During this summer, I have been on three work-related trips. Each time, I have been meticulously organized when packing to leave on the trip. This is a skill I have always possessed. Not only does it apply to packing my suitcase, but also to packing the car. Even when it comes to groceries – I am a tetris master.
However, when it comes to packing for the return trip home, my tetris-like packing skills seem to disappear. This has been true, not only for the last three work trips, but it seems to be true for any trip I take for as long as I can remember.
At first, I thought it was because I had accumulated souvenirs during my travels. But then I realized that I was still a disorganized return packer even when I wasn’t bringing anything extra home with me. So what is the deal?
I did some research, and while there is not a term for this phenomenon, it is apparently a common thing among travelers. There are several theories as to why this occurs. First, packing for a trip is often driven by positive anticipation, while packing to return home is often accompanied by disappointment because the vacation is ending. That makes sense, but this was not the case for my three work-related trips. If anything, I was more excited about returning home.
So, moving on to theory number two: Packing for a trip requires a deadline, while packing to return home does not. Well, I disagree with that completely. I am very goal-oriented in all aspects of life, and whether I am packing for vacation or packing to return, I attempt to do so efficiently and by a given deadline.
Theory number three makes a little more sense to me. While packing for a trip, a person is usually at home and following a routine. While on vacation, that routine is disrupted thus causing the act of repacking to become a little more disorganized as well. This seems to be the winning explanation for me when it comes to determining why I’m so disorganized for the trip home.
Regardless of the reason, it seems like I am not alone in this experience. Simply from speaking to others I have traveled with, they all seem to say that packing for the return trip home is never as organized as packing for the initial trip in the first place. So if this is true for you, take heart. Apparently this happens a lot.
