A good old fashioned packing list! I have to admit, I had ulterior motives for making this — because they are quite the pain in the ass to put together. First and foremost, I want to be helpful. But also, they seem to perform really well on Pinterest. Even years and years later, they continue to garner clicks and saves. And sometimes you just need that validation as a… sort-of-content-creator.
This past week, I took my kiddo to Utah for his Spring Break. We got to visit with grandma, cousins, aunts, and uncles. Which was a real treat. And he got to live out his fantasies of being my mom’s shadow for a few days, as well as telling everyone where to park in her driveway. It is a low key obsession for him. He keeps dibs on everyone’s vehicles at all times. Then he parks his bike around them, to join in the fun. The fun of parking…? Haha. I never realized parking and talk of parking would bring him so much joy. But here we are.
It was a relatively chill trip overall, in that we didn’t go sightseeing or participate in any major outdoor activities. Southern Utah is incredibly beautiful and the weather was splendid, but if you’re not the outdoorsy type, it’s harder to find things to do. So I dressed for casual comfort. Ready to hang around the house or grab some food or maybe pop in to my nephew’s work to embarass him. I could have easily worn athleisure the whole trip. But there’s something about being back there, and traveling in general, that makes me want to try a tiny bit. Nothing really over-the-top, just a little effort.
Outfit Breakdown
Driving: We left right around 10 am and spent the next 7 hours in the car. Big sigh. My partner in crime has never been much for a long car ride, but this time he did pretty well. He had inadvertantly made a good playlist when I played back his favorites, so that was nice. Something we could agree on. We both barely ever have to pee, so the stops were minimal. And even though I spilled on my white sweatshirt about 42 times, the pants were stretchy. My kind of road trip!
Day One: We mostly hung around the house, though we did get out for some DQ and a walk to visit a trip of goats down the street from my mom’s place. (Yes, I looked up what a group of goats is called.) The weather was really pleasant and I didn’t even need a jacket. My bright blue button-down shirt felt Spring-y and happy against the blossoming trees and yellow fields.
Day Two: I essentially wore play-clothes and it’s a good thing, since I played with my nephew quite a bit. We took a stroll around Grandpa’s Pond (no relation) and scampered for awhile at the park. He also just learned how to jump on the trampoline. Pretty much the cutest thing I’ve ever seen. I had worn the same jeans 2 days in a row by this point and they were pretty dusty. Clothes get a little more grubby in the country than the suburbs.
Day Three: I saved this outfit for the end of the trip because it was mostly white. I do have a reputation after all. It turned out to be just right for the activities of the day. A track meet at the high school, a visit with the littles to Thunder Junction All-Abilities Park, and a yummy dinner at Costa Vida. I felt pulled together and comfortable and it was probably my favorite outfit of the trip (although I caught a glance at some candid pictures my nephew took and didn’t care for that one bit!)
Driving: If I never had to do this drive again it would be too soon. It’s just so boring and familiar, I feel like I could do it in my sleep at this point. But we made it home, with just a little detour to avoid some winter weather warnings. Same pants I drove in before, but a much warmer fleece. Thank goodness, because it was COLD at our two quick pit stops.
Love this list! I’ve been going down many packing list rabbit holes on Pinterest for an upcoming trip we have. I really don’t like overpacking but am also worried I won’t have enough. It’s a fun game 😜🤦🏼♀️
Love hearing about your kiddo's love of cars (and parking). My 11yo is the same...one of the first questions he'll ask is what kind of car you drive, usually followed up by "Can I go out and look at it?" lol