Order and Chaos in Small Spaces

Kristie Post:

Traveling with anyone in a camper van presents challenges. Chad and I managed to lose something everyday of our trip. And as soon as we accepted the loss, we’d find the missing item, only to lose something else. This was frazzling for me, and anyone who has lived or shared small spaces with me is shaking their heads. I function on Order. My surroundings don’t have to be spic ‘n’ span, but they must be in order. On this trip, however, my system often fell to pieces. This is where Chaos (Chad’s system) came through – when I allowed it. Somehow, Chad carelessly casts items aside, and for the most part, when he needs them, they appear (after some rummaging). I’ve known several people in my life who use this system with similar results. My former boss and owner of Cedar City’s finest gift/novelty shop, Sally, always seemed to have some vital bit of information scribbled onto a scratch piece of paper that was floating around the shop. She could inexplicably locate these scraps with amazing precision among the stacks of paperwork and merchandise. My best friend, Kelsey, always seems to be surprised by finding a long lost chap stick or money she’d misplaced. My sweet mother’s purse seems to have whatever contents you should desire (albeit, it may take a moment to dig it out). I have come to respect and admire this system. By the end of our trip, Chad and I came to an unspoken understanding wherein our two systems of Order and Chaos were able to coexist. Sometimes, the Chaos works. 

Here's a video demonstrating the order and chaos. This was how we spent our last night in Queenstown. Cleaning up the van and our gear, and packing everything. The video still doesn't really convey how truly messy it was.
Our luggage weight limit was 25 kg. Each of our bags weighed in at 24.5 kg. We didn't even have a scale.