Next week I am headed to Sin City for a national library conference #thingsaregonnagetweird and I decided to extend my stay for some much needed me time. I am the type of person who loves to dream about vacations but never takes them. The last vacation I took was back in 2008. No joke you guys I just never do it, even this “vacation” is going to be mostly work, but I will take it where I can get it at this point. It’s not that I don’t want to go on a great vacation, it’s that no one wants to spend the money to go to the places I want to go. I have been trying to get a friend to go to Iceland with me for two years, no none of my lame friends are interested.
I used to travel a lot, but that sort of ended when I got a real job. In my youth I traveled a lot (I mean a couple hundred thousand air miles a year kind of a lot) I became very good at packing, but never really got the hang of packing what I actually need. Once I went to visit from friends out of town for a few days and realized that while I brought my entire t-shirt/ top collection, I failed to bring any pants to go along with them, and of course on the drive I wore leggings. My motto for a long time has been “I’ll just buy new stuff when I get there.” So here’s a few tips from a non expert on how to get ready for your vacation so you don’t have to spend all your money buying the crap you forgot at home.
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Bring Clothes you will actually wear
Bring the dresses, jeans, and shoes you will actually wear and feel good in, not the ones you wish you look good in and hate yourself for not looking great in. Leave your goal jeans at home and save the space in your suitcase to buy even more stuff that you wish you looked good in. Unless your husband, roommate, sister, boytoy or best friends insist that these items look “so cute” on you just leave them at home.
Pick your vacation soundtrack
I have certain albums that when I listen to them, it immediately takes me back to the time I lived in that album. I’m looking at you The Formats Interventions and Lullabies/ 2003. Good Tunes are essential to a good vacation. I pre-ordered the new Sia album to make this trip one I will never forget!
Bring at least one nice “going out” outfit.
I am going to be in Vegas but I am not planning on hanging out on the strip at night. Maybe I would live it up more if I were going with people I knew, but my plan is to hang out in a pool do some power shopping, gamble exactly 30 dollars and maybe see a show or two. Still you never know when you might meet a handsome stranger and need a dress to double as your wedding gown in the heat of the moment, so pack at least one fancy outfit.
Bring a book but not your whole bookcase
You are allowed one book if you are with friends and family. If your goal is to escape your friends, family and work and you are going on vaca alone, like me, you may include as many books as you would like. If you not like me and have friends or a family you are traveling with stick with one book you can pick up and put down to have some QT with the people you love! Need a suggestion? How about this month’s Boozy Book Club pick?
Minimize your makeup bag.
I have two bags of my “essentials,” my everyday makeup bags, if you will. My sister and I call the main one William and the backup Harry (The Heir and the Spare). I have one on me at all times, but when I go on vacation I unload and strip it down to the very bare essentials (not the makeup brand). A light coverage foundation, one blush, one eyeshadow palette, my brows and mascara, and okay I still bring like 50 lip sticks and glosses because if I don’t want to wear any makeup at all, I pop on some lipstick and instantly it looks like I tried.
Swimwear
Bring a swimsuit you wouldn’t normally wear where people you know might see you. Now’s the time to get daring, you will likely never see these people again so live it up, but bring sunscreen. I know this directly conflicts with rule number one, but swimwear doesn’t take up much space so bring a safe swimsuit and one that you might not want to wear to your neighbors 13 year old son’s birthday pool party.
Of course you’re going to want to bring all other other stuff, like extra spending cash, your bathroom essentials and undies on your vacation that goes without saying. Whether you are gong to the beach, taking a roadtrip, visiting family or meeting up with online friends at an Outlander fan event, take Edward’s advice and “Stay Safe.” Bring your rape whistle and pepper-spray, the pepper-spray might come in handy when having to talk politics with your crazy uncle.
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Did I leave anything out? Who wants to go to Iceland with me? Let me know about your Summer Vacation plans in the comments.
