I have decided on what (one of) my dream job(s) in life is (/would be).
A stylist for traveling. A traveling agent for packing. A travel clothing agent.
Something of the sort.
I am 99% sure that a: this does not exist, and b: no one would ever pay me LOADS of money to do this, and c: I am DEFINITELY lacking in experience, but nonetheless, I think I have found my calling in life.
You see, back in the dizzity-day I studied abroad to London. I took pride in my ability to maximize my packing by shoving as many things as I could into the most giant suitcases possible then distributing the weight so they were each as close to 50 lbs as possible without going over. Then, I also made it possible to redistribute the items when I arrived so I could actually tote my luggage to the Center instead of hiring a porter or something to get it there for me (guys, there were a LOT of things).
Pre- and Post- London, I’ve always prided myself on being able to pack lightly (err… compactly since my luggage may be small but rarely is light) and in a carry-on. Over the years, I’ve been able to be realistic about how I really dress while on vacation, and I’ve come to realize that, yes, I end up wearing my favorite pants like every day, and no, it is not necessary to have completely different pieces for each individual outfit of the trip.
I LOVE when people blog about what they have in their suitcase. I LOVE when people plan their vacation outfits. I LOVE shopping for anything travel related (suitcases, toiletry bags, small zippered pouches, neck pillows, compression socks, my new favorite – packing cubes).
This summer, my sister studied abroad in London/Paris/Italy/Europe (I’m not sure what was study abroad and what was just fun). I had a blast helping her decide on outfits, minimizing her wardrobe while maximizing her options, giving my unwanted opinions and advice at every corner (some of which proved to be awesome, and other that proved to be ridiculous). We carefully picked pieces to her suitcase, and it was AMAZING.
Then I moved to the east coast WITH a baby and only a trunk-load and 4 checked bags of luggage. And I lived like a nomad moving every 2 months or so with each situation being completely different than the last (an empty apartment, a hotel, a vacation condo, a vacation house with other people, another condo).
I realized, that my life is not currently one that is prone to nesting.
And now, we’ve planned a great adventure (instead of buying a home and settling down like normal people with a baby) – 2 months overseas… probably a new location every week. This, my friends, calls for some precise packing: two months of outfits, the need to be VERY mobile, a baby, and the possibility that we will have crazy restrictions on our luggage.
While devising this plan, I have discovered my true calling in life.
When my sister returned from Europe, I questioned her about her traveling, more importantly, her packing – what she used, what she didn’t use, what she loved, what she didn’t love, what she wished she had, etc. I came to conclusions and tucked them away in my brain lest someone else I know ever travels in a similar style.
And while gleaning information for this trip, I realized that I like having a wealth of knowledge concerning the topic (packing for travel). Not that I have a wealth of knowledge, but I like collecting it from others’ travels and such. I have also taken it upon myself to research the topic: some awesome blog I found that I’m too lazy to find right at this moment, Rick Steves, results from google searches for “fashionable lightweight travel, minimal travel, packing lists” and plenty more.
So… if you check out my anxiety notebook (what Brad calls my little Moleskine that I carry with me everywhere and that I stressfully jot notes in each night before I can sleep), you will see lots of packing lists and the same illustration of random items of clothing, each time containing less and less items. I think I’ve finally narrowed down my items – now to find them all.
Dear friends, what is the point of this post? Naturally, to avoid packing for our Thanksgiving trip to Vegas which we are leaving for in t-6 hours.
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