I leave for Nashville in a little under two hours. I’m only staying the night, which means I face a set of unique packing challenges.  It is SO easy to overpack for a one night trip. There is all this space left in the suitcase, and for some reason people just feel compelled to fill it! I know one person who never travels with a pillow, yet she had extra room in her suitcase so she thought, I’ll just stick my pillow in there. What?? Seriously?? You don’t have to fill the space! If you think you will be going on a lot of overnight trips, it’s not a bad idea to get a small bag just for those occasions. Luckily, for this trip, I have to take a super bulky tablecloth, so I will not even really have any extra room.

My packing list for overnight trips:

• Two bottoms, max. Whether you choose pants and a skirt, two pairs of pants, or you decide to go for it and only bring one pair of pants, there is NO reason to have more than two bottoms. Wear one of them on the plane.
• Two shirts. Both should go with both bottoms. Wear one on the plane.
• One (that’s right, one!!) pair of shoes. Unless you are doing a lot of walking or standing, you really only need one pair of shoes for an overnight trip. Maybe bring some flip-flops for walking around the hotel in, but only one pair of nice shoes. You will of course wear this pair of shoes on the plane.
• Something to sleep in. For me, it’s yoga pants and a tank (which I can also use for yoga if I have time).
• Undergarments. I usually like to bring an extra set, since they are small.
• Toiletries, makeup, curling iron. Since I have curly hair, I wash it every other day. I typically won’t bring my shampoo and conditioner with me on overnight trips. Other than that, it’s all my normal stuff.
• Laptop, phone, chargers. Don’t forget the chargers!!!
• Books, etc. for on the plane. I bring my Kindle, a magazine, and my knitting. Plenty of entertainment for two days.

There you are! Exactly the right amount of things to bring. And this way you will have all the stuff you need without overdoing it.