Looking at three empty suitcases...

can be pretty intimidating, especially when you have no idea where you're going, or when you'll be back. Well, I do get two days off every thirty, so I suppose I could go home then. But, I figure when else am I going to travel like this? So, I either stay where I am, or head on to the next place early.

Where to start, where to start.. Well, I bought a metallic silver three-piece Heys hardside luggage set. It's what Ashlyn & Anna Kate used, so I figured why not use it, too. I have that, and a Vera Bradley Companion Attache in Mocha Rouge.

And this - this is how I pack.

I have my closet, also known as my 29". I keep every stitch of what I wear in that suitcase, and it weighs in at 45 lbs. What does that mean to me? I have 5 lbs of shopping space. Hallelujah.

Here's the packing list: 17 shirts (in my Eagle Creek packing folder), 4 sweaters, 3 cardigans, 2 blazers, 1 t-shirt, 1 sweatshirt, 2 Norts (Nike running shorts - I've learned this is more of a southern term), 3 skinny pop pants, 1 black jegging, 1 black legging, 2 dress pants, 1 ankle pant, 4 pencil skirts, 5 dresses, PJs, 3 belts, 5 pairs of tights, a bathing suit (you never know), a mini-steamer, and a laundry bag.

Next comes my 25" bathroom + shoes. Every little group of toiletries has it's own bag, likely monogrammed, because you can't not be organized when this is your whole life for a year.

Lastly, the two bags that never leave my side: my 21" suitcase of everything that doesn't quite fit, by weight or category, into the other two & my Companion. My jewelry roll, camera, Bible, container for all my chargers, stationery, and a roll of blue & white polka dot duct tape (because you never know when you're going to need to make an emergency repair at baggage claim) among other things are all kept in my carry on.