Getting ready to fly away

I always wonder if I'll ever get packing down to a science. Then, I wonder if I even really want that, because every trip is just a little bit different, and that requires that I bring different things along.

I have gotten better at not overpacking when it comes to clothes. For my two weeks in Italy, I packed: 

2 pairs of blue jeans

1 pair of white jeans

1 pair of black ripstop pants

I'm wearing the ripstop pants because they're comfortable as hell and hide dirt, perfect for a long plane ride. I packed one pair of jeans, a long sleeved T, socks and clean underwear into a compression packing cube and crammed that into my carryon, along with carefully curated toiletries. I have a 4 hour layover in Paris, which sounds like a lot, but between the time it takes to deplane (and I'm sitting way in the back) and then get to the Yotel where C and I are camping out, we'll have maybe enough time to each grab and shower and maybe a 20-30 minute nap before we have to head back to passport control and on to the next flight. 

But that's okay, because it will be fantastic to get that shower and change of clothes and whatever sleep I can steal! Overnight flights are rough, but this should hopefully help me feel a little more human. 

This means that my carry on bag is more crammed than usual, because I have that change of clothes and the toiletries, along with my noise canceling headphones and camera. 

Back to packing...I did great with the clothes. Everything matches everything else. Several long sleeved t-shirts, a few short sleeved Ts, one rain jacket, one fleece vest, one cardigan, and one pullover sweater. I have three pairs of shoes: the black Brooks sneakers I'm wearing onto the plane, a pair of gray Tom's, and a pair of leopard print flats. I wanted to bring my tall black leather boots but there was simply no way I was fitting all of that into my suitcase, which now weighs approximately 7.6 million pounds because of all of the snacks.

Yes, I know they have food in Italy, but I'll be spending the next 14 or so hours in airports and I like to know there is something reasonably healthy available. Plus, I just like snacks, okay? 

I have podcasts loaded onto my phone (the Away Travel series, the Maryland Zoo's series called On Exhibit, and old episodes of Loveline. Love me some Adam Carolla and Dr. Drew). I have newspapers downloaded onto my iPad, courtesy of Air France. I have a kindle, and a few actual, paper magazines (I love traveling with magazines because after I read them, I can give them away, simultaneously spreading the happy while lightening my load). 

I'm ready. Bring on the intercontinental travel!

Seriously. Compression cubes. Get some.