The item packed in case of loneliness can matter more than the item packed for display.

Packing is partly a guess about who you will be somewhere else. Some of what goes in the bag is aimed at other people, and some of it is aimed at the version of you sitting alone in an unfamiliar room at ten at night. The second kind rarely looks impressive and is almost always the part you are glad of. Comfort is a real requirement, not an indulgence you tolerate in yourself.

Next time you pack, put in the book, the photograph, or the worn jumper before the outfit you are unsure about. Homesickness is easier to meet when you have brought something answering to it.