Keep Calm and Pack On

In exactly 15 days I board a flight from Portland to London where I will be spending the majority of my summer. Although I am ecstatic for the opportunity to immerse myself in another culture for the summer, I am worried about packing one suitcase for that span of time. I am the type of girl that packs a full suitcase for a weekend getaway and live by the motto that it is always better to be over-packed than under-packed. This will be the first time I have to consolidate my wardrobe and I have started researching tips and tricks on how to successfully do so.

The greatest challenge I will face is the weather. London in the summer is unpredictable. One week it could be smoldering and the next it could be cold and rainy and I have to somehow pack for both instances. To prepare for this, I am planning to bring lighter weather clothes with a rain jacket and umbrella just in case.

The second challenge I face is being prepared for a variety of activities and events. I will be traveling, going to class, clubbing, and visiting Parliament for one of my political journalism class. All of these activities require vastly different outfits, but I can pull from the same basic pieces to create each. I am planning to bring flats, sandals, boots, converse, and one pair of heels because I will need each of these for various events. Clothing will be a little harder but I am hoping to bring versatile tops that could be worn for traveling and class interchangeably. The Parliament and clubbing clothes will be vastly different but I will only bring a few options for each instead of my entire wardrobe.

The hardest part of packing for this will be deciding which pieces to bring and which to leave home. I am horrible at making fashion decisions and wish that I could bring everything. I found an infographic while scouring Pinterest that I am going to use religiously while I pack. It helps to make the decision of whether it is practical to pack something or not. After learning about the effectiveness of infographics in PR and advertising I knew that it would help me more than simply reading an article about effective methods of packing.

Wish me luck with packing! I will share photos of my time in London and the outfits I ended up choosing when I return in August!