love all of my regular besties that come in, chat with me, and tonight, helped me pack! Love yall big!

If you stumbled onto this page while looking for packing tips, you are about to watch a masterclass in how not to start a video. The clip shows me packing my suitcase during a livestream with a few regulars. I spend a solid chunk of time holding up different shoe options to the camera and confessing my chronic inability to pack light. It is a genuine look at my travel prep. The honest verdict on doing this live is that it actually forces you to make decisions faster when people are watching you deliberate over chunky loafers or sleek sneakers.

You will notice the view count on this one is incredibly low. Exactly ten people watched it. There is a very good reason for that. For the first five seconds of the video, you cannot even see my face. I am completely blocked by a green plaid flannel shirt I was trying to fold. By the time I finally look up and start talking to the camera, anyone scrolling has already moved on. The internet gives you about one second to capture attention. A wall of wrinkly flannel is not exactly a magnetic hook.

The people who did stick around were highly engaged. Showing the exact shoes I was stuck between gave them something concrete to vote on. Admitting that I always bring too much luggage makes people feel better about their own packing habits. We all want to pretend we can survive a week in a carry-on, but sometimes you just need four pairs of shoes. Next time I do a live packing session, I will just make sure my face is visible before I hit record.