It's official... Ashley 1 - Packing 0
It's been touch and go, but this week I was victorious in packing. Here is the current state of my packing odyssey (I haven't slept in my bed in three days lol):
Can I just admit that packing for 7 months is hard? Like, really hard! But I have slowly been sorting (and whittling) and I have finally paired everything down to fit into two large suitcases (turns out almost all of my summer clothes will have to be shipped).
As you can see I have a packing cube obsession. I like to pack each type of item - sweaters, blouses, pants, skirts, etc. - in its own packing cube, which breaks down like this:
I do this for several reasons. First packing cubes keep you super organized and help you keep track of what you have packed. Second, they compress your clothes, which creates more room (I also roll my clothes in each cube to further maximize space). Third, and most importantly, packing cubes/sacks/envelopes allow you to remove/add items or rearrange things in your suitcase without destroying or unfolding everything else you've already packed. Have you ever had to completely unpack your suitcase or destroy all of your perfectly folded clothes because you were searching for one particular item of clothing? Well with packing cubes, you can remove or change one cube without disturbing your entire system!
Once I sorted everything, I began weighing each cube. I recorded the weight of each cube so I could total the weight of the clothing I wanted to pack and figure out how to distribute it evenly between the two suitcases (I'm at 72 pounds if you're curious). After I sorted the cubes into each suitcase I began the ultimate game of Tetris as I tried to figure out the best arrangement of cubes in each suitcase.
It feels like such a huge relief to have this done before Christmas! But now I don't want to unpack anything, so I have to stick to wearing whatever is left over in my closet lol. I have also promised myself that if I get anything for Christmas that I want to add to my packing plan, I have to stick to a one-in, one-out system.
Ah, glorious organization!
Here is what I ended up packing:
Blouses/Tops - 15
T-shirts/Sweatshirts - 5 (tees), 5 (sweatshirts)
Sweaters - 7
Pants/Jeans - 5 (trousers), 4 (jeans)
Skirts - 10
Dresses - 10
Blazers - 4
Coats - 5
Denim Jacket - 1
Puffer Vests - 4
Special Occasion Items - 3 dressier dresses
Loungewear - 3 sweatpants, 3 hoodies
Pjs - 3 pairs
Bras - 2 black, 2 nude, 3 sport bras
Workout Wear - 10 tops, 10 bottoms (mix of long and short), 3 cold weather jackets
Underwear - #alltheundies
Scarves - 3
Tights - 2 black, 2 navy, 2 nude
Socks - 2 boot socks, 2 black knee highs, 2 navy knee highs, 2 camp socks
Shoes - 2 pairs of Melissa flats, 1 pair leopard slip-on sneakers (I am packing my Hunters in my carry on to save weight and I'll be wearing my black booties on the plane)
Finally, here is a selection of my favorite packing cubes. Trust me once you pack with packing cubes you won't be able to just throw clothes into a suitcase (like a heathen) again!
Packing Envelope (perfect for keeping button downs in tip top shape)
Compression Packing Cube (once you fill it, it zips to compress the bag)
Regular Packing Cube (the medium size is the most useful)
Shoe Cube (I also really like just using shower caps to cover the soles of shoes)
Compression Sacks (I used one for my beanies and blanket scarves, I also use one to pack a complete change of clothes in my carry on)
What do you guys think? How should I celebrate my packing victory?
Labels: 7 months abroad, packing, travel, Travel Tips