YBW and I leave early Wednesday morning for our trip.
I have taken my sweet time to get ready.
I’m stressed about the packing organization and prep more than I knew. I’ve been clenching my teeth for about a week now. The discomfort it causes is actually severe, but it took me until Saturday to realize what I was doing. So I’m paying much more attention to my body right now. When I find myself clenching my teeth I stop and take a few deep belly breaths in an attempt to settle myself.
It’s not just the trip, the packing, etc. each of my girls is going through a troublesome emotional place right now and I’m having a hard time knowing I’m about to go radio silent. I know they’re strong and capable women, but I also know I just want to be available in case somebody needs their mommy.
Today my teeth clenching is better, I’ve only had to stop myself twice since I got up at 7:30!
I spent the better part of Saturday organizing and beginning to pack.
Everything but undergarments in this stack of rolled clothes.
I was feeling pretty accomplished.
Sunday morning I went to get my hair done.
When I got home, YBW was in full on packing mode. Y’all, I love to watch him work! His process is so different from my own that I can’t help myself! He wrote down what clothes he’s wearing together on what day. I LOVE this! I would never think to do that! I just roll up stuff and put it in my bag. Of course, wearing dresses is much simpler than wearing pants and shirts…
Anyway, he inspired me to finish the task. I was feeling pretty confident in my choices, and in the way I packed them, and then I checked the weather in San Francisco again.
Temperatures dropped another ten degrees.
This changed everything! I would not be warm enough, especially on the visit to Alcatraz (which I have consistently, and in all sincerity called Azkaban each time I’ve said it)
I immediately began to unpack.
Oh how that irritated me.
However, I knew I was over-packed, and not over-packed by Roby standards, but really and truly over-packed, so this gave me an excuse opportunity to handle that situation. I was able to remove things I knew I wouldn’t actually wear which left me at the perfect level of Roby over-packed.
And my jaw relaxed.
Removing these things provided enough room to pack warmer (and therefore bigger) things to ensure my comfort in San Francisco.
I created more room for toiletries, protein bars, and my writing and reading materials.
The spiral notebook and The Immortalists will go in my carry on so I’ll have access to them on the plane.
I completely organized the bathroom stuff, meds and supplements, all the other last minute things and it’s ready to go into my suitcase first thing Wednesday morning.
And my jaw relaxed when I wrote that.
I got this!
therobynbirdsnest 
Packing for a trip is always a challenge. Just for fun, when you get pack let us know how much you actually used. Every trip I go on I always bring home stuff I never used. I try to bring a notebook but hardly use that, and the main time I read is on the flights. If I am someplace new I want to outside by the ocean (usually) and just trying to absorb the spot in my memory banks (or is it blanks LOL).
Challenge accepted! That sounds like a fun idea!
I know I over-pack. But I would rather bring home a handful of things I didn’t need or use than be wishing I had them.
I packed more casual dresses than I actually need, but I may want to wear something different in the evenings than during the day.
I need options. But not too many, cause that’s just overwhelming af.
My goal is to write specifically about my experience each day, mostly through central America. I want to document it when it’s fresh in my mind.
I also read on the plane.
Most likely, I won’t read in San Francisco.
I’ll read on ‘at sea’ days. I’ll lie under an umbrella out on the deck and read read read.
Will I get through all five books? Probably not, but again…I don’t want to to be on the flight home with nothing to read.
Thanks for challenging me! ❤
@dfolstad58 just so you know, I did not use the following:
1 dress
1 sweater
1 shirt
3 socks
2 undies
I’m going to call this pack a win!
Chuckling here as I read this! High Five !
I’ve read most of those books so I’m looking forward to the book discussion….
Excellent!!
I will ask this bit of guidance, are these vacay novels, or do I need to rechoose?
I just joined a book club a friend is starting, I’m a little leery because most of thes women are reading YA books. It starts the first of the year, I’ll keep you posted. 😘
I loved gentleman FYI…..they are all interesting, and I liked some more than others, but what is your definition of vacay books? These aren’t light, breezy and fun. They’re aren’t heavy novels, but there is some depth and thought needed. I would not have read any of them on vacation
Well, damn!
That was helpful. Now I’m wondering if I need to switch them out for others…
I loved Rules of Civility, so I’m hopeful for Gentleman.
Gentlemen is so much better!! It’s a gorgeous book!
Excellent!
@LA I read four of those five books. But only because I panicked in San Francisco and sent one home before we got on the ship.
I need to get my thoughts in order to have a proper discussion but it went something like this:
Didn’t super love the Immortalists. It was like it tried to be a great story but just couldn’t quite get there.
Beautiful Ruins stuck with me, I very much liked it even though the writing wasn’t particularly great.
Night Circus was a delight, but also disturbing. I enjoyed it much more than I expected.
Half of What You Hear was terrible, but I read it because it was all I had at the end.
I was the same as you on immortalists but I didn’t want to influence. I didn’t like beautiful ruins though…I didn’t get why everyone loves it. Can’t wait to discuss! FYI….try to read The a Gifted a School….it will freak you out about today’s culture (fiction) also…do you do goodreads? If so we must become buddies so we can discuss