Hillary Clinton Answers How She Packs Her Suitcase
How does one of the world's most well-known, respected, and frequently-flying women pack her suitcase? Former First Lady, Senator, and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton shares her technique, from her decades of experience in public service.
Craig Offman from the Globe and Mail had a 20-minute junket time slot with Mrs. Clinton, and at the last minute, asked her a question she probably was never expecting — "I'd love to know your packing technique." She gave a surprisingly candid and humanizing answer:
"I probably overpack, because I'm always concerned that the climate is going to change despite the predictions. It's either going to be too hot or too cold, so I'll always throw in a coat even though supposedly we're going into summer. You know, a scarf in case I need it."
Mrs. Clinton then shared a personal anecdote:
"I landed in Kabul one time – I had meetings the next day – and somehow my clothes did not get off the plane. The plane had to go to Bagram. It couldn't stay overnight in Kabul. And so I had no clothes. For a woman who is unfortunately as photographed as I am, it's a minor crisis. It doesn't rise to the level of War and Peace, but it's a problem. Packing has always been one of my most difficult tasks. I do try to plan for a lot of contingencies because I don't have time to go shopping. I can't tell the press or the president of a country, 'Wait until I figure out what I'm going to wear.' I just want to have enough choices that I can get through the week."
So in other words, she packs like most women — to allow herself to have plenty of options for any situation that may unfold. Most of us have been in that situation. Even for men on a business trip, you sometimes have to coordinate your wardrobe for the trip around the black pair of dress shoes, because the brown ones won't fit in the carry-on bag too.
By the way, her solution to being in Bagram without a fresh wardrobe was to borrow a scarf form another women in her entourage, and swapping some jewelry. It's great to see someone in a position such as hers answer an off-the-cuff question with such candor.
Top photo via Getty Images