Packing Light, Simple, and Cool

Well packing light will prove to be interesting traveling with the airline carryon size restrictions and weight restrictions.

I'm taking this wider body type roll on and hopefully will make it through the carryon check in with no problems. It is shorter than a normal roll on bag. We've heard mixed reviews on travelers with this, so we are hoping for the best. On top is the Bagellini with the zipper that fits over the handle. It will have my Kindle, earplugs, wallet, passport and make up bag, adapter, phone, charger cord, medications and possibly the infamous quart-sized zipper bag with the liquids/gels for hand checking. It will also have another purse inside that will be used when I get there for touring around during the days, which I ordered online by Ebags. It has alot of zippered pockets, a water bottle mesh holder on one side, an ipod pocket with a place for the cord on the other size, magnetic closure on front flap and adjustable strap. Looks like plenty big enough for my wallet and would also hold a Kindle and your sunglasses, phone and small notepad or quidebook:

 Next is trying on all the outfits, and combinations to make sure each outfit is flexible or can be worn more than one way, or changed up with a scarf.

On the packing list:
 I chose quick drying versions of these items:a few tank tops, 2 travel skirts, one pair capris, one skort,one travel pant, one dress, 2 scarves, a lightweight windbreaker, one easy wash short sleeve button shirt, one sweater, 3 pr. undies, lightweight socks to prevent blisters, one dressier mary jane shoe, and one pair Privos, one pair sandals. Believe it or not, with just these items I am already at my baggage weight limit.
Travel tips:
Keep it simple, coordinated, light, washable. My colors are blacks, khakis, and some blues/purples and grays that all seem to go fine mix and matching.
Wear the pants, and sweater and heaviest slip- on shoes on the plane.
Get a small duffle in case you want to take it along and check it in on the way home in checked baggage.
Here is all the stuff  I need to still find a place for...hmm..electronics, meds, maps, handwipes...Tour guide Barbie says to nix the allergy stick. I heard there were alot of mosquitoes though...

 This little handy zipper case will hold cords and chargers, and my ipod. When I saw the book jacket title on it, I had to chuckle. Let's hope I am not The Lost Girl in Italy.

Now to the scariest part,...how to fit all of the gels, lotions, shampoos, etc. and go from this:

To this:            Can it be done? It must be done! Of course I can still have a make up kit as well.

A few more weeks to go! We are finalizing what we want to do in Rome now, and have our tickets booked online to the Vatican museum and Sistine chapel. I found a free translator app for my android and it works great. I found it helpful to say some sample phrases into it and then listen to the Italian translation. It also will save your history for future reference. This may help save me from accidentally ordering a glass of house wine instead of train tickets at the station! We got a program for the ipad that is a gps and Italy map, and plugged in our hotel stays and other points of interest by the coordinates onto it.
We are looking up good gelato and hotel places to eat, using some references from others who have gone before us, and online through searches.  I have listened a bit to some audio discs I got at Half Price Books of English to Italian translations and will do more of that in the next week.
Post surgery, I am at 9 weeks and back into my easy walk/jogs. I am also daily picking up that suitcase, lifting it and carrying it around the house a bit to get used to doing that.
We have made a spreadsheet guestimating our euros needed for the first big part of the trip. My husband now has his international drivers license as well. He picked up the euros the other day which we ordered through the bank, and they are quite beautiful, all trimmed with silver and in different colors.
Any restaurants that are well reviewed that we plan to dine in, we are attempting to have reservations made in advance.
We are having a nice Seattle heatwave for us to practice a few early morning or late evening walks in the heat! In our travel shoes, of course.