As I write this, I am in a plane traveling to New York City. So very exciting, but what a challenge to get ready. I couldn’t figure out what to wear, whether I should take my backpack and where I put all my all my travel stuff. It’s only been 2 1/2 months since I traveled- can my memory be that feeble?

I took a minute and remembered my “travel truths”: each trip is different and requires different wardrobes; you don’t have to take all your new stuff; always keep your travel necessities in one place; and most of all be creative and flexible.

After organizing my thoughts, I did the simple thing of checking the weather and reviewing my scheduled activities.  Then I went shoes up. Your feet and your footwear will predicate your clothing. Only the shoes that are tried and true get to come on vacation.

The luggage debacle over Christmas firmed my resolve of bringing only carry-on (even if one of my activities is shopping). This requires wardrobe creativity and clothing that can be worn several different ways.

My starting point was what I wore on the plane. Each piece of clothing needed to pair with something else and be worn several times. My plane outfit of  boots, corduroy pants, wool sweater, tailored shirt, quilted vest, necklace and scarf will go with something else in my carry-on. I brought some black bootcut pants, a couple of tees, a cashmere sweater and my new quilted short sleeved puffer. It’s gold and I thought it could add some pizazz to the basic black. Whew!

I ended up bringing a tote and a small crossbody handbag rather than my backpack. The pluses are that all my stuff is accessible during the flight, the tote can be used shopping and I wouldn’t have to fight the straps over a winter coat; the big negative is that the tote is heavy and can’t go over my shoulder. There is no perfect answer, but I will continue to search and research.

Keeping your toiletries, charging cords and makeup travel ready is a discipline and one that needs to be curated. I have to stop myself from “borrowing” from these bags when I have misplaced or run out of a product. Having your basics travel ready in one place is a huge time saver and prevents serious “getting ready” anxiety.

We are about to land and I will keep a journal of what worked and what could be improved. It is a journey in more ways than one.