I'm leaving on a jetplane.....

So I wanted to do a whole post on packing - I took photos and all, but time just simply ran out on me. I am now sitting on the floor at the airport with a group of students ready to board a flight to Madrid. The flight is overbooked and they were offering $800 vouchers to take a flight tomorrow. Do you know how much I wish I could do that?!? But responsibility calls.

Okay so traveling with students is fun and tiring at the same time. We have a great group - in our group are students who have NEVER traveled on an airplane before and students who are old pros and everything in between. I am so excited for the girl that this is the first plane flight -- DFW to Madrid, what a way to first travel!

Okay so packing .... I think I did pretty well. Considering that I had a lot of gifts, my suitcase was only 34.5 pounds. I did pack at 7am so heaven only knows what I forgot.

What do I look for in a suitcase - well it needs to be lightweight to begin with. All the "bells and whistles" (aka pockets, extra zippers etc) add weight to a suitcase. Guess what - you only have 50 pounds when you travel international and you don't want to use it all on the case. Actually you don't want to carry 50 pounts at all! Secondly I look for a case with a few interior features - a small zipper pocket on the lid is nice. A good set of zippers is essential!
I have to cut this short...boarding.

This pocket is great for keeping things flat.

very versatile inside!

I love my suitcase - this is the "big" one.

All packed