Packing, Not My Favorite Pastime

I love to go on trips. I mean I REALLY love to go on trips. But I despise packing. It is so bad, I get anxiety over it. (Seriously.) It doesn’t matter if the trip is a couple of nights or a week, it stresses me out to no end.

For the most part, the stress is my own fault. In my constant attempt for everything to be perfect, I always want to make sure I pack everything I could possibly need (or my daughter or my husband could need). Of course, the inevitable always happens and something gets forgotten, and it makes m crazy. (The worst is when I actually pack everything – like the well-planned bag of snacks for our last trip that got left on the kitchen counter. Grrrr….)

I am a check-list kind of girl, so I always make lists. But indecision and forgetfulness set in and frustration overcomes me, and suddenly I am once again dreading packing.

On my most recent trip – to Clearwater Beach on an amazing trip that I will be blogging about soon – my packing list looked something like this:

• 4 (perfect) daytime outfits
• 3 (perfect) nighttime outfits
• 1 beach outfit & hat
• 1 pair of sneakers (for the prego feet)
• 3 pairs of women’s sandals (yes, I needed 3 pairs)
• 1 pair PJs
• Under garments
• Camera (with lots of memory space)
• iPad/Phone/Chargers
• Toiletries/sunscreen/meds/etc
• Cosmetics
• Snacks for the prego (forgotten)
• And on and on…

Plus K’s list:

• 6 daytime outfits (she”s 3, you never know)
• 3 nighttime outfits
• 2 beach outfits & hat
• 1 pair of sneakers
• 2 pairs of kid’s sandals
• 2 pairs PJs
• Pull-ups/Panties
• Pink Bear & Minnie
• DVD player/movies
• Toiletries/sunscreen/etc
• Sand toys (forgotten)
• Snacks for the kiddo (forgotten)

Then there was my hubby’s list

• Bunch of shirts
• Jeans
• Shorts
• 1 pair men’s sandals (which he wore there)
• Deodorant (wife will bring the rest)

Shesh – I wish I were a guy sometimes. It took me the better part of two days to pack for three nights. I think it took my husband 30 minutes with no stress attached.

I really hate packing. How about you?

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