It's a busy and exciting week! I have to-do lists, to-pack lists and a mountain of laundry that needs attending to but in less than a week, I'm off for the adventure of a lifetime!
If you are anything like me, you likely have a bucket list of places you want to travel. Pre-pandemic my mother and I were in the early stages of planning one such trip when news of COVID began to emerge. We are now several years in the waiting but next week my mother and I are off on our first adventure together since I was a kid.
My mother loves a good escape from winter and although we are entering spring we are still excited to get a jump on warmer weather as we head to San Francisco. We have a full agenda of things to see and do over the course of 9 days but some spoilers: we've rented ourselves a convertible and plan to drive up the coast, head into Sonoma County and Napa Valley!
It will come as no surprise to anyone that I'm overly excited for the shopping opportunities of this trip but I'm equally excited for spas and food. Oh, and bonding with mom! *Mom if you see this I didn't mean to put that last
I've come to realize that I am a special kind of nerd since beginning to plan this trip. A Travel Plan Nerd to be specific. I have a map. I have a calendar. I have a plan. Most importantly, I have a spreadsheet! Each day is laid out in my sheet with hotel, addresses, restaurants and the must see sights for that day/area. Not only do I have this sheet, I'm incredibly proud of it. It's peak planning glory!
The next step of planning is packing. If you've read my earlier post 'What to Wear' you'll know that picking out an outfit for an occasion is a whole process for me. Now multiply that by 9 days...
I have a process for packing that I find helps reduce my stress and anxiety. I know many expressed similar feelings so I'm going to share my packing process in case anyone else finds it helpful.
- Get the suitcase and carry-on out early
- In the week or two leading up to travel I toss things into the suitcase as I think of them. This helps me avoid forgetting things and reduces the stress of forgetting things. Things most likely to get added during this stage are; pyjamas, toothpaste, sunscreen, items to avoid chaffing
- I like to do a pre-pick of all outfits a few weeks out. I know it sounds too early but I'll tell you why - I almost always discover I'm missing an article of clothing to make an outfit (like I bought the cutest skirt but no top to match it), or something I want is stored away. This trip I realized that none of my swimsuits fit and so I was able to order new ones in time!
- About a week before leaving I lay out my outfits and ensure I have the correct underthings for each and I pick out and pack my accessories. The excitement mounts at this stage.
- I like to organize my packing (packing nerd now too?!). It could be by outfits, or type of articles. Either way, the best way to pack, regardless of your level of organization is packing cubes! These zippered small bags keep things tidy, allow you to utilize your suitcase space better and while travelling you can keep the dirty clothes separate from the clean. I don't have a specific brand to recommend, just Google 'soft packing cubes'.
So that's my packing process! Tonight I'll be completing the last 2 steps and Monday we hit the skies!
It's unlikely that I will do any blogging while away but do please follow along on Instagram @fulloffabulous and the blog posts of the trip will come once I return!