SO, you just booked your vacation(s) and now you have to pack for it. The dilemma – you’re going to be gone for a WHOLE MONTH! Yep, you heard me right: I WILL be traveling for a month starting in a week. I will be going to 10+ states over the course of 3 different trips – to Maine/Canada, North Carolina, and Iowa/South Dakota, with 2 days in between each trip. With the exception of North Carolina, each trip will be a road trip. My plan is to, at minimum, lay out everything before I leave for each trip, in order to make the packing process easier in between trips. Now, let’s get into the packing list!!
The last time I travelled for a month at a time was when I studied abroad in San Ignacio, Belize; Sansepolcro, Italy; & London, England for a month each during the summer of 2018. So, it has been quite some time since I last travelled for an extended period of time. It can be a challenge to pack for an extended period of time, especially when the weather and even activities can be so up in the air, but it is worth it to be in a particular set of destination(s) for a longer duration than the average vacation.
For relevant posts on my study abroad adventures & my similar packing strategies, look no further than here:
- How I Packed for Study Abroad: https://pinkchickadee.com/2022/05/26/how-i-packed-for-study-abroad/#/
- 2 Years After Studying Abroad in 3 Countries: https://pinkchickadee.com/2021/08/12/my-study-abroad-reflection-2-years-later/
- I Lived in Belize for 3 Weeks: https://pinkchickadee.com/2020/08/22/my-study-abroad-experience-in-belize/#/
- I Lived in London for a Month: https://pinkchickadee.com/2020/09/05/my-study-abroad-experience-in-london/#/
- I Lived in Tuscany for a Month: https://pinkchickadee.com/2020/08/06/my-study-abroad-experience-in-tuscany/#/
Call me crazy: BUT, I plan to label my outfits in gallon-sized Ziploc bags and with sticky notes for labels, so that I can best keep everything in line for each day and its respective activities (within reason!). I ALWAYS plan my outfits out in advance and I think this will be an easy way to do so for each day and with a purpose for each look, whether it be a hike in Maine, a day to the gardens in Canada, a night on the town in North Carolina, or a stroll through an art gallery in South Dakota. I want to be prepared AND plan to pack a few pieces to adapt each look easily, in case of rain, a rather chilly day (yes – Fall comes early in Maine, Canada, South Dakota, and Iowa), or a hotter than expected day. Though for me, the plan is to start small and add layers when needed!!
As for each trip, I plan to pack a larger suitcase for the main festivities in our place of stay for the longest duration of each trip. And, then, I plan to have a carry on aka a smaller duffel bag to carry my things for the nights driving to our so-called main destination (this will be a bigger bag for Iowa, since there are more stops along the way there!). And, in the case of my North Carolina trip where I fly in and out of Raleigh, I plan to check a bag for the week. I am also working while in Iowa and North Carolina, SO a packed work bag is also coming with me on each trip, too. The 32 inch monitor of mine is *EVEN* coming to Iowa for the two weeks that we will be gone. I am also going to bring a cooler full of snacks, a HUGE gallon-sized jug of homemade iced pumpkin spiced latte, several packs of Liquid IV, and lots and lots and lots of water, for each road trip. At the same time, I am planning to purchase a folder from The Dollar Tree to carry all of my hotel reservations, receipts, tickets, and other reservations made.
Now, I am going to share what I am packing for each trip!!!
What I’m Packing for a Month of Travel
- Reservations/Tickets print outs
- Folder
- Pajamas (1-2) for each trip
- Fuzzy robe (since it gets cold at night!)
- Extra medicine
- Toiletries
- Makeup
- Hair styling products (blowout brush, hair brushes, scrunchies, dry shampoo, & setting spray)
- Nail polish & nail polish remover
- Snacks
- Liquid IV packets
- Sightseeing outfits (10-12 for Iowa, 6-8 for Maine, & 5-6 for North Carolina)
- 1-2 bottles of perfume
- 2-3 tumblers (yes, for my coffee and Liquid IV!)
- Water bottle
- Gallon-sized bottle of coffee
- Pumpkin syrup
- 1-2 Sweaters for cooler nights
- 1-2 pairs of sweatpants/leggings for cooler nights
- Air pods
- Headphones (2 pairs)
- Chargers (work & personal laptop)
- Extra cords
- Plug
- Portable charger
- Planner
- Pencil pouch
- Books to read on the road (2-3)
- Exercise outfits (2-6 per trip, depending on the trip)
- Top Knot Headbands (going with each outfit!)
- Passport
- Blue Light Glasses
- Notebooks (2-3 for work and/or journaling)
- Reference books for work (North Carolina and Iowa only)
- Extra water bottles
- Cooler
- Shoes that go with multiple outfits
- Pair of Sneakers for exercise
- Fuzzy blanket
- Box of Tea
And, now, to get to packing!!!!
XOXO – Katie <3
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