Saturday, August 11, 2012

My life in 96 pounds.

I did it! I managed to fit my entire life (for the next four months, anyway) into one suitcase and one carry-on. And a very large purse, of course. (I knew I could do it!) Before I left for my Leadership Consultant training, I took lots of pictures while I was packing so I could write a blog post about it. Unfortunately, I couldn't find my camera cord so I couldn't upload any of the photos. Boo! Luckily, I left for my first chapter visit on Wednesday, so I had to pack everything up again!

I already took a few items home when I went to a wedding in California earlier this month, including a pencil skirt and a pair of casual shorts, but I'll probably have to send more home soon because of all the gifts and goodies we got in Atlanta. It was way harder to pack all that new stuff than I thought it would be! So, here's the updated list of what I'm carrying with me now:

I didn't even know I owned eight pairs of shoes until I packed for this job. (I also packed a pair of brown riding boots, not pictured here.)

I basically packed a whole drugstore. You never know what you'll need....

bath products | dental care | hair care & accessories | skin care | make-up & remover | deodorant | razors | sunscreen | Tide-to-Go & wrinkle release | Q-tips, Band-Aids & other random necessities | medicine | vitamins | travel-sized toiletries for emergencies
 
In the photo above, you can also see my jewelry bag that a friend's mother made for us before she graduated. Isn't it cute? I'm not a big jewelry person—I have several nice, classic pieces I received as gifts that I wear almost every day—but I do like to mix up my bracelets every now and then. This is all I packed in that department:

9 bracelets | watch | 3 rings | 2 pairs stud earrings | 4 necklaces | ADPi badge

All the clothes. It's more than it looks once you try to pack it in your suitcase....

7 dresses | 3 pencil skirts | 3 pairs dress pants | 8 dressy tops | 2 layering tanks | 6 cardigans | 2 blazers | 2 camis | 1 suit | skinny jeans | 2 v-neck T-shirts | zip-up fleece | 1 pair shorts | rain jacket | 3 pairs Norts | capri sweatpants | 6 casual tanks & T-shirts | 3 long-sleeved T-shirts | 5 sports bras | 2 sleep T-shirts | black robe | 3 scarves | swimsuit & cover-up | 1 pair leggings | 3 pairs tights | plenty of socks and undergarments!

And finally, my purse might have been the hardest thing to pack because of all my gadgets and other assorted accessories:

MacBook & charger | camera & battery charger | iPod & cord | iPad & charger | personal phone & charger | work phone & charger | Kindle & charger | extension cord | headphones | ADPi notepad | ADPi padfolio | thank you cards & regular stationery | forever & postcard stamps | planner | clutch | umbrella | water bottle & ADPi tumbler | granola bars & oatmeal | mints | resistance band | business cards | normal purse stuff (wallet, passport, pens, etc.) | suitcase scale

Ready to go!

Whew! I already know I want to send some stuff home (I don't need my water bottle and a tumbler, for example), but I'll probably wait until I send home some of my summer apparel, like my white heels. For now, though, I just hope I can get everything back in my bags before I leave Washington State!

What would you pack if you were going on the road for an indefinite amount of time?

P.S. — Breanna, you have until Monday to claim your giveaway prizes! Otherwise I'll have to select a new winner....

5 comments:

Sophie @ threetimesf said...

Packing for 3 weeks travelling on the road was tough enough for me - I am very impressed with your skills!

Kiki said...

Of course you packed dry shampoo. Enabler.

:) Love you!

Sara said...

I hate packing for ONE weekend, can't imagine packing for four months!

Whitney H said...

I cannot imagine what it would be like to pack my entire life up! Do you know what your schedule is yet? :)

Jessica Bucher said...

You are an expert packer! and I thought I was good?!
Traveling for four months sounds fun, but I can imagine by the end, you will be glad to be settled. but seriously, how cool.
Glad you can blog still. :)