Simplify Your Packing

When I was in my twenties, every vacation was an opportunity to wear fabulous outfits.  Of course, wearing a fabulous outfit means bringing multiple pairs of shoes and a lot of accent pieces and accessories.  Luckily I grew out of that phase, and I now pack very simply, bringing things that are easy to pack and easy to wear.  I never pack more than I need.

The one exception has always been my jewelry.  I am crazy about costume jewelry.  Nothing oversized or flashy, but interesting and unique pieces, especially earrings.  I typically bring a different pair of earrings to wear each day — specially coordinated to my outfit — and sometimes even a different necklace to match it.

Last month, my husband and daughter and I traveled to San Antonio, Texas, to visit his family.  In the spirit of simplicity, I decided to bring just one necklace – a classy set of silver-tone beads — and several pairs of silver-tone earrings.  I wore the necklace and a pair of earrings on the plane.  Imagine my surprise when we checked in to our hotel and I unpacked my suitcase, only to discover that I had left the box of spare earrings behind.  So for our entire visit I wore the same pair of earrings every day.

And you know what?  Nobody noticed, and nobody cared.  It was actually quite a relief for me not to have to make a decision each morning as to which pair of earrings to wear.

Last week I went to New Orleans to attend the annual conference of NAPO (the National Association of Professional Organizers).  I decided to wear the same necklace and earrings that I had worn in San Antonio, and not to pack any additional jewelry.  Again, nobody cared!

I can still have fun coordinating my jewelry when I am at home, but I’ve found yet another way to simplify my packing.  One less set of decisions to make when I’m packing and when I’m in my hotel.  Amen to that!

  1. Kim Oser
    Apr 24, 2013

    You always look classy & fabulous. I didn’t realize you were wearing the same jewelry each day. When I travel, I typically only change up my bracelets. I can only wear studs so my earrings don’t change. Having less choices certainly does make travel easier. Also, you have less worry about the security of your items in the room.

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