Packing Your Suitcase

Be truthful. Did you roll your eyes when you read that title? Packingis so easy, right?! Wrong. Packing is not easy, but I've definitely got it down to a fine science. No, I'm not a world traveler. No, I don't go backpacking, I go on a family vacation once a year and weekend trips here and there... but it still takes time to pack.  If you want to pack right and not forget anything, follow these steps and you've got it! 


First: A week before I'm about to leave, I sit down and make a list. I put 

E V E R Y T H I N G on that list; from hair ties to skivvies (always put the basis on the list). 

Second: I know that for the next five to seven days, I'm going to look like a complete hobo. I'll wear my old jeans that aren't that cute and give me wedgies, raggedy t-shirts and other unflattering clothes- just so I can prepare my cute outerwear or any staples I have for my trip (basically I wear black, white and grey the entire time). 

Third: I begin to pair outfits together. Okay, I can wear these black shorts with this tank top; my white shirt, these jeans with those shoes. Okay, that's my fancy dress, if we go out to a nice restaurant, I'll wear that. Okay, those shoes can go with this outfit and then double for that one... you get the idea! 

I begin making piles in front of my suitcase on the floor in my room. As the days go by, I start to rethink outfits and shoes (shoes are my biggest hangup). I will mull over shoes more than clothes to bring. I start with five to seven pairs and as the week goes on, I will end up with three pairs of shoes. Three. It's a hard knock life, but I find one pair of nice shoes/sandals that I can pair with my dresses, a pair of sandals for the pool, and tennis shoes- that I bring every time and never ever wear. It's the thought that counts. I really do want to be healthy and workout, I just don't make it a priority when I'm able to drink frozen drinks and get my tan on, by a body of water. 

Finally: And this is the longest part. The night before I leave for vacation, I put my shoes in the bottom part of my suitcase, towards the back. This will ensure that they won't infringe upon all my other space for my clothes. Then, I slowly begin to roll my clothes. Yes I roll everything. About halfway through rolling and loading up, I'll stop to watch Netflix, play with a gadget I found in my suitcase, or decide that I need to do something completely unrelated to packing. I'll highlight my hair, clean out my closet, have a fashion show with myself, or put together a puzzle. A few hours later, I'll sit on my bed, look down at the floor and whine to myself about how I don't want to pack anymore...but it still won't go away. I will wait until I'm tired and cranky, about to throw a complete tantrum, to finally get my suitcase all loaded  up, straps clicked to hold everything in place, draw a line through the list items I created a week ago, and that's when it will hit me...

Personals. The obnoxious liquids, makeups, creams, etc., that we use on a daily basis that I forget about every single time. So I run to the kitchen and grab a gallon size, Ziplock bag or two and start loading my body wash, shampoo, suntan lotion, liquids from my makeup, the insane amount of products needed on the reg to make me feel presentable, and I toss them as flatly as I can on top of my clothes. Then I zip my suitcase closed, roll it to the front door, walk back into my room, look back at my bed and remember that my favorite sheets are in the washing machine and still need to be dried...

B.