Not Without My Fiestaware

I've begun the packing process for my upcoming move to DC.

My sister, when she moved, bragged that she did it on only two suitcases. I'll see how close I can get.

It looks like I'll be flying out, which means that I'll be taking clothes and a laptop; my parents will ship a few boxes to me later on.

So I've been sorting through my belongings, getting rid of the junk, etc.

Some of the sorting has been easy, and kind of fun. I took four giant bags of worn-out clothing to the Goodwill. I went through my jewelry box and got rid of all the earrings and necklaces I'd been dragging around since junior high. I sold off seven years' worth of textbooks. My roommate is gladly taking over my Indian spice collection, my pots and pans, and a whole stack of CDs.

Some of the things, however, that I'll have to leave behind strike me as financially unfortunate, simply because I'm going to have to go out and buy them all again once I get settled in an apartment. Things like my iron and my tool kit, which would be idiotic to ship but which are relatively necessary to my day-to-day existence.

The one real concern is how I'm going to get my (small) Fiestaware collection across the country. I'll leave behind all other kitchen paraphernalia -- the flatware, the pots and pans, the drinking glasses and mugs, even the beloved slow cooker -- but I don't want to give away my Fiestaware. Nor do I want it to break during the shipping process.

Suggestions? I've kept all of the original packaging, including the "shock absorbing" filler material, so maybe re-wrapping it all will be enough to keep it safe as it travels.

And if anyone lives within a 30-mile radius, and wants a decent tool kit... email me. ^__^