Our trip to Italy is a mere thirty days away and my wife is fit to burst! This weekend it really got to her and every once in a while she would reach over to poke me and squeal. She is SO excited!
Yeah, she is still a giddy schoolgirl at times and I appreciate it.
Our big task this weekend was to pre-pack our suitcases to finalize our wardrobe and accessory plans. Two pairs of pants, two shorts, swimsuit, three pairs of shoes, etc. along with all the expert travel accessories we’ve accumulated: vacuum pack bags for pillows, foldable spare suitcase for souvenirs, ponchos, adapters, etc.
We’ve done this a few times and we end up packing less and less each time.
We will check-in our large bag (only ¾ full) and our scuba gear bag. My carry-on will be a backpack with camera gear, guidebooks, and one change of clothes. Sheri will carry her backpack with travel details, laptop, all wires and adapters, and one change of clothes.
As I said, it is a month out from our trip. We do this so that we have time to order things we will need or, as in my case, time to break in the new shoes I just bought.
The basic fact is that I can buy almost anything I need on my trip at my destination. Why pack it all there only to pack it all back? Because, as Americans, we are trained to do it that way. We see our parents pack three suitcases for a week in the Ozarks. Movies display this kind of packing all the time, where the wife needs an entire bellhop cart for her luggage. It is ingrained in our images of VACATION! That is training is really hard to get over. But experience is starting win out.
In reality, I could go through the entirety of Europe with two pairs of shorts and a couple shirts. And as I get older and more experienced, I get closer to that ideal. Even now, as I write this, I feel the need to trim my packing a bit. I mean, how many pairs of underwear does a guy really need? Honestly?
So Many Words... 