Things We Would Pack
If we had to leave for a long term trip and only had a small bag to fill, here is what we would grab on the way out the door.
Evan’s Bag
Best of Year Journal
A few years ago on New Year’s Day, I asked Sarah if we could sit down and make a list of all the highlights of 2015. We sat there reminiscing about all the moments we were grateful for, that made us laugh, that we didn’t want to forget. We wrote it down in a notebook we had lying around. We have done this each year since. Last year for Christmas Sarah got this awesome journal that says “Adventure Awaits” and “Dewey Family” embossed on the front, and now it holds all of our greatest family moments from the past four years.
Devils Hat
I have always been a hat lover and it is usually a way for me to show my loyalty to my favorite team, the New Jersey Devils hockey team. It is fitted perfect to my head after hours of getting it to sit just right. The worn-ness of my hat also is proof of having been loyal during good times and bad, in preparation for the next great moment. These days my hat serves another purpose since I lost my hair: it keeps me warm in the winter and saves me from sunburn in the summer. I wouldn’t want to take off without it.
Running Sneakers
Running is my most therapeutic activity, it makes me feel good about myself and my health, and it is my all-time favorite way to explore a new place. Hit the streets and find out what is going on. I’d be lost without being able to lace up and take off.
Hydro Flask
My Hydro Flask has quickly become one of my must have items at all times. It is in my hand when I leave the house no matter where I am heading. It has reduced my footprint significantly since I may have a soda habit and now I don’t have to throw away cups each time I have a soda. And of course if makes it easier to never use plastic water bottles. It prepares me for whatever this surprise trip would throw at me, because my drink will never be affected by hot or cold weather.
Budget
Is this an item I can grab if it lives on the internet? My budget has allowed us to do so many great things and live a much more intentional life. Before I had the budget, I lived in constant fear about my finances (even though they were always in good shape) and can spend money guilt-free. I guess I make the rules here, so yes the budget belongs on this list.
Sarah’s Bag
Soft Clothes
I have a passion for comfortable clothing, and few things feel like more of a nuisance than the business casual attire I am expected to wear to work. I have prefered sweats to jeans since I was young, and when one of my dearest friends from our life in Arkansas introduced me to her term for such apparel – soft clothes – I knew she would be in my life forever. I do not pack for any trip without a sufficient supply of soft clothes that can be acceptable in a variety of settings.
Adventure Band
My hair is naturally wavy. It is neither straight enough nor curly enough to just air dry and look presentable, but instead just looks like it hasn’t been brushed in days. So I wear my hair up frequently, especially when travelling. My adventure band (care of The Bucket List Family, who I have followed for years) is the perfect headband to prevent my hair from taking up too much of my precious travel time. It also doubles as a facemask when snowboarding or gentle packaging when you have something fragile in your bag.
A Book
I love to read and constantly feel a overwhelmed by all the books I want to be reading but have not made time for. Currently there are six books stacked up on my bedside table. One I recently finished, one I just started, and the other four have been staring at me for months. When I’m flying or taking a relaxing vacation, reading is one of my favorite activities, so I never leave home without one or two in my backpack.
iPod Shuffle
Judge all you want, but I still have an iPod shuffle from high school. Well, to be more accurate, I had an iPod nano from my junior year of high school until my junior year of college, at which point it was recalled because the battery was prone to overheating, so Apple forced me to exchange it for the newer iPod shuffle. Yes, the tiny square one. But here’s what really makes Evan laugh about this situation: because my parents no longer have the desktop computer I once created my iTunes account on and I cannot seem to recover it on other devices, I have not been able to add or remove songs from my iPod since 2009. I love my iPod because it provides me with hours of music even when I don’t have internet or don’t feel like using my phone, and because it is basically a time machine to my teenage years.
Ibuprofen
I get a lot of headaches because I drink very little water. I used to get a headache nearly every single time Evan and I stayed out past 10pm. I’ve since learned to manage them a bit better, but I do not go anywhere without my trusty Ibuprofen.