Transformation Tuesday #21: the Return Home

I took a break from organizing and sprucing to visit my sister last week in the beautiful City of Light. I'm still fine-tuning my packing method and keeping track of how much I'm actually using/wearing when vacationing. My goal is to find that sweet spot of the right amount of stuff so I can have some room to bring back souvenirs.

As I mentioned last week when I was packing, my sister has been traveling in France all summer. She suggested packing:

• One pair of pants

• Two pairs of shorts

• Three tops

• One sweater

• One light jacket

• Walking shoes

• Walking sandals

I packed all of the above plus an extra sweater, tank top, two dresses, my Keds, and bathing suit. We stayed at a couple Airbnb apartments and stopped by a laundromat mid-week to wash a few items. If we hadn't done laundry, I definitely would have worn everything at least a couple times (it was 98 degrees and rising when I arrived in Paris and felt like I was sweating through everything I wore). I did not need the extra pair of shoes or the second dress but they didn't take up that much room ... but I didn't think about how much I would be bringing back with me, mainly souvenirs my sister wanted to send home and some of her heavier work gear like boots, pants, and quick-dry towel.

Here's my packing-for-Paris suitcase:

After lots of shopping and Calvados tastings, I needed to cram a few bottles, my sister's work gear, and my own stuff back into my bag. Thankfully, this has an expanding zipper which came in handy.

And all of Angie's stuff made it safely back! The trick? Hard shell suitcase + packing clothes around each bottle (especially at the neck) + a few minutes of worrying = no broken bottles.