Mary Poppins

Well, the time has finally arrived. I am now packing. After living in Paderborn for over a year, I realized I've accumulated a lot of "stuff" that I didn't know I was accumulating. I really didn't think this would be a problem, since I live in a shoe-box of a room. But low and behold, the suitcases are almost full and there are still heaps of things I can't seem to part with. While some things, like small appliances, can be sold back to the international office for half price, most of it is trying to squeeze into the suitcases. And then there are the things I just don't know what to do with. Dishes, laundry soap, hangars...do I just throw them in the trash? I don't really know anyone who needs them. Ok, not anyone who isnt' also moving to another country in the next few weeks.
Enter Mary Poppins, a spoonful of sugar, and a chimney sweep named Bert.
Or in my case, a brother named Arik with an almost empty suitcase. Since it seems I can't pack like Mary Poppins, with a hat rack and a lamp in my handbag, Arik has offered to take some things that I won't be needing for a while. He'll be taking things like my winter coat and sweaters with him back to Florida. Yes, Florida. No, nobody there needs them, but I'll be visiting him in Sarasota for Christmas, at which time I can have all my sweaters back again. Perhaps this seems less than logical, but he has never been to Germany, and this was his excuse to come visit while I'm here. Besides, the likelihood that Julie Andrews will supercalafragilisticexpialidocious her way to Paderborn to help me pack is rather slim.