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AIBU?

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Original poster

Not to understand why people ask you if you're all packed days before you leave...

115 replies

Theoeopleversuswork · 14/03/2023 22:41

Going on a work trip in a week and a colleague asked me today if I was all packed. Eh? We are leaving next Tuesday.... I have the whole weekend and haven't even started washing.....

I've been asked this question so many times in my life and am always bemused as to why people do this and what it is supposed to achieve. I can understand shopping and making lists in good time before a trip and I can understand packing big items which you won't use daily to cut down on prep time a couple of days in advance, but what use is it to pack suitcases several days in advance?

Don't you end up having to get stuff back out of the suitcase, use it and repack it if you do this? Are people just torturing themselves to be smugly organised? Or am I missing some great life hack?

OP posts:
Puffalicious · 14/03/2023 23:27

NuffSaidSam · 14/03/2023 23:08

I think it means 'are you ready for your trip' or 'how are your preparations for your trip coming' or 'I know you're going on a trip and I should probably ask you about it but I don't know exactly what to say'.

Basically, it's just polite chit-chat, they're not actually conducting a survey on whether or not your suitcase is packed.

It's one of those times when being able to read between the lines is a useful skill.

Yup

Yayyayitsaholiholiday · 14/03/2023 23:29

Not quite the same, but my DH was banging on and on about starting the packing months before we were due to move.
We were going from a 2 bed flat with a large garage to a house. so not like a 4 bed house move.
Yes, we needed to start putting things in boxes that were rarely used in the garage about 3 weeks before, but he was obsessed about how we needed to ‘start packing’ the house.
I kept telling him I didn’t want to pack up all the cutlery bar one fork, knife and spoon each, weeks before we were due to move!!!!!

Alphabet1spaghetti2 · 14/03/2023 23:30

Agree it is just small talk. When Dh used to work away all week, I admit I was ‘organised’ in that we had two bags packed, and Dh came home and left the used one and took the fresh one back to work, and we just continued to swap them over every week for years.

But now, it’s a 5 minutes before we are out the door style holiday packing and usually into a bag for life. 🤣

SkaneTos · 14/03/2023 23:32

Yes, it's just making small talk. Not meant to be taken literally.

jellybeanteaparty · 14/03/2023 23:33

We have retired friends who always have 2 suitcases ready to go, one for a hot destination and one for cool for last minute deals.....that's packing goals

EmiliaRuusuvuori · 14/03/2023 23:37

I used to know someone who would pack her cases two weeks before she went away and she'd then moan she was running out of clothes to wear 😀

user1496262496 · 14/03/2023 23:39

The wisdom is “Pack early, pack twice.”

FeistyOneIAm · 14/03/2023 23:41

Ha! Quite often we don’t even book the holiday until a few days before (once 8hrs before departure!), but tend to go to hot places so have our holiday clothes washed and stored ready to pile into the suitcase.

WandaWonder · 14/03/2023 23:42

I put it in the same bracket as weather people don't need to talk about the weather but it is a conversation

Not everyone says something for a reason

Sarahcoggles · 14/03/2023 23:45

I've often wondered this. I have a friend who packs a full week before going away. I don't get it. Firstly, surely you'd end up thinking "ooh did I put xyz in" and having to unpack to check. And secondly, do some people have 2 of everything? I couldn't pack my toothbrush because I need it. Same with contact lens solution. I don't have enough clothes to put aside 7 day's worth!

I'm very ready with the list though, that's stored as a file on my laptop!

ThePoshUns · 14/03/2023 23:46

They're just making conversation, I doubt whether they actually care if you have packed or not.

ThePoshUns · 14/03/2023 23:48

NuffSaidSam · 14/03/2023 23:08

I think it means 'are you ready for your trip' or 'how are your preparations for your trip coming' or 'I know you're going on a trip and I should probably ask you about it but I don't know exactly what to say'.

Basically, it's just polite chit-chat, they're not actually conducting a survey on whether or not your suitcase is packed.

It's one of those times when being able to read between the lines is a useful skill.

You put it far better than me

AnotherCoolName · 14/03/2023 23:50

People are just trying to have a polite conversation. No-one actually cares if you have packed or not.

CelestiaNoctis · 14/03/2023 23:51

I think I start packing like 3 days before and then really pack the night before. My sil once said that she packs over a week in advance. But for the holiday she was talking about, we were going for 2 weeks. So what does she do for underwear lol. No one has more than 14 pairs of underwear (plus the extra ones incase you pee your pants or randomly shit yourself, obviously...). I definitely find it weird.

LovelyDayInnit · 14/03/2023 23:51

I often do almost all of the packing a few weeks before we go away. That way I can spot anything we are missing or the kids have grown out of and have enough time to buy it (normally secondhand, which takes longer) before we go away.

itsnotmeitsu · 14/03/2023 23:59

The more unorganised you are the more you need to organise yourself. I do this by making lists, and preparing in advance. I threw everything in at the last minute because of a dog intervention [a stay at vet hospital]) before my recent trip, and didn't use two-thirds of the clothes I ended up packing. I may start my packing very early, but I can tick things off and know I have everything I need. If I was an efficient, organised, person, I wouldn't need to do this. But I'm random and erratic, and we're all different.

PatsysBeehive · 15/03/2023 00:02

my mum and I ask each other this, I have no idea why Confused also make sure to pack 3x the amount of knickers we need incase we spontaneously, randomly shit ourselves 😂 again, no reason for this...

5foot5 · 15/03/2023 00:03

I assume it is mostly said as a jovial comment.

I usually pack the day before.

Having said that, DH go away a week Friday and yesterday I had a practice pack. This is not usual for me but I had two reasons:

  1. I have a packing list and wanted to check whether I really had everything I need and, if not, what else I needed to get.
  2. We are going for 10 days and, as we are travelling by train, we are not taking a big suitcase just a small one each. I have never been away for that length of time with only a small case so wanted to check I could fit in everything I think I need. I can.
BlindBat · 15/03/2023 00:07

I always ask, are you packed and all ready for your holiday?
After reading this thread I probably mean are you organised and excited for your trip?

Nevermind31 · 15/03/2023 00:12

It’s just small talk. No one really cares whether you are packed or not.

aloris · 15/03/2023 00:16

This question just means, "Is your schedule for preparing for this trip under control and on target?" And sometimes also means, "I'm about to ask you to do a last-minute thing that will take 8 hours, so I hope you are ahead of schedule for preparing for this trip!"

Sugarfree23 · 15/03/2023 00:28

I agree it's something that harks back to travel being a massive very occasional thing, especially overseas.

I had a Gran who'd back weeks before she left, Gramps dress shirts were ironed and packed in freezer bags to keep them from getting crushed.

Now as an adult I think if she packed closer to departure the shirts would have less time in the case to get crushed. But I also think that the prep and the ironing was all part of the excitement and the build up to the holiday.

But for lots of people it's just small talk and a way of asking if you are excited etc.

3catsandcounting · 15/03/2023 00:36

Slightly different, but I hate being asked if I'm "ready for Christmas", especially in mid-December.
It just panics me and make me feel a bit useless.

oioimatey · 15/03/2023 00:51

I pack everything in advance, note what I'm missing, do all the washing, take everything out and then repack. It's a good exercise to really consider what you're taking, so you don't bring too much 😄

Tourmalines · 15/03/2023 01:44

I highly think anyone really gives a toss if ones bags are packed or not . It’s just small talk in reference to your upcoming holiday . Would of thought that was obvious.

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