Happy (official) First Day of Summer 2017!!
Packing for vacation is no easy feat-no matter where your destination. Whether you’re traveling near or far, solo or with a group, there are many things to consider when gathering up your belongings for the trip ahead.
I wish I could tell you that I’m a light packer, that I’m organized and efficient and only take thirty minutes to get my things together. But alas, my parting process is ever extensive and much too last minute to ever be considered even remotely practical. No shame in my over packing game, unless there are baggage fees…then shame on me.
I grew up taking long good ‘ol family cross country road trips to the east coast with three brothers and very prepared parents. I’m talking, outfits prepped in gallon sized zip lock bags, snacks and toiletries stocked for minimum stops and enough VCR cassette options to last us a year, prepared. Goals. THUS I have followed suit (minus the VCRs) and found myself two suitcases deep, putting outfits in plastic baggies last night preparing for my summer vacation. (I got it from my momma.)
The real adventure, though, lies in the changing climates I’ll be traveling to and from. Indeed, I have a very random yet exciting excursion from Vancouver, Canada to Orlando, Florida coming up *back to back, mind you* and as you can imagine, they are complete opposites not only in weather but in itineraries and dress as well. Challenge accepted. I’ll spare you the details, but in summary, I will be gone for ten days and in my mind that equals to about twenty outfits, six pairs of shoes and my entire medicine cabinet. *Confessions of an overpacker.*
So, where to start? The prevalence of my persistence to practically pack up my entire closet is inevitable; however, there are staple items that I simply cannot go a day without and that my friends is what I will share with you today.
See below for a list of pieces, aside from the obvious, I make sure I don’t leave home without- In no particular order:
- Hand sanitizer
- Portable phone charger
- Roll of paper towels (if there’s room)
- Multiple mini moisturizers (a must for dry skin-especially if traveling up north)
- Spare contacts (for the blind bats out there)
- A pillow case
- Tylenol
- Makeup wipes (because after a day of fun I’m not about to complete my FULL nighttime routine-I need those extra few minutes of sleep for the next day!)
- Dry shampoo
- Stain removers (I aaaaalways-if not MOST days where pastels/brights/whites-this is a must)
- Trash bag
- Granola bars
- Sports bra
- Umbrella
- Backpack (I bring a couple bag options depending on the circumstances)
- A neutral pair of earrings
- A backup pair of sunglass (because those things have legs and literally disappear)
- WATER
- Roll don’t fold (your clothes)
- Utilize the empty space in your shoes (stuff those babies with necessities)
Luckily, the majority of these items above are compact and don’t take up too much space in your luggage (depending on the quantity you bring); and chances are, you might not need any of this but it’s always wise to be better safe than sorry.
What did I forget? Any must haves you like to pack for your vacations big or small? I would LOVE to hear what you take along on your adventures! Stay tuned for my Disney vacation update next week!