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| What I've been living in, I mean, out of |
Unfortunately, packing is not my strong suit. In my nervous panic over starting a new job I seem to have packed whatever would fit into my suitcase, duffel and purse without a thought to what would go together and the kind of weather/temperature fluctuations that would rule my daily outfit choice. In some ways I've been fine (no worries about running out of underwear) and in other ways I haven't (rampant rain meant a lot of days of soaked feet). Regardless, I've learned a lot about how (and how not) to prepare for spending weeks with only the clothes out of one suitcase (and in my case, a duffel bag...and whatever I ended up buying) and it all boils down to four main ideas.
1. Pack items that work together. This seems like a no-brainer, but when you're nervous or excited or just plain terrified (and I was on a 24-hour cycle of those emotions before I moved) it can slip your mind a bit. Honestly, this was still the part I was best at, though I did start running out of good shirt options (oh hey, trips to Zara and H&M...). Pack your suitcase like you're doing one of those 30 for 30 challenges - but don't limit yourself to 30 items if you've got the space. Make sure your shirts go with your skirts and your jackets. Make sure your shoes go with everything.
2. Consider all weather options. I did not do this, hence the sopping wet feet almost every time it rained. Bring a pair of shoes that can get wet, make sure you have enough outerwear, pack items that layer well so that when it gets hot you aren't stuck sweating all 75% of your body out and that when it gets cold you're not running into the nearest H&M to buy a hoodie (this happened one time when I was in New York for an interview). Make sure you have everything necessary to keep you dry and at a comfortable temperature.
3. Pack things that wash and dry in a machine. I'm a stickler for following wash instructions, and since a fair amount of my clothing comes from retailers that like you to air dry their clothing I was stuck with a lot of items I was able to wear once and then stuff back into my suitcase until I had an apartment of my own, a drying rack and time to go to the laundromat (only two of those three things have happened thus far). My saviors have been things that either a. don't smell bad after wearing or b. can be put into both the washer and dryer and thus can be dropped off at a wash and fold place in the morning and picked up in the evening. Even if you're not in a city where it's easy to drop your clothes off to be washed by someone else, however you end up doing your laundry you're going to be really glad when you don't have to figure out where to dry clothes that need to air dry.
4. Don't underestimate the importance of accessories. When I was getting ready to leave for the city I packed a pouch full of necklaces to wear with the clothes I would be repeating. And then, true to form, I left it at home (I always forget something). The truth is that accessories will do a lot to distract people from the fact that you've worn the same dress three times in the past two weeks. Keep them busy complimenting your shoes - it's called misdirection.And bonus: small accessories are perfect for those little pockets and nooks in your suitcase.
