First, make a list.<\/p>\n
I do a Word doc, make two columns, and divvy it up into four categories – the clothes I’ll wear on the plane, what goes in my daypack (or tote), what gets stowed in my carry-on, and the main luggage. The day before the flight, I’ll assemble everything on the dining room table and cross off each item as I pack. It saves me hours of ‘did I remember this? Did I forget that?’ Anxiety I do not need.<\/p>\n
This is the winter\/spring version – mostly layering options. The only difference between this and packing for Chicago at Christmas is some short sleeves tees (instead of all long sleeves), the cotton\/synthetic Chico pants options and how many eyedrops I’m adding. My winter coat is impervious to cold and I figure leggings can double as thermal underwear if it’s in raining and in the thirties\/forties – or the Louvre turns out to be frigid – or I can sashay around in cotton cargos and short sleeves if the weather leaps into the seventies. If it’s in the fifties\/sixties, I can layer a short sleeve tee over long sleeve, add the hoodie and vest, mittens and hat, wrap the black pashmina around me and go anywhere.<\/p>\n
For clothes, use a simple, color-coordinated scheme that doesn’t show dirt. Paris is easy –\u00a0 black and white with, in honor of Funny Face’s<\/em> Kay Thomson, a few Schiaparelli pink accents.<\/p>\n My philosophy is If I can’t do without it, find a way to squeeze it in. if I might<\/em> use it, leave it behind. I am more concerned with over-packing than under-packing.\u00a0 If there is something I need that I did not pack, tant pis, mes amis<\/em>.\u00a0 I’ve heard they sell clothes in Paris.<\/p>\n I always read a People magazine in the airport.\u00a0 Dr Paul Farmer, infectious diseases expert and medical anthropologist, calls it the Journal of Popular Culture<\/em>. It reminds me of transient nature of life, and not to take things too seriously. Earplugs save the day when those ubiquitous people with cell yell are sitting near me, or a baby on board the plane is having a rough trip. My iPod, ditto. And I prefer to read rather than watch movies on board, so my Nook won’t leave my hands.<\/p>\n First, make a list. I do a Word doc, make two columns, and divvy it up into four categories – the clothes I’ll wear on the plane, what goes in my daypack (or tote), what gets stowed in my carry-on, and the main luggage. The day before the flight, I’ll assemble everything on the dining […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}}},"categories":[13,3],"tags":[10,12,11],"class_list":{"0":"post-89","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-paris","7":"category-preparation","8":"tag-packing-2","9":"tag-paris","10":"tag-travel","11":"entry"},"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7OBxc-1r","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.virginiaparker.net\/travel\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/89","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.virginiaparker.net\/travel\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.virginiaparker.net\/travel\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.virginiaparker.net\/travel\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.virginiaparker.net\/travel\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=89"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/www.virginiaparker.net\/travel\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/89\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":99,"href":"https:\/\/www.virginiaparker.net\/travel\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/89\/revisions\/99"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.virginiaparker.net\/travel\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=89"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.virginiaparker.net\/travel\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=89"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.virginiaparker.net\/travel\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=89"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nblack bra
\ngray winter coat
\ndot scarf
\nblack pashmina wrap
\nblack cashmere cloche
\nblack knit mittens
\nMoney belt with passport, driver’s license, health insurance info charge cards, cash<\/div>\n
\nwith earplugs, eyedrops,
\nAltoids tin for walking around money and change
\ntoothbrush\/paste
\nrestasis eyedrops
\nBion tears
\nPeople mag
\nB&W Nook glow
\niphone
\nboarding pass
\nipod
\nSmall empty plastic water bottle,
\npens, small notebook
\nlip balm
\nmakeup – blush, erase, lipstick\/balm, compact<\/div>\n
\n1 pair gray denim pants (+ 1 pr legging)
\n1 pink & black stripe l\/s shirt
\n1 pair pink dot socks
\nChucks
\n2 pairs panties
\nPink hoodie
\ncrochet hook, circle needles, black cashmere yarn
\nSmall sketchbook + pencils
\nZiplock quart<\/div>\n
\neyemask
\nAspirin, floss
\nwatch
\nMeds: HRT, statins, Restasis, Bion tears x 10<\/div>\n
\nMac air & Charger
\nNook & charger
\nbattery pack & phone charger
\ncamera & charger
\nipods & charger<\/div>\n
\nlace up shoes (Cole Hann woven leather\/black patent accents and NIke soles)
\nBlack Zala hoodie
\nBlack vest with faux fur trim
\nLeopard mittens
\n3 pairs trousers \u2013 black sueded denim, gray peg jeans, Chico cotton zip cargo pcket
\n1 black legging
\n4 l\/s shirts \u2013 b&w stripe, black spot, 1 black, 1 pink\/b
\n5 s\/s tee shirts – b&w stripe, b&w dot, black, pink, band
\n3 prs winter socks gray
\n6 pr spot\/stripe
\n10+ pairs panties Blk, beige, pink
\n1 pink dot bra
\nlarge white sleep tee<\/div>\n
\ndot collapsible mini-umbrella
\nwolfie knit hat
\ngray mittens
\nTrip folder
\nSketchbook bag and sketch books – 2 small 1 large
\npencil cases x3
\nHairbrush
\nNylon collapsible Getty bag<\/div>\n
\nDreft in zip locks x 4
\nplug strip box, French plug adapter
\nhair flat iron
\nBion Tears x 30<\/div>\n
\nditty bag<\/em>
\nsafety pins, rubber bands
\ncomb, brush, hairband
\ndeodorant, mini bar soap, face mitt
\nnail clippers, hair scissors,
\nMini-magnifying mirror bandaids, moleskin<\/div>\n