Kindness of Strangers

As I’ve written here before, one of the most common questions we receive is, “How will you pack for your trip?” Other than responding, “Very carefully,” I don’t have a good answer.  Besides the occasional nightmare or two about the packing process, I’ve somehow managed to put off thinking about it.  Until now.  The trip is less than ten weeks away, and unless I want to buy everything in the panicked last days before the trip, I realized that I better start buying some things.  But where to start? 

I made the decision to stay focused by shopping by category; I started with pants.  Why pants?  Pants, for me, are the most difficult thing to purchase, so I figured I’d better tackle this monster while I’ve got the energy to do so.  Pants are also the foundation of any wardrobe — with pants purchased, I can more easily focus on tops and shoes.  But the most compelling reason  is that I happened to be at Dillard’s one recent Friday afternoon and saw a lot of pants that looked good, so I bought ‘em. 

All of the RTW books and blogs seem to have an opinion about pants/bottoms.  The extremists advise bringing only a pair or two.  Others get downright daring by packing five pairs of pants/shorts AND two skirts.  But the biggest point of contention seems to be the inclusion of jeans.  Some swear by them:  they are versatile, easy to dress up or dress down.  Others swear they are the devil incarnate:  they weight a ton and take forever to dry.  I realized I would have to wade through the differing opinions and take a leap by making some decisions of my own, based on where I’d be traveling and my own personal preferences.  Everyone seems to agree that choosing light, neutral-colored bottoms that can serve a variety of functions is key.  Based on that, here’s how my packing list shook out:

~ One pair long, lightweight, tan pants (light enough to wear in tropical climates; long enough to wear when it’s cold; the tailoring is smart enough to wear in cities, but casual enough so as not to look out of place at the beach)

~ One pair calf-length capris in grey (neutral color that will blend easily with most shirts/shoes; light enough to wear in a variety of climates, with secure pockets for storing money)

~ One pair knee-length shorts in beige (sleek enough styling that I don’t look like I’m going on a safari; easy to dress up or dress down, depending on circumstances; modest enough for conservative countries, cute enough for the beach)

~ One black, flouncy skirt (can easily take me from a day at the beach to a night on the town — who knows how many of those there will be)

The jury is still out on bringing jeans.  If I can find a pair that’s light enough, I might make a concession.  But with the pants taken care of I made my first shoe purchase with an awesome pair of black Merrell’s.  These shoes are great because they feel like you’re walking on air, but the styling can easily take you from city to trail.  A pair of brown Sketchers and Chaco flip-flops and that category will be crossed off, too!