My crazy contraption to weigh and pack everything for the next year., originally uploaded by johntynan.

The sun is bright today in Paris just as as it was yesterday. On the sidewalk, men have taken off their suit jackets and pressed shirts in favor of (gasp!) tee-shirts, women’s sunskirts are fluttering in the breeze, groups of friends are meeting in lively conversation at tables outside brasseries… and we are inside packing. I’ve made a contraption out of a child’s swing, a travel scale and a basket to weigh all of our personal belongings. We are sorting out our most essential items, weighing them, then storing them in this closet for the movers. Imagine having a limit of 600 pounds for a family of three (soon to be four) to last you for a year. Of all your items what would you take?