Greetings from the west coast!

The family and I arrived in San Francisco yesterday and drove down to Santa Cruz for a cousin’s wedding on Saturday. We’ll be staying here for a few days before driving back up to San Fran for a couple more days.

First off, let’s talk packing. There are two types of packers in this world – those who pack properly and those who do not. For me, being a “proper packer” is one of my greatest struggles. I am up until 2am the night before a trip with a suitcase that won’t shut and a carry-on that doesn’t meet airline standards. I’ve been told on many occasions that outfit planning is the key to successful packing. As hard as I try to plan my outfits accordingly I always get the urge to throw a few extra sweaters, pants, and shoes into my suitcase until it’s bursting at the seams. This time around I was determined to not pack like a hoarder. And ya know what – I didn’t do too bad! I had to sit on my suitcase in order to zip it shut, but I honestly feel like I have everything I need – not too much, not too little. Here’s how I did it: First I made a list of the days I would be away including the weather and agenda for each day. Then I chose key items from my wardrobe that I knew could be worn multiple times like a great pair of jeans, white t-shirt, and a black sweater. Using these key items I continued to refer back to my list, planned an outfit for each day and set them out on my bed. The ability to see each outfit separately helped me to not take more than I needed while ensuring that I would also not forget anything. I then threw everything in my suitcase, making sure each outfit stayed together, and danced around my bedroom at 1am in celebration. I’ve become a “proper packer” WOOT WOOT! All I have to work on is the whole procrastination thing – four hours of sleep before a five hour flight isn’t exactly ideal.

Now that my suitcase and I have arrived in one piece, allow me to share some photos of my day at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk.

My dad and I rode the sky glider – he made faces while I freaked out.

The fam and I played against each other in “Stinky Feet”, my mama won and I lost but stole her adorable prize (pictured above).

We then walked over to the (very windy) pier to meet some sea lions.

I ended the afternoon with a chocolate covered ice cream sandwich – OH EM GEE.

 

Samantha