Packing Test #2

This one happened by accident, really. A few weeks ago we signed our first large client in Utah (long story and small world since I was raised in Utah) and I booked as two night trip back to Zion. Conveniently I am staying with my parents, in the room I occupied from probably age 14-19. With all the focus on Italy, I laughed when I packed for this three day trip. Here I have spent countless words and posts explaining this-and-that about packing...and it took me maybe 20 minutes to get ready for this trip. 

The advantage is quite a bit of business travel with my previous few jobs, but all of that stopped with my most recent job. This is a good thing. Instead of being overly picky about seats, weather, delays, and the such, I am able to travel more like a tourist going on a holiday and donning the business persona when I actually get there.

As promised, I stopped by Half Priced Books on Sunday and picked up two used books: Rick Steves' Venice 2010, and a historical account of a blood feud between the Medici Family and other prominent families in Firenze (Florence). The first will get torn apart (hot iron melts the binding and then I can tear out the parts I want without taking the whole book) and the second will be left somewhere in Italy. 

Reading the Venice-only book, I am amazed by how much I hadn't researched and how many neat sights that should hit our interests. Yeah, I am not over planning but to be well-informed is different.

Back to packing -- we had one of our Eagle Creek backpacks out still (from Test #1) and Ry asked which bag I would take to Utah. My normal work suitcase is an Eddie Bauer carryon that I bought art Target and has lasted me for several years. "Why don't you practice on this trip?" OMG why hadn't thought of that myself?!?!?! Proof #1,372,499 why my husband is my favorite soul in the universe.

I used the fold up pack and got a full suit, a pair of pants, two button-downs, two t-shirts and two ties into the smallest stack I have seen. I literally was thinking of extra things to take in order to make the suitcase seem full. 

I didn't take any of the other Pack-Its since 3 days is not 10 days but am impressed thus far. 

On the Venice Suit Pressing front, I didn't think how unlikely it would be to arrive at Noon on Friday and expect it to be ready on Saturday. I want to check to see if pressing it in Firenze would be easier since we are there for three nights and can make do dealing with it on the train. 

I'm excited to see my brother, his beautiful wife, and their gorgeous kiddos--plus my parents--I told them an intense game is in our future. Be it Phase 10, SkipBo, or Ticket To Ride, it's on.

Ciao!