As an empty-nester, traveling enthusiast, and senior mama flight attendant, you would think that I’d be a packing pro. Wrong! I pack everything, in case of everything. The realization of my crazy packing was during a recent four-day getaway to Europe. I packed two sets of workout clothes just in case I decided to go to the gym. I packed two dresses, one skirt, three sweaters, two pairs of leggings, and one pair of jeans. I packed a pair of heels in case we went to a fabulous restaurant. I packed, just in case, four pairs of mules, one pair of ballet flats, and one pair of sneakers. Not to mention every over-the-counter remedy that was on the shelf at CVS.
OK, let’s be real. It was highly unlikely that I was going to do a full-on workout on a four-day trip. I packed like I was hitting the gym, like I was in training, but the only workout I was going to do was walking from sight to sight and cafe to cafe and weightlifting wine glasses.
The heels were definitely a waste of luggage space. I never even took them out of the shoe bag to consider them. After all of the walking during the day, my feet recoiled at the thought of heels for dinner.
The clothing was not too bad, but I really only wore the jeans I traveled in during the first day. I only needed clothes for the next three days, and with those outfits I literally only wore two pairs of the mules that I packed, one of which were the ones I traveled in.
So I decided to talked with my good friend and travel expert, Rhonda Feimster, who has a business called 1bagtravel.net. She helped me with tips on how to pack realistically with one bag. I even bought a cool new spring/summer Dooney & Bourke weekender bag from TJ Maxx. Watch the video below to see how she transforms my everything-but-the-kitchen-sink packing style into a smart, stylish, jet-set one.