ALL MY BAGS ARE PACKED

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(All My Bags are Packed (Leaving on a Jet Plane ) – John Denver)

Isn’t this a great photo? Richard took it last summer. Summers on PEI are fantastic but the winters can be cold therefore we’re becoming snowbirds this winter.

All my bags are packed?

Well, not really all packed. Though mostly packed.

This is a different and difficult packing experience for me. For short trips I always pack way too much so now with a three month trip on the horizon I’m struggling over taking enough, too much, or not enough. Add to this the fact that I’m a small –nope- a huge shoe lover. Mybiggest problem is limiting the footwear that I’ll take. It took a long time to come up with the best choices. I know I have to be practical but this girl does love her shoes. 

I’ve allocated myself my large suitcase plus my travel carry on bag. (I admit to liking nice things so last year I splurged on a Coach leather travel bag. It’s lovely.) The carry on will hold what I need for the drive there and back and any other short jaunts we take while in Alabama. My suitcase will hold everything else and will remain in the car until we reach out destination. This will make our hotel stays much easier.

I had to laugh this past weekend. All along Richard has said he’s only taking his kit bag and would just buy what he needs down there. Opps. Not so now. On the weekend he asked if he could also use one of my suitcases. Of course he can –the small one or the middle one that is. Ha! Ha! I need the large one. He chose the mid size. Guess he found that just taking a kit bag was not going to cut it. 

In my previous post I mentioned that I’m an organized person and a list maker so yes, I started making my packing lists about two months ago: one for the carry on, one for the suitcase, and one for all the other things we need to take.

LIST ONE

Carry On

*Small containers of my face cosmetics: Quannessance Facial Cleansing Cream, Infinity Solstice Redefining Serum, and Luminess Face Lotion

*Small makeup bag with cle de peau Enriched Lip Luminizer, MAC Foundation, Blush, and Eye Shadow, Arbonne Mascara, and Quo Travel Brushes

*Small bottles of shampoo and conditioner (I know I should use the ones in the hotels but I do like my Redkin products.)

*Toothbrush and toothpaste

*Contact solution

*Hairbrush

*IPad

*Charging Cables for Apple products Plus an Anker 60 watt 6 Port Desktop USB Charger-I decided I was tired of searching in hotels for outlets to charge my devices so bought this on Amazon. Good price so I’m happy.

*Hair straightener – I can use the hotels’ hair dryers but please, I can’t go without my straightener. 

*Jeans

*Turtle neck sweater

*Capri leggings and Tunic top (Hoping it gets warmer)

*Long black cardigan

AND IT ALL FITS. PERFECT!

I’ll wear long black leggings, a black hoodie, and black Sketchers along with a MK tote.

LIST TWO

Suitcase

*2 Blue jeans/jeggings

*White jeans

*Black jeggings

*Black capri leggings

*4 Sleeveless dresses

*4 Cardigans (black, red, pink, navy) I can mix and match with various outfits.

*5 Sleeveless tops which can been worn with multiple bottoms plus double as bathing suit coverups

*Long sleeved top

*Bathing suit

*Pashmina

*Gym gear

*Yoga clothes 

*Extra socks and underwear

*Beige MK flat sandals, Birkenstocks, sneakers, pumps, outdoor walking sneakers and flip flops

*All weather jacket

*Sunglasses, glasses, contact lenses, jewelry, small clutch, small crossbody, perfume, manicure set, nail polish, hair dryer

LIST THREE

Rubbermaid Tub

*Apple TV

*Vitamins/supplements

*Pillows

*Yoga Mats

*Kettle and tea bags – must have our tea! Green Tea for me and Yorkshire Gold Tea for Richard.

*Slippers

*Crossword puzzle book

*Protein Powder and shaker for morning smoothies

*Folder for: copies of important papers i.e. health directives, passports, cards in wallets, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY a copy of our accommodations contractand/or verification that we have rented a place to stay when we’re there. Friends have told us that we can be turned away at the US Border if we can’t prove that we have a place to stay. Whew! I’m so thankful for friends who have gone before us. Lucky us.

*Camera

*Laptop.

*Car Safety Kit

Wow! When I see it all here I’m beginning to wonder if it’s too much. I have no idea, as this type of trip is new to me. I guess time will tell.

But rest assured, I won’t hide my errors. I’ll share with you all the things I should have brought and all that I should have left at home. 

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Published by Debi

With retirement comes the opportunity for new experiences. Debi has a passion for music, singing, theatre, and travel. With her BMEd and MEd she had an extensive career which included elementary music education, performing, vocal instruction, choral conducting, musical theatre directing, and clinician work. She has, for the most part, retired from this very successful music career. But really, does one ever retire from music? I think not. So now the stage is set for the next act: interweaving her love for music, travel, and whatever else comes her way. Wherever her travels take her Debi shares her exploits: musical adventures, local interests, historical sites, local cuisine, the journey there and back, plus whatever life sends her. She'll share the hits and the misses, the successes and the failures, as well as any helpful hints she discovers along the way.

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