More Jaymi Tips: Packing for Vacation
I recently went on a six-city road trip for my 32nd birthday and it is not an experience I regret providing myself. I saw six new cities, went to see the musical; Hadestown, visited so many museums, and drove 2,400+ miles. While I really enjoyed this experience, it was very stressful. The most stressful part was packing.
Prior to packing for the trip I read a few blogs about packing for vacation and must-takes when traveling and not too much resonated with me, so I decided to share tips I used when packing for this trip, and previous trips, in hopes of making packing easier for you, no matter where you go or the length of the trip. Summer is near. Vacation time is here. And, it never hurts to be prepared.
1. PACK IN ADVANCE
I cannot stress packing in advance being the key to success when traveling. And I don’t mean like two days in advance, I mean two weeks. I know this sounds crazy, but just trust me. I recommend packing this far in advance because it gives you the opportunity to make a list of items that you are missing and allows you the opportunity to shop for clothes/accessories to pull your looks together without rushing or taking time out of your vacation to shop.
2. CHECK THE WEATHER
This is the advice that I need to start taking myself. I typically take a 7-10 day trip for my birthday, which is at the beginning of May, yet I always pack for summer. And I ALWAYS find myself stopping for sweats or a hoodie to make it through vacation. Please do not be like me.
Nothing sucks more than having to go to a mall in a city you are not familiar with or being too hot/cold when you are supposed to be enjoying new surroundings. It takes all of five minutes to check a 10-day forecast to get an idea of the weather in the location you are visiting to make sure you have the appropriate attire.
3. PACK AS FEW SHOES AS POSSIBLE
This tip is easy for me because for a long time I was not very into shoes. Five pairs of shoes carried my wardrobe for three years easily. Now, I am into shoes and have many options. I find, when packing, it is easier to pick one pair of shoes and build as many outfits as I can surrounding that pair of shoes.
I went to Chicago in March and brung two pairs of shoes, a pair of yellow mules and a pair of crocs. I created a “capsule collection” of sorts, solely for this vacation, based on the yellow mules. The crocs were for walking the city and the airport.
The benefit of packing as few shoes as possible is that you will need very few accessories and can travel with a smaller suitcase. It also helps you pick out your outfits if you start with shoes. If you don’t use any other tip on this list USE THIS ONE!
4. TRY ON YOUR LOOKS
We have all been in a situation where an outfit looks amazing in your head, but terrible in reality and it sucks. It sucks ten times more on vacation. Please, please, please set yourself up for success by trying on all of your looks, with shoes and accessories before packing it. This will save you time and disappointment while on vacation. It also gives you the opportunity to enhance your look or to scrap it, if it doesn’t work at all.
5. PACK BASICS
We spend weeks and months planning for vacations, but you can’t always plan for your mood. And sometimes the outfits we pack don’t fit the mood we thought we would be in and that’s why basics are essential. A white or black tee with a nice pair of jeans or shorts is an outfit you can never go wrong with, especially when you have the right accessories. I was on the road for two weeks for my road trip, traveling every 1-3 days, which was exhausting itself. I packed outfits for the entire trip and specific outfits for specific events, but I wore jeans and a white tee more times than I intended to because of comfort and just waking up and not feeling the look I planned. The basics were a life saver and provided alternative options for planned outfits. This was something new I tried for this trip, but will definitely continue to do so.
I hope these tips help you all pack for your summer vacations and any trip after. Here’s a look book of all my looks from my road trip for you all to enjoy.
Happy Vacationing to you all.
