Packing: Part 1 of Many

I am doing my packing planning for our upcoming trip. 

I’m taking into account:

• The weather – totally unpredictable.  It can range from cold and rainy to hot and humid
• The settings – varies between cities (Amsterdam, Florence, Genoa) and more laid-back Mediterranean locales
• Access to laundry – the apartment we rent doesn’t have a washer, so we rely on a local laundromat.  It is both expensive and time consuming, so we try and limit our visits to once a week
• Appropriate clothing – as a traveler, not a tourist, I prefer to try and fit in.  Italians of a certain age don’t ‘do’ athleisure (which I live in at home), so I need to think more along the ‘casual sportswear’ line

First, my luggage:

I will be taking a larger bag to check.  I also have a rolling backpack as a carryon (both pictured in the lower right of today’s collage).  Since I don’t want to bring another backpack, I did make one purchase. While I love Longchamp bags, they have no built in organization or easy way to hook to my luggage.  I found a Baggallini hobo tote I am pretty enamored with (pictured in the lower middle).  It is a good size without being ginormous and it has both a luggage sleeve and spots for a small water bottle and umbrella.  I think it will be great for the plane and for days I am roaming around cities. I don’t like carrying a backpack around.  I am just not a backpack person and they don’t feel that secure to me. ☹.

Now clothes:

I am trying to ‘shop my closet’ for this trip and not buy anything that I wouldn’t wear here. 

Note: One of the best investments I ever made was getting my colors done!  Everything seems to go together 😊. It is like having grown up Garanimals in my closet, all in my autumn palette.  For this trip, I am going with shades of beige/brown and navy.

I tend to be a ‘uniform dresser’ for most occasions here and when I travel– pants; sweater/tee; necklace/scarf/cowl; earrings.  I throw a jacket/vest/sweater on if needed.  And I love my many variations of sneakers!  Thank heavens sneakers are now common in Italy. 

I always bring 2 pairs of PJs and I like having an ‘apartment/hotel’ outfit (comfortable pants and a comfortable top) that I can relax in but can also wear to take a walk or grab a cappuccino.

I want to bring enough clothes for about a week , knowing I will do laundry about once a week.  The hard part is thinking about the weather and the range of clothes I may need.

So far, I have landed on (not including my travel and apartment outfits):

• 2 pairs of pants (one in linen in case it gets toasty) + one pair for hiking
• 1 sweater and 1 cardigan
• 4-5 short sleeve tops (also 1 in linen) + 2 for hiking
• 2 long sleeve tops
• Outerwear – a raincoat and a vest
• 3 scarves
• Swimsuit and cover-up

Of course, this list is all subject to (many) changes 😊

“Just in case” is the curse of packing.

Alexandra Potter

Allene