Packing light

This week Ed and I are leaving the mild temperatures of central Texas and heading to southeast Michigan.  Why on earth would we do such a thing?  Well, Ed's family is there.  And he's an only child.  And its his first time living more than an hour away from his parents.  And if we don't come, his mother might implode.

Also, we miss snow!  I know, I know.  If you knew me in Michigan, you know I never stopped complaining about the snow.  But I really do miss it; it doesn't feel like Christmas (or hell, even WINTER) without a little frost on the ground.  So we're unpacking our cold-weather clothes, leaving Gus with a friend, and heading to the Great White North.

I love to travel, y'all.  I love packing, especially; mostly, planning my outfits.  I'm a packing light kinda gal.  Most of my travel adventures have included flying stand-by (what up free flights on Delta! Thanks, Dad!) and if you've ever flown stand-by, you know that you must never check your bags.  You don't know what flight you're going to get on, if at all, so its best to have your stuff with you, lest it ends up God knows where (and I'm flying Delta anyway, if you know what I'm saying...).  Thus, I'm used to packing light.  And when you travel light, its imperative that you're organized.  Ah, my specialty.

Even though we're only going for 9 days, I wanted to only take enough clothes to last me 4.  That means, I'll wear everything twice.  I made note of any "special occasion days" (like a get-together with Ed's extended family) and then made a plan for my outfits, which I'll pack.  Two dresses, two tops, two bottoms and a few accessories should do it (that's a 6 for 9, for those of you keeping score).  I'm totally comfortable wearing clothes more than one without washing them, but if push comes to shove, we can do laundry at Ed's parent's house.

What do I use to stuff it all in?  Behold, The Duffle:

I got this L. L. Bean Adventure Duffle (in navy) for my Bat Mitzvah and it is the absolute best gift I have ever received.  I have taken this sucker EVERYWHERE with me: from summer camp to Israel to Australia, this bag has seen it all.  It is very spacious and even packed to the brim it fits snugly into the overhead compartment.  For a short trip like ours I can fit both of our clothes, shoes, toiletries, accessories, winter coats, gifts AND have room left over to bring back gifts for ourselves.  Seriously, GO GET THIS BAG.  Here, I'll make it super easy for you. GO! (And then come back.)  Plus, the shoulder strap makes it easy for me to carry it like a messenger bag.

We'll each have our own backpacks for plane activities which fit under the seat and TAH DAH, all set to go.  We've packed light!

Do you have any packing light tips?