European Adventure: Packing (Part 1)

If you’ve been reading my blog long, or if you know me in “real life” then you know I am 100% obsessive compulsive when it comes to 2 major things…

1. Being on time.
2. Packing

Having a baby has made #1 a little more difficult and I have become much less anal about punctuality, but #2 has actually gotten even more intense (if you can believe it).

So, in preparation for my European adventure (which is only 33 days away!) I have of course already started making my packing lists.

Yes… there is an “s” on the end of “list”, as in multiple lists.

My biggest thing when trying to figure out what I need to take to wear in Europe was for once not just about looking nice, but about being able to utilize multiple pieces in different ways AND comfort.

So, in order to make sure I pack enough things while still keeping the list short, I made a chart showing what I could wear with what along with what I will wear each day.

Some might say “why take maxi dresses, you are going to be constantly touring and walking around, don’t you want something more comfortable like jeans?” NO. I think maxi dresses &skirt are the simplest, most comfortable things of all time. They are just the best invention ever, especially when it comes to traveling.

I included some “back-up” outfits on my list too, just in case the weather isn’t what it is supposed to be or if one of my pieces I plan on wearing multiple times gets exceptionally dirty.

I also made a bunch of polyvore sets for each day so that I can be sure I wear the right accessories with the right outfit, otherwise I could screw up the whole chart. (yes, I am that OCD).  Which I will post tomorrow (because I know ya'll are just dying to know what I will be wearing). 

Other things I had to list out were my "traveling outfits". Since I will be on an airplane or in an airport for an insane amount of time on the way to and from Europe and also on a night train from Rome to Paris, I knew I needed to be both comfortable, but also want to look not too sloppy and tourist-ish.

i adore the black dress I got for the trip overseas. It is not just like this one, but similar and   I plan on belting it with the gold belt to give it some shape. PS It might just be is a maternity dress, but was too comfy and cheap not to buy....

On the fifth day of our trip we will spend the night on a couchette train in a sleeping car meaning after a day of touring Florence, so I am going to need a comfortable outfit I won't mind spending all day in. Enter the maxi skirt. Mema Dean made a blue maxi skirt for me and I can hardly wait to wear it!

I will don a maxi skirt again for the ride home from Europe, they are just seriously the most comfiest things ever.