Left: Dirty clothes; Right: Clean, unused clothes. Excluding the undergarments and bikinis, here's how I divided my clean vs dirty clothes as I was packing up during my last day in Boracay.

I'm the worst packer I know.

Back in college, whenever I was going home to Palawan, I'd take two suitcases with me for a two-week trip. Who does that. In addition to that, for the past few years I've been packing at the last minute.

I packed for the Cebu getaway an hour before I went to the airport. Two weeks after, I spontaneously decided to go with my teammates to Zambales. Having only decided hours before the meetup time, I went home and like a "normal" person, I slept for an hour before haphazardly putting together my overnight bag in less than 30 minutes. Then, I told myself never again would I put myself in that kind of stressful situation. Come Boracay departure date, I had to go to Market! Market! to buy some last minute stuff (read: this is code for 'get waxed' AND buy some last minute stuff) and pack my weeklong-luggage in 20 minutes. (Yes, I timed it. Also, I was told of the heavy traffic going to NAIA Terminal 4 so I only gave myself that small amount of time.)

I got to the airport on time, and it turned out to be way too early due to the chain of delayed flights. (Thanks Obama!) My luggage weighed at 6.5kg to my relief because my friend and I were sharing a 15kg checkin baggage allowance.

Here's a rundown of what I brought inside my travel bag.

• *8 pairs of bikini
• a number of undies less than the pairs of bikinis
• 2 pairs of "pambahay"
• 2 dresses
• 3 coverups
• 6 cropped tops/tank tops
• 4 shorts
• 1 flat shoes
• 1 pair of slippers
• 1 makeup bag
• 1 paperback book

*Because some guy friends questioned the number of bikinis I brought with me, here's my reasoning behind it: I thought I'd be wearing 2 pairs at some days. I'd wear the first for when we'd actually go swimming and the second during the sunset party and onward. This is what I did during my previous Boracay trip, albeit not on a Labor (Day) Week. As it turned out, we'd be night owls during the whole week. No morning/afternoon swimming happened, except for when we would run to the water during sunrise to cap off the 12 hours of partying. BUT YEAH, I GET IT. I OVER-PACKED. :)) 

I also brought my laptop and camera but I hand-carried them.

Here are some of the packing mistakes I made on this trip:

1. First is the obvious, I should've packed the night before, at the latest. Last minute packing didn't do me any good. I even left a bikini top that I was gonna mix and match with a pink bikini bottom I bought in Boracay.
2. I bought a bikini bottom in Boracay. As if the 8 pairs I brought along weren't enough.
3. As seen from the photo above, the amount of unused clothing I had is significantly higher than the used pile. During my thoughtless packing, I have forgotten that I was going to a week-long beach party. I didn't take into account that I would be partying for 13 straight hours, let alone have extra strength to bring a soaked coverup the whole night. (Coverups go off after the first 30 minutes of stepping into White House or any party there really. Why? Because there's champagne, beer, water being showered to everyone.)
4. I barely used my laptop during the entire trip. I shouldn't have brought it with me. It made my already heavy bag a lot heavier when fatigue and tiredness are factored in. I told myself this after our Singapore vacation but did I listen to myself? 
5. I didn't bother simplifying my makeup bag. I didn't really use my mascara, liquid foundation, eyelash curler and translucent powder jar during the entire trip. I don't use them in my everyday makeup too. Why the hell did I not just leave them at home.
6. Did I really think I could have my quiet time and be able to read a book? Who was I kidding, really?
7. I only got to wear my flats at the NAIA Terminal 4. Apart from that, it was slippers until the 7th day. What was I thinking?

That's seven mistakes. I have an upcoming trip this June and I had the nerve not to get a baggage allowance, God help me. (Or if you have tips and tricks, do let me know!)