Fitting your life into a duffelbag

So, packing everything that you are going to need for 9 months is no easy feat! As you can see below, our empty bedroom has been hit by a multicam/ACU tornado. Now I need to go through all of this gear, all of these uniforms, odds and ends and personal items and figure out what stays and what goes. Then I get to begin the Master-Organizer act of fitting it all into a duffelbag (that can't weigh more than 70 pounds), a large backpack and a small backpack. I could fill that much space with just my shoes! Trust me- it's a good thing that they give us uniforms and boots because I really do have that many shoes.
After going through the packing list, and talking with Matt about what I really will (and won't) need over there army-wise, I am left with about 1 square foot of space for personal items. So long, oversized pillow. Ciao, crochet needles and yarn. I may or may not have shed a tear for all of the shoes that I won't get to wear again until 2014... It's almost depressing, knowing that you're neglecting such a wonderful wardrobe to instead wear the same dirty uniform and dusty boots every day! But on a brighter note, I did manage to fit in some non-uniforms (just a couple of Matt's shorts and T-Shirts that I'll be able to sleep in), plenty of pictures to frame/hang when I get there, my electronics and enough hygiene items to keep my hair shiny and teeth brushed through a zombie apocalypse. Moral of the story? Even without packing any of my own clothes or my make up I have way too much crap! 
Now that my gear is sorted and bags are packed, I have to put away the little reject items that didn't make the cut and move the duplicate gear up into the attic.. But I think that's a task for tomorrow :)
Until I get a chance to write again, please don't forget to hug your loved ones and enjoy the freedom and liberties that you're blessed with.