Everyone needs to take a vacation every once in awhile. It’s good for you; mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. One of the most important things about planning a vacation is packing for a vacation!
Tangerine Tea:
My go-to vacation spot is Disney World! Once the trip is booked, I get super excited and start planning food reservations and fast passes for rides. I also plan what I am going to pack. I like to make a list to make sure I don’t miss anything!
Of course, we have to pack all the summer essentials. Let’s pack sunscreen and aloe (just in case), sunglasses, and a hat. In the last couple years I have found cooling towels super helpful in the Florida summer heat. I also usually pack a handheld fan. All these things are going to bring comfort on long days in the sun. Other warm weather items I make sure to pack are a bathing suit and flip flops. The flip flops are mainly to walk to from my hotel room to the pool or just around the resort.
Next I walk through my daily routine in my mind and make a list of what things I use every day I will need to pack. These are things like my toothbrush, medication, deoderant, hair brush, and make up.
For any other vacation, I usually list out clothes like, “6 shirts, 2 pants, 3 shorts” and so on. A Disney trip is very different. I love Disney bound and plan my outfits. Disney bounding is dressing like a Disney character without actually dressing like a Disney character. This could mean dressing with their color scheme or using everyday clothes to give of the character’s overall vibe. A woman named Leslie Kay invented this concept! (Check out some examples: https://disneybound.co/ )
In the past I have Disney bounded as Minnie Mouse, Rapunzel, and the aliens from Toy Story!
Minnie Mouse 
Rapunzel 
Toy Story Alien
Other Disney essentials I pack are some ears from my ear collection and my MagicBand. I buy at least one pair of ears on every trip so I try not to bring too many with me.. I have a few MagicBands, so I like to bring two with me so I can change them based on my outfit or the park we are going to that day.
Lastly, I make sure to tell my bank I am traveling. This is a little detail that can be easily forgotten, but may cause a problem once you’re on vacation if you don’t do it. Oh, and I make sure I have a couple movies downloaded so I can watch them on the plane.
Winter Bee:
I am a last minute packer for sure! I can be found throwing everything in the suitcase the night before- or carrying clothes out to Matilda (our RV ♥) two hours before we leave. But I do travel light!
I choose my clothes to fit into a travel capsule, making sure all the tops/bottoms will mix and match instead of planning one ‘outfit’ per day. I try to account for all weather possibilities too. This didn’t work very well last week on our trip to visit family in Ohio. I packed for spring and about froze to death. Usually I check the 10-day weather forecast for wherever I’m headed but I didn’t this time!
I limit accessories when traveling too. Honestly, nobody is ever going to notice if I wear the same earrings, bracelet, or scarf throughout the week! The same goes for shoes- I like casual sneakers that are good for being on my feet all day and a dressier flat for wearing when we have dinner out or just want to feel fancy for a day. In winter I might pack boots or booties and in summer a comfortable sandal.
Here are the tops I packed last week and how everything worked together. I did bring two pairs of glasses- everyone has their weak spot and that is mine! I brought my jean jacket, blue driving moccasins, and two pairs of jeans- a dark and a light wash.
The bracelet is a Touchstone Crystal by Swarovski® Wrap-Star and I wear it often. It’s sparkly and light as air. You can find it here.
I packed navy blue flats but never wore them- it was too cold to go without socks. I also thrifted a fuchsia sweater which looked Fab with the pink t-shirt and scarf. The entire thrifting haul will be another day!
Last fall we took a three week vacation in Matilda the RV to Washington State- I took a 25 piece capsule and didn’t even wear everything!
What I brought for a 3-week vacation!
I always bring books when traveling. I like regular books but if I’m flying and want to travel light I will borrow library books on my iPad. My dad was an avid reader and a truck driver. Did you know truck stops often have ‘driver libraries’ where the truckers and pick up a new book and leave one already read? Just like a neighborhood Little Library. I think that’s the coolest thing!
My fellow ‘mature’ ladies will appreciate how important it is to bring your meds and never let them leave your side! I usually mete out what I will need, with a few extra for just in case… And I bring everything. I was caught out on a work trip with an unexpected migraine and no meds. Not making that mistake again!
How do you pack? Are you an incorrigible over-packer or a minimalist? Do you have a favorite travel destination like Rachel? Let us know in the comments!
