Pack Right Stress Less

There are lots of details that have to come together when you are going on a big trip. There's of course the trip planning and booking of flights and maybe other transportation you'll need. There is the hotels or Airbnb's to book, Many tours and excursions need to be scheduled ahead of time or you may risk not being able to get into many of the places that you wish to see. Booking ahead will also save you from being in those nasty long lineups and wondering if you'll actually make it in. By being organized you can also save money as many sites offer deals for signing up to things in advance.  Getting everything together can be stressful. 

Taking a nice vacation or trip to another country especially one that you've never been to before can be exciting and overwhelming.  I don't know what it is but I still get a little stressed or anxious about packing the right things.  Packing your clothing, shoes, accessories and toiletries can be challenging when the trip is a little longer and you want to be sure you've packed well.  If the weather changes suddenly you want to be covered for that too!  

However that said, I do try to have a system that usually works and if anything,  I usually over pack rather than under pack. Last year before we traveled I purchased some packing cubes in a variety of sizes and found these to be amazing at keeping suitcases organized. I think I will buy a few more for this trip as well.  

When you use packing cubes or compartment bags you can fit a lot more into your luggage.  Rolling up clothing such as t-shirts and tops, even capri's or jeans will fit nicely into packing cubes. Also great for under garments and socks. This keeps like things together and you won't have things loose in your suitcase. Especially great if your suitcase pops open or you happen to get searched. 

I've learned that as far as choosing what clothing to bring, (of course depends on your destination) each item should be able to be worn with at least 2 or 3 others.  So yes, it takes a little planning and coordinating but it's worth it to lay your wardrobe out a week or so before your trip to be sure most of your items can be worn together.   I find I usually take lots of white, black and neutral colors that easily go together. Then you can just add one or two bright color accessories like maybe a jacket or scarf or a bold pair of sandals.  

Here is a check list from another post I wrote: 

1) Passport – keep a spare copy of your passport and birth certificate with you and leave a copy at home with someone in your family.
2) Shoulder Bag – (ladies) a good bag that has an adjustable sturdy shoulder strap, allows your hands to be free and is safer. For the (guys) maybe a money belt or a ‘man’ bag…
3)Currency and Credit Cards – take enough of the correct currency with you for the first couple of days, and a back up credit card to be safe.
4) Pack light, once you’ve decided on your clothes, leave one outfit behind, you’ve probably packed more than you’ll need. (I know this one is hard)
5) Pack vitamins, ibuprofen and any stomach or nausea medication you think you might need.
6) A few random things I’m throwing in… band-aids, large zip lock bags, safety pins, neck pillow, hand sanitizer

Hope you found this helpful...

Peony Luggage Tag

Sun Rise Luggage Tag

Summer Reading For The Soul

Every person likely enjoys or is drawn to reading a different type of novel. I really enjoy reading historical fiction. I have read several books by a variety of authors. I just finished reading The Daughter's Tale and before that The German Girl both written by Armando Lucas Correa. 

Historical novels like these are so fascinating and interesting to me as they shed light on the past and historical events.that happened before my time. They also give a greater sense of the tragedies and triumphs people lived through and endured as well as the struggles of day to day survival and how they sacrificed and found hope in extremely difficult times.  

The Daughter's Tale is about one of the most harrowing events in history committed by the Nazis on a civilian population. A good author like 'Correa' really pulls you into the lives of the characters and exposes the compassion and cruelty of the human heart. This historical novel is about family bonds and staying strong through the toughest of circumstances that no one on earth should be faced with. This novel brought me to tears many times and by the end I was literally sobbing. (just ask my husband) It definitely took a few days for my mind to stop churning over the things that I read about in this book. 

When I think back to high school classes of history I wish we had been able to read historical fiction like this.  I'm sure many students like myself would have been educated better and motivated to learn about history from people and characters that we could relate too. I remember my history class being extremely boring and uninteresting.  

If you enjoy historical fiction about the Holocaust or WWII  I'm sure you will want to add these two books to your reading list.  I always like to take a good book with me when traveling. Especially great to have when waiting in airports or when you're on a flight.