I just got back from a trip to Santa Cruz and San Juan Bautista. I have family, friends, and clients there and really enjoyed getting away for a bit.
Packing for a trip is a challenge for me, and probably for a lot of people. I want to make sure I have everything I need but I really don’t want to check baggage. I managed to fit everything into my small carryon, but then the airline gate-checked it anyway!
So, one week. 7 days. 7 outfits, right? Yes, and no. Here’s what I decided to take:
7 pairs of pants: Black jeans, wide-leg blue jeans, skinny blue jeans, white chinos, hiking pants, black sweats, white shorts
7 tees: long sleeve striped t, long sleeve black t, green t, gray t, white t, blue bowie t, gray tank
5 second-layer tops: Patagonia fleece, cable knit sweater, gray cashmere sweater, navy sweatshirt, striped turtleneck
2 pair leggings, 2 sports bras
5 pairs of shoes: Blundstone boots, Veja sneakers, Nike sneakers, Birkenstock Bostons, Troentorp clogs
1 coat: green quilted
DAY ONE: Flying from Philadelphia to San Jose. I wore my new wide-leg J.Crew jeans which I knew would be comfortable for sitting on a plane for hours, a thrifted Comme des Garçonnes striped tee, my Patagonia fleece, green H&M jacket, and my Blundstone boots because they were too bulky to pack.
DAY TWO: Walking my friend’s dog in the pouring rain, then lunch and shopping with my mom in downtown Santa Cruz. We ate at El Palomar, one of my many favorite taquerias. Then I went and bought a Santa Cruz Skateboards sweatshirt for myself and tee shirts for my family at Pacific Wave. Later that night, my mom and I met up with my brother and had dinner at The Crow’s Nest, watching the sun set over the ocean. Perfection. I wore my LL Bean hiking pants, long sleeve black tee, Patagonia fleece, green H&M Jacket, and Blundstones. (The rain stopped and the sun came out in the afternoon, so I swapped the boots for sneakers.)
DAY THREE: Dog walking, shopping, and client visit. I had so much fun hanging out with my bestie, eating at Zoccoli’s Deli, shopping at the amazing Pacific Trading Company, and then dropping in on my super cool client Current eBikes. I wore a pair of AG jeans, my oversized Bowie tee, and Troentorp clogs. My outfit may seem too casual to meet a client, but not when it’s Santa Cruz.
DAY FOUR: Drive down to San Juan Bautista. We headed south to the beautiful old mission town of San Juan Bautista. The drive was beautiful, lots of green rolling hills, cows, and fields of artichokes, garlic and strawberries. They had a ton of rain and you could see the areas that got flooded. Not good. I wore white Everlane chino pants, a LL Bean cotton cable knit sweater, and Birkenstock Bostons.
DAY FIVE: Met up with a bunch of women for our annual getaway. We hiked, talked, ate, talked more, ate more. I wore a pair of black LL Bean sweats, Everlane cashmere sweater, and Nike Daybreak sneakers.
DAY SIX: Headed back to Santa Cruz. Took a very windy bike ride along West Cliff Drive to Natural Bridges, took a nap to recover, then went out to dinner at Burger. I wore GAP leggings, my new Santa Cruz sweatshirt, and my Veja sneakers.
DAY SEVEN: Flight home. Boo. I wore black LOFT jeans, a striped turtleneck, and Troentorp clogs. I ended up borrowing a duffle bag to pack the extra stuff.
I didn’t need the shorts at all. I could have done without the white pants. Since I knew I was going to buy the sweatshirt I could have left one sweater out. And just taken the Nikes, not the Vejas. Most worn items: black sweats and Patagonia fleece. I was so glad I took my Bostons. Although they aren’t good for rain, they double as slippers. So, if you’re traveling to California in March it’s all about being warm and comfy.