R and I are embarking on another international adventure! This year marks our fifth wedding anniversary and we decided to take a trip to celebrate. We typically take a one-week annual vacation and we opted to combine these events for a two-week vacation to London and Scotland! We are going to meet friends in London so part of the trip will be just the two of us and part will be the four of us. My friends who currently live in Jordan, J and J, will be our travel companions and we’ve spent the last few months planning the trip! I think we have come up with a winning itinerary that includes several different activities!

Today is all about packing … lots of packing. My packing list is included below and, while it is still a long packing list, I’m taking my own advice and editing myself. I pulled out all the clothes I would like to take and then took out anything that can’t be worn twice. There is one exception to this rule and it is explained below. I focused on packing clothing that can be layered and switched out to make different outfit choices. We will have access to laundry, which helps, and I don’t mind re-wearing clothes as long as the layer(s) closest to my body are clean. 

• Raincoat and rain pants 
• Shoes: 3 x total
  • 1 x hiking boots
  • 1 x golf shoes (This is an exception to my wearing it twice rule. We could rent golf shoes but I really don’t want to wear communal shoes.) 
  • 1 x sneakers (wearing these on the plane)
• Pants: 6 x total
  • 1 x Golf pants (wearing as travel clothes and for a round of golf) 
  • 1 x dress capri (for theatre and nicer dinners)
  • 1 x jeans 
  • 1 x denim capris
  • 2 x hiking style pants 
• Shirts: 12 x total
  • 1 x polo (mostly for golf)
  • 3 x long sleeve
  • 5 x sweaters 
  • 3 x fleece layers
• Undergarments:
  • Underwear x 10
  • Bra x 2
• Bodysuits: 4 x total
  • 1 x black long sleeve 
  • 1 x white short sleeve
  • 1 x black sleeveless 
  • 1 x nude sleeveless
• Socks: 10 x total
  • 4 x tall 
  • 4 x no-show 
  • 2 x mid-ankle 
• Pajamas – 1 x sweatpants and 1 x long sleeve t-shirt 
• Beanie and 1 pair of gloves 
• Toiletries, hair towel, hairbrushes, and hairdryer 
• Tote bag, crossbody purse, larger purse for travel days, backpack.
• Electronics: Kindle, laptop 
• Itinerary binder with confirmation emails and notes. 
• Scotland travel book
• Bug spray
• Outlet adapter
• Passport 
• Medicine
• Travel neck pillow 

I got everything packed into one checked size bag, one backpack, and one large purse. The backpack and purse will be in the cabin with me and they contain the items I want/need on the plane. I took my checked bag and nested it inside my second, slightly larger, checked size bag. This gives us an empty rolling bag for any souvenirs we want to bring home and the roller bag makes it easier for us to maneuver. Once we get to London I will rearrange things, as needed, and switch to either my small crossbody bag or backpack for daily outings. 

Mom is here and she graciously agreed to work from the house and dog-sit while we are away. She’s pretty great! We ran a few last minute errands and made sure Mom was set up so she can work without any issues. We left the house this afternoon and Mom kindly chauffeured us to the airport. 

Mom dropped us off at the international terminal of Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport and we said our goodbyes. R and I checked in at the Virgin Atlantic counter (our ATL-LHR flight is operated by the Delta partner), dropped our bags, and made our way through security. Security wasn’t bad, it took about 30 minutes to get through the Pre-Check lane. The line to the Delta SkyClub took a lot longer and the lounge was packed. (No surprise that Delta is re-evaluating how they allow access and I think Atlanta, as a major Delta hub, can certainly step up their game.) 

We spent a couple hours in the lounge then walked to our gate. Boarding was fast and we soon settled into our seats. After takeoff the in-flight services began. Both R and I opted for the chicken entrée which was like a chicken pot pie with potatoes and green beans as well as a salad, roll, cheddar cheese wedge, and crackers. The flavor of the chicken pie was decent and the portion size was okay, maybe slightly small. There was also a brownie dessert which was nice and fudgy. Soon it was lights out and trying to get some rest on the plane before tomorrow’s adventures.