Packing Light

So I turned 46 yesterday...

Yeah, I'm going to need that Benjamin Button secret, because I'm reallllly not ok with being closer to 50 than I am to 40.

Barf.

Anyway, I'm in total denial that I'm middle-aged. So one of my best friends and I hopped on a jet plane to Nashville.  I'd never been before, but Tennessee sounded like a fun place to kick up our heels!

In my travels and in my life, I like to pack light.  I think small amounts of baggage are key to navigating any place, situation or relationship. Enough to be prepared, not so much that it weighs you down.

When I pack for a trip, I follow 4 rules:

RULE 1: PICK A COLOR

I always choose a main color -- usually either black or navy -- for all my clothes
and use that as the anchor for everything else I pack so I can mix and match. 
For Nash, in honor of Johnny Cash, I chose black.

RULE 2: ONLY BRING WHAT YOU'LL WEAR

As you see above, I lay out all my clothes so I don't bring more than I can wear.
For this long weekend getaway, I had 2 outfits per day, 1 pair of pjs,
2 pairs of shoes, sneakers, a few accessories and a jacket.
And everything fit in my favorite suitcase of all time from Away.

RULE 3: NEVER CHECK BAGS

I don't think I've checked a bag in 20 years. 
It's risky, a waste of time, and now with all these fees, a waste of money too!
That's another benefit to packing light, if you can't carry it, it can't come.

RULE 4: REPACK AS YOU GO

We woke up about 15 minutes before I took this pic. 
We're not scrambling around a messy room right here because I repack as I go. 
I unpack everything when I arrive and hang all my outfits together in the closet,
then as I wear them, they go right back back in my bag. 
My best friend does that too (nevermind all her clothes fit in a lunchbox).

So, there you have it.  My "wisdom" as I enter a new year: Make big memories and travel light.

Oh, and don't buy a cowboy hat in Nashville, no matter how tempting it may be...

2 old friends. 2 big hats. 1 late night, 0 filters.

Have any packing (or aging) tips? Drop them in the comments below!