Packing for a trip is a perfect way to obsess endlessly about the exact right clothes I’ll need. My OCD kicks in as I ponder what to include so that every item coordinates with every other item and I’ll have everything I’ll want, never be too hot or too cold and have it all fit in a small roller board that will fit in an overhead compartment.
I spent a week in Santa Cruz, California (and the Bay area and the Monterey Bay) back at the beginning of April. Having lived in Santa Cruz for 10 years, I knew there was a good chance it would be cool and possibly a little rainy but I was hoping for the best. I even packed a swim suit even though no one goes in the ocean in April.
I finally settled on 1 dress, 3 pairs of jeans, 1 pair of jean shorts, 4 tee shirts, 4 long sleeve tops, a light jacket, 1 pair of clogs, 1 pair of sandals, 2 pairs of sneakers. Here are some of my try on shots:
A graphic tee, J Crew jean shorts and J Crew sandals.
Comfy Gap top, Madewell jeans and white Nikes.
Comfy Gap top, Madewell jeans and black Nikes.
Banana Republic black turtleneck sweater, Madewell jeans and black Nikes.
J Crew Tippi sweater, AG jeans and Troentorp clogs.
Gap tee shirt, Madewell jeans and black Nikes.
Banana Republic sweater, AG jeans and white Nikes.
Graphic tee, Madewell jeans and Troentorp clogs.
Madewell eyelet top, Madewell boyjeans and Troentorp clogs.
Gap striped dress and Troentorp clogs.
I had planned to take my Madewell transport tote but switched it out at the last minute for a plain black backpack which I thought was really smart and much more comfortable for travel. I also swapped my army jacket for my a trench coat but ended up wishing I had brought my Uniqlo puffer. I also wished I’d brought a hoodie like my one from Old Navy. I ended up buying Santa Cruz Skateboards sweatshirts for my kids and wore one almost the whole time. I didn’t wear the shorts, the dress or the bikini I brought. Have you figured out that northern California can be cold? It did finally warm up and it was beautiful. I ate a lot of tacos, saw lots of my west coast family and friends and had a really great time.
