I Just Hate to Pack

Traveling is fun, isn't it?  Getting away from the daily routine.  Seeing new places.  Resting and rejuvenating.  Trying new foods and restaurants.  Sleeping late.  Staying up late.  Doing something completely different than the norm. 

But getting to that point is what I just don't like.  Packing.  Ugh.

I drag my feet each time Gary and I plan to travel somewhere, even if it is to spend the night with one of the girls or go to Ohio for a few days.  I just don't like to pack.

A few years ago I put together three mini-bags of supplies.   A bag of toiletries - shampoo, lotion, shower gel, toothpaste, toothbrush, picks, hair goo, deodorant. It's all there.  There is a make up bag with cleanser, moisturizer, and a tube of foundation plus a small spray bottle of perfume, some bandaids, a nail file, and a pair of scissors because you just never know when something might need to be cut or trimmed (like bangs on my forehead).   The third bag is for my meds, the hearing aid case and batteries, my glasses case, and the chargers for whatever devices I am carrying around with me.  These stay in  my Vera Bradley duffel bag, ready to go.  That should make packing easier, right.  Wrong.

The problem comes from trying to figure out what to wear for the activities that are planned.  What coordinates?  What kind of shoes are needed? What will the weather be like?  Do I have everything I need for possible changes?  What if we go out for dinner and I am underdressed?  Over dressed?  Ok..I worry too much.  I know I do.  So I end up with too many clothes or not the right type or weight.

I remember our trip to Kentucky in August when Megan was just little, maybe 1 or 2 years old.  One would think that in August in southern Indiana and Kentucky that shorts and tops would suffice.  Well the temp dipped into the 50s and 60s and here we were with no heavier clothes.  We had to find a store and shop for longer pants, a few long sleeved shirts, and a light jacket for her.  That was the beginning of my dread of packing for trips.  I am not sure how I managed to pack for both girls and for myself when we traveled to Ohio or on other trips for a week's time.

This time we are packing for a cruise.  Not that in itself would not be too confusing on what to take, but we are stopping first for a day in Birmingham, Alabama to visit friends of Karen and Clay's then we will stay in New Orleans for a couple of days after we dock on Thursday.  That puts a different spin on things.  Cooler weather in Alabama which means jeans and heavier tops and a jacket.  In New Orleans we will probably be dining out on Friday especially, maybe on Bourbon Street, which might make an outfit nicer than denim a good idea.  Of course there will need to be shoes to match also. 

And with shoes?  My feet have been swelling the past couple of weeks so I need to wear something that is comfortable and also will not make my feet look like those of an elephant.

What kind of jacket to take?  Something light? Heavy?  In between?

Can a beach coverup double as a robe?    How many swimsuits are needed?  What about deck shoes or flip flops? 

And a Captain's dinner?  That requires a dressier outfit plus extra jewelry.

What did I spend this afternoon doing?  I was upstairs in the bedroom pulling out capris to try on, checking for pajamas, raiding the drawer where I kept the summer tops and trying to plan a wardrobe which would work.  I think I have it.  Even though the winter pounds are there, most of the capris still fit ok.  Sigh of relief. 

Now to figure out how to pack a bag for Alabama that will double for New Orleans, a separate bag for the ship, and a carry on for use from the time we board to the time we can go to our cabin. 

Tomorrow will be re-arranging, checking for things I might have missed, and putting it all together in as concise a manner as possible.  Then off we go on Wednesday for 11 days of fun with family, exploring new places, and trying new foods.

April will be a calm month, I hope.  Just one trip to Ohio, then in May I will go through this all again as we pack for a trip to Charleston and Myrtle Beach. 

I like to travel.  Really I do.  I just hate to pack.