I used to love packing lists. It was part of the delicious anticipation of the journey. I’d call my girlfriends up and compare what we were bringing. “Hooded sweatshirt?” “Absolutely!” “SIx or seven pairs of shoes?” “Are you nuts? At least eight!”

Aw… those were the days before we were limited to one suitcase weighing only 50 pounds. Today, I still call and discuss but the content of our conversations has changed drastically. “Three or four pairs of undies?” “Are you nuts? Only two- one to wear, one to wash and wear.”

I usually wear the heaviest pair of shoes rather than pack them so that I can still allow myself the luxury of bringing toothpaste and sunblock. I get nasty looks from people eyeballing my bulky hiking boots, laced halfway up my legs, as we wait in the long security line and I begin taking them off once I reach the conveyor belt. I can tell they think I’m the reason they’re going to miss their flight.

There are people who actually pride themselves on how little they take with them. These smug individuals show up on a 16-day vacation with a fanny pack, defiantly bragging about how they were able to fit everything into it. They work the crowd showing off their incredible “find”-a skirt that converts into pants, shorts, swimming suit and hammock.

Although I travel all the time, I am terrible at limiting what I bring with me. I am incapable of  packing clothes simply because they are light, no-wrinkle and quick dry. I need to wear things that are cute and I don’t care how much they weigh and how wrinkled they are. I want to wear clothes that make me happy and that includes cute shoes.

On the plane I dress in layers. This has little to do with lessening the weight of the suitcase and everything to do with the temperature on the plane which often fluctuates from minus 40 to 120 degrees. You’ll see me in a winter coat, hat, gloves and wool socks and at some later point stripped down to my sports bra and undies.

I have lots of good suggestions for those of you who want to know what to bring and how to pack light. Just don’t look at me to follow them.