Airport Lounges Rock.

One of the perks of 6 years of cross-country dating/marriage is that we've accrued a LOT of frequent flier miles. The upshot of this is that we bought our "Round The World" itinerary with miles...and we splurged for the Business Class ticket. I was skeptical, but agreed - even though it brought my Mileage Plus account down to a measly 700 miles. My husband, however, is infinitely wise, and our upgraded ticket has already proven a winning idea for 2 reasons:

1. It took us ~ 5 minutes to check in (and about 2.5 of those minutes were spent wrangling our packs into their protective bags).

2. Access to the lounge and...FREE WIFI (and wine)!! So, you will get the 'packing post' tonight, after all! Everyone wins. [Although I'm still the one with the wine.]

So: packing. What do you pack for a trip that's 4 months long, will include climates ranging from tropical Singapore to Scandinavia in March (average daytime temp 30 F), and during which you will be attending a wedding, hiking/kayaking/camping, and perhaps participating in some professional development activites? Here are my choices:

I'm not that awesome with the camera yet, so to save yourself the eye strain, this includes:

7 days of undergarments

8 pairs of socks

Hat, gloves, scarf

4 tanks (base layers)

5 short sleeved shirts (base layers)

4 long-sleeved shirts (mid-layers)

3 warm layers (outer layers)

2 dresses

4 pairs of pants

1 pair of capris

1 pair of shorts

2 skorts

1 piece of running clothing for each temperature (tank, short-sleeved, jacket, shorts, capris, tights, calf sleeves)

I will also be taking a 3-in-1 jacket: fleece liner + waterproof shell, to be worn separately or together (not shown)

In general, I opted for items that all matched, layered well, and were made of technical fabric (cotton is rotten for sink washing/overnight drying, as well as running).

Kee-Min advised packing everything into ziplocks, with as much air removed as possible:

You would think we used a vacuum to remove the air from those bags, but no. I perfected a very special move so that I could do it all by myself. But I forgot to have Kee-Min photograph it, so you'll have to wait until we catch it while re-packing one day. We need something to keep you coming back! So, by not packing all that California air in my luggage, I was able to fit everything into my hiking backpack (this is what we'll be traveling with for most of our trip).

This packed bag also includes my shoes. Now, there's been some discussion about my "need" for 6 pairs of shoes. It's really quite simple. Here are the shoes I'm bringing:

from the upper left: 1.I'm a runner, so sneakers are non-negotiable. 2. Sturdy, warm walking shoes are also a must. 3. Casual sandals for NZ & Singapore. 4. Vibrams for hiking, kayaking, casual wear in warmer climes. 5. Red dress flats for wedding, professional situations, and Chinese New Year. 6. Flip flops. Because you never know when you may need to step into a sketchy shower.

I figure that, whenever we're flying, I'll be wearing either 1 or 2 (the bulkiest). Pairs 3- 6 smoosh down VERY flat, and I may abandon the sandals when we're finished in the warmer climes. Say what you will, but I am NOT ashamed of my choices! Overall, we're *quite* happy with our packing job.

And we're just a few minutes from boarding now. New Zealand, HERE WE COME!!!