure, it's a first-world problem, but I have never been good at packing. 

I'm an over-packer. I think it's a common problem, and its effects make my parents call me a pack mule whenever I go anywhere.

There's always that extra pair of underwear that may come in handy, that shirt you haven't worn in months but you just may find the occasion to wear it, those running shoes in case you feel the need to exercise while on vacation and that stuffed animal you just can't sleep without.

But now I'm faced with my toughest challenge yet: packing for a five-month trip with the same flight baggage allowance as someone gallivanting to the Bahamas for a weekend.

I recently began laying out clothes, which are now strewn all around my room as I continue trying to live among it all.

Each night I lie in bed considering everything I need to add to the pile.

Here are some of my current dilemmas:

1. Do I take my U of I pillow pet? My brother got it for me for Christmas and it'd be great for planes and trains (and possibly automobiles). But it's kind of large.

2. Which carry-on do I use? I have a duffel bag that's slightly over the size allowance. Do I risk it, or carry something that's obviously an OK size?

3. How many pairs of shoes should I bring? Anyone that knows me well knows that I love shoes. After all, shoes can make or break an outfit, right? But with my limited outfits and limited space, bringing a ton of shoes is unfortunately not an option.

4. How many books should I take? I imagine I'll have downtime to read, but just how much?

Fortunately, this list turned out to be a lot shorter than I thought it would be, so thanks for dealing with my dramatics there.

But on the other hand, I picked up potentially my most important piece of luggage on Thursday: my student visa. It's just a little imprint on one of the pages of my passport, but I will keep that passport forever because of it.