Packing - The Challenge!

Two days before the start, we are still sitting late at night in Anja's living room. Her clothes are spread out on the dining table, and the items we both divide among ourselves are spread out on the living room table. Feels a bit like Tetris on dope. Well, I have no idea how dope feels, but it's a feeling of anticipation, excitement, oh-no-how-do-I-fit-all-this-into-these-tiny-bike-bags, high blood pressure, total silence, thoughtfulness, and then it all starts again. But somehow we manage to pack everything with the great hope that we have done everything very cleverly and thoughtfully, with wise foresight of where everything should go and for all eventualities. Well, after Peter's third well-considered comment, we both burst out laughing because we know that the reality is more like we rummage wildly, almost hyperventilate because one of us can't find something we urgently need, doubt, almost give up, think we've lost it, and then like a bright flash out of nowhere, the thought-lost item is back. And then? Well then, we calmly pack everything back. THAT is the reality of packing bike bags! At least ours.