Packing For Japan: The Plan

I started thinking about packing for Japan just after booking our tickets and checking our safe to make sure our passports were still where I thought they were. With that important business out of the way my mind turned to more exciting things. How many Japanese words can I learn before May 21? What activities will we plan and which ones will we daringly improvise as we go? And of course, what should I wear that will make me both comfortable and cute?

Packing intentionally for big trips--i.e. packing lightly--has never been a strength of mine but I'm determined to turn over a new leaf. Partly because we are traveling internationally and hopping between two cities and I want to be mobile and not bogged down with stuff. Partly because the friends we're traveling with are super low-key and the opposite of high maintenance, and I'll be darned if I slow down the group because I was the pathetic one who over-packed. Partly because it seems like a fun challenge. Partly because I need room to bring home at least one kimono.

I've slowly been coming up with a plan. The first challenge is to mostly bring clothes and shoes I already have and buy only a few select things in preparation. The second challenge is figuring out the vessels I will use to transport everything and use daily while we're there. And overall my goal is to bring a small amount of carefully selected neutral basics, which can be mixed and matched and re-worn in different ways and sneakily modified depending on our circumstances. Comfort is high on my list of requirements for each piece of clothing, but I also want to look nice and put together and be able to dress up any of the outfits I bring.

In essence I'm creating a wardrobe for this trip--one that is simple, flexible, stylish, comfortable, and very much me--and I'm having a terrific time with it.

Stay tuned for more soon!