Vacation Series Part Three: Packing

As we journeyed into the skies, it was time for me to pen the third segment of my Winter Vacation Series. We had completed planning and procurement, and we now find ourselves at the third stage: packing. If you are a mom, you understand that packing does not only includes oneself, but oftentimes it incorporates the entire family.

For our trip, I was in charge of myself, my daughter, and communal toiletries, while my husband was solely responsible for packing his clothes, shoes, and accessories. I carefully filled our bags over several days while my husband piled his belongings in twenty minutes flat. Oh to be a man!

In my head, I presumed Vancouver would be a frigid, frozen winter wonderland, yet after a quick check of the weather, I found it was milder than our previous Canadian trips. That it is not to say it will not be cold, rather the range is closer to 20-40 Fahrenheit. So, I made a last minute decision as we were walking out to forego my daughter’s ski pants as well as my heavy coat opting for a layering  strategy for her and a lighter coat for me.

For myself, I decided on two pair of jeans, a dark skinny and a straight black, along with a pair of black leggings and pants. I packed a basic black and grey t-shirt as well as grey, black + white stripe, and black sweater. As layers pieces, I added a grey, casual sweatshirt, neutral cashmere cardigan, and a reversible poncho. Finally, I opted for a sweater dress that can be worn separate or over leggings if cold. For shoes, I paired down to three pair: water-proof snow boot, a dressy bootie, and a sneaker. And as always, my minimalism did not translate to my purses, as I opted to bring.. several.

For my daughter, I packed two pair of jeans, 4 matching sets, two dresses, two thermals, and several vests/coats/sweatshirts, a pair of sneakers, and pair of boots. Needless to say, she will not be cold, nor will she run out of clothes.

If you have traveled with a toddler, you understand that clothings is far from the only things needed for a 6 day vacation plus 6 hours of flight time each way. You might mistake my travel purse for a toddler BOB (bug out bag), but I am nothing if not prepared. Along with every medicine, cream, soap, and wipe under the sun, you will find toys, magic markers, and a fully stocked iPad with coloring apps and the old faithfuls, Disney Plus + Netflix. Pro tip: plan a vacation around a holiday (Valentines), so your child is overcome with joy for the new things like blocks and snacks. Gotta love making the ordinary items, extraordinary presents.

As a final note before I bid you adieu, I implore you to not be afraid of travel with your children. Whether it be planes, trains, or automobiles, seeing the joy and wonder in your child's eyes is worth the difficult moments. We spent the first four years of our marriage traveling both domestic and abroad, as we prioritized seeing the world over many of our discretionary budgets. We journeyed to Dubai, Lebanon, Austria, Hungary, Canada, Mexico, Big Bend, TX, Colorado Springs,CO,  Park City, UT,  NYC (twice). Many people told us that our travel bug would seize to exist and we would stop traveling after we had a baby, or would be exiled to beach or Disney vacations for the next 15 years. Yet, it was important to us that we share the world with our daughter. The world is so much bigger than Texas (and her mama’s hometown in Louisiana). So we didn’t stop (aside from the pause COVID caused). Our daughter has flown to New Orleans (many times), Los Angeles, Calgary, and now Vancouver. She devoured shepherd’s pie and munched on pastries while we had afternoon tea in Canada. She found love at first sight in the form of beignets in New Orleans. I cannot wait to see what she tries next.

XO

Tay