Every girl knows that packing is the essential factor to any successful trip.  I started “packing” back in February while we visited my parents in Destin, Florida.   I hit every store in Silversands Outlet Mall looking for the perfect and necessary clothing for Iceland and Ireland.  I dragged Ken to most of them too hoping he’d start thinking of what he wanted to take ahead of time instead of 5 hours before the plane’s departure.  He didn’t.  I was in the car waiting to leave while he was still throwing things in his suitcase.

Speaking of suitcases…he was adamant that he only needed a carryon even though we booked seats that allowed a check bag each.  His rationale: he didn’t want to be dragging  mammoth bags around all the time.  There is no way I  could pack for two weeks in 14in x 22in.  None.  My shoes alone would take up that space.  For the record, I never once asked him to carry my bags or backpack or purse or shopping bags. Though I did ask him to carry me on a number of occasions.  He didn’t.  But the day before we left he came home with this big blue monster…bigger than mine!  Ha!

Practice makes perfect.  I packed and repacked daily for two weeks before we left using these great travel cubes.  They are incredible and I highly recommend them.  They force you to keep everything organized and allow you maximize suitcase space.  Ken…he used one for dirty laundry.  Every time we packed up and moved on, my luggage looked fresh as a daisy…Ken’s looked a bomb went off and resembled our bedroom floor.

Of course, I overpacked.  All the travel sites said I would and I did.  Though looking back, all that planning did pan out.  Most of the clothes were worn and the only things lost were a hairbrush in Iceland and one of our travel adapters in Killiney.  And 2 Icelandic and 2 Aran sweaters made their way back to the states!

My packing tips:

• use travel cubes…they really are incredible.
• bring a few dryer sheets to keep your clothes smelling fresh.  We didn’t and we should have.
• capsule wardrobes are perfect for traveling.  Checkout Pinterest for a number of ideas.
• layer, layer, layer.
• bring a pair of flip-flops.  After long days of walking, it’s great to have something soft and feet-freeing.  I’m in love Sanku’s yoga mat flip-flops.
• make sure to bring a scarf that can double as a blanket and a picnic blanket.  If I wasn’t wearing it, I was in our backpack at all time.  I used in on the plane, in the airports, in our Airbnbs, and at the Cliffs of Moher.

Oh packing.  It is such a joy for us guys.  Krista is right, she started back in February and was telling me all about the different type of clothes we would need for our trip to Iceland and Ireland at the end June.  To be fair Krista is a planner and I am more of an outline type of person.  Just give me the parameters and I am good to go.More about that in another post or two.

I don’t know about you but I am not a big clothes shopper.  When I do shop for clothes, I like to get in and out as quick as possible. I knew I would need a few new things for this trip but to be honest, it wasn’t really a concern of mine in February. Heck the trip wasn’t for another 4 months.  I had plenty of time and who knew what the weather was really going to be like that far out.  I was having a hard time thinking we would really need all the different type of clothing Krista was telling me about.

Like Krista said, she started packing her suitcase and unpacking, then packing and unpacking month before departure.  She asked when I was going to start to pack and I said the day we leave and that I was only going to take a carry on bag.  It is true, I said, “I really didn’t want to schlep around 2 carry on and 2 checked bags for two weeks.” Now to be fair, Krista is good at taking care of and carrying her own luggage but I could only image the possible problems or issues that could arise. I wanted to avoid it at all costs.  While she was packing and unpacking she mentioned that she didn’t really have much room to bring anything back that she would buy.  So being a good guy, I bought a bigger checked bag 2 days before our departure so there would be room for what Krista purchases on our trip. Sometimes Krista thinks I am not listening, but really I am.

I packed the day we left. A couple of pair of jeans, t-shirts, a few collared shirts, socks, underwear, shorts and your typical personal hygiene stuff. It took me 30 minutes top.  I looked at Krista’s bag and mentioned to her that she may want to lose some of the pants and pack more shorts.  See, I looked at the extend forecast.  I knew it was going to be HOT in Ireland. She did pack more shorts and thanked me on the trip for recommending it.  I will say everything I packed would have fit in a carry on bag.

So guys here are my packing tips:

• Your girl will over pack, so expect it. They plan for everything.
• Take what you need, you can always buy it.
• Make sure to have extra room for her stuff at the end of the trip
• Make sure to pack a hat
• I forgot to pack sandals or flip flops, Don’t forget them if the weather forecast warrants it.