Packing Laziness

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No matter how much I prepare mentally that I am going to pack early, it never happens. I really don’t enjoy packing. I don’t like thinking about all the scenarios and the logistics of how we are going to carry everything. The last Europe trip really put this into perspective. Hector ended up carrying way to many bags because I imagined my girls pulling their own cute Minnie Mouse suitcases through the airport looking stylish like world travelers and NOPE. In the end they are still kids and complain anytime you ask them to do anything. So as a result, we knew better. I was limited to 1 suitcase for 4 ladies…with a little room to steal from Hector’s suitcase. Hector needs and packs his own suitcase because he is really the only one who HAS to go on this trip. We are just tagging along. He needs to look like he is going to work. Therefore he has to take work clothes and leisure clothes. Plus his company loves saying, “Oh can you just take these giant squishy balls and hand them out to customers??” Like he has all the room in the world for extras in his carryon. We don’t check bags when flying to Europe. Something always gets lost. After back to back experiences, we just don’t do it anymore. At HomeGoods I found these things from the Sharper Image brand called packing cubes and I must say they are GREAT! They are like mini suitcases that you fit inside your big suitcase. Everyone got one. If it didn’t fit in the cube it didn’t go. That was the rule. We each got 6 sets of clothes. i was willing to drop down to 4 if necessary, but it worked out. The girls got dresses mostly and some shorts/t-shirts so they wouldn’t complain the whole time about dresses. Suri got mostly dresses. They are just easier to pack and make you fit in more at the churches and look less American. No matter what you believe, Americans are targets...so we try to avoid looking American. I packed 3 pairs of shoes plus the ones I was wearing, and the girls got one extra set each…even Suri. Every baby I have ever taken loses a shoe in Europe. I have pictures to prove it. The packing cubes made the suitcase packing a breeze. I got the big one, Suri got the middle one, and Lluvi and Audrey shared a space saver bag (luggage size) since I didn’t have time to go buy more of the packing cubes. In the baby packing cube, I put all the underwear, socks, and bibs and stuck that in the carryon rather than my purple roller bag. One set of clothes and the sweaters got put in the carryon ECI bag (Land’s End Large Tote). The pampers and wipes for the plane went on the outside pocket. I packed a backpack with toys/books/crayons/snacks for Suri. In the other backpack went Hector’s giant work shoes, the big camera, my mini-makeup bag and other randomness needed for the trip. We did not bother packing shampoo and such because Europe always has shampoo in the shower and we buy the conditioner when we get there. I only took enough pampers and wipes needed for the duration of the actual travel. A new pack of pampers would be bought there. Several days before I had been stressing about the carseat transport for Suri. Her toddler seat is HEAVY so I bough a super like cosco one that is recommended by traveling moms on craigslist for $20. It is 9 pounds and we bungeed it to Hector’s suitcase. Our stroller (Bugaboo Bee) is expensive so it has a bag that we put it in for under the plane at gate check. I have read about plenty of people who got a broken stroller when they landed, so we try to protect ours. Last time they ripped our bag and offered to pay for it to repair it, but sometimes it is just more trouble than its worth. The lovely rip was still there, but the bag served its purpose. I could and may write a whole entry about strollers when traveling to different places. If you want it just ask.

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