The Best and Worst Items I Packed on a Winter Trip from Indiana to Hawaii

 

I used to fly multiple times a year for work and leisure, but hadn't flown at all during 2020 and most of 2021 because of the pandemic. Flying home to Hawaii in December 2021 was the first trip I took in a while, and I felt really rusty! Packing was so stressful and chaotic and there were things that I packed that I wish I didn't and also things that I packed that I loved. Here are some of my best and worst items packed on a trip from Indiana to Hawaii in the winter. 

Best: Contact solution and glasses in my carry on 

I love to sleep on planes and I don't love sleeping in my contacts. Having my contact solution, case, and glasses in my carry on made it easy for me to take them off before boarding and then put them back on before arrival. 

Worst: Too many shoes

I am usually a light packer, but brought two pairs of casual slide on shoes when I really only needed one. I wore my black EVA Birkenstocks every single day and never once broke out my Mohinders woven slides.  In the end, they ended up taking space in my suitcase that I could've used for literally anything else. 

Best: Aritzia Little Puff Long 

Because I was traveling from somewhere really cold to a tropical location, I needed a warm coat for getting to and from the airport but didn't want something super bulky. This was a last-minute panic purchase before the trip and it was money well spent. This jacket packs into an inner pocket easily and without struggle and allowed me to slip it into my backpack at the airport so I didn't need to carry it. 

Worst: Heavy Books

I always feel like I should use the time on plane rides to read, but I never actually end up reading. Packing a large book in my carry on is always a bad choice because it makes my backpack extremely heavy and always feels unnecessary. I think maybe in the future I'll switch to a kindle or other e-reader and this won't be a problem anymore! Until then, I'll pack a single book in my checked luggage. 

Best: Reusable Water Bottle  

Always bring a water bottle with you when traveling! You can fill it up at the airport once you get past TSA, use it at your destination, and save a lot of cans and bottles from going to landfill in the interim. 

Worst: Too Many Fancy Dresses

To be fair, when I left there were three fancy-ish dinners on the calendar that were cancelled after I had landed in Hawaii. I had packed a few extra outfits for these dinners that I never ended up wearing as they were too fancy for the places I visited otherwise. I think in the future I would pack things like long cotton midi dresses (this one from Christy Dawn is a favorite) so that I could dress them up and also down. 

Let me know what your traveling "must haves" and "don't brings" are in the comments below. Hopefully I'll be back to traveling more in the near future!