Sept 1 to Sept 12, 2022 – Southern California – Kelly

We spent a couple of weeks in SoCal, visiting relatives, taking care of last minute admin stuff, and acclimating the dog to his new digs. Really, the main activity of this time was the challenge of paring my stuff down from two suitcases to one. It was hard enough packing for a full year into only two suitcases, but now it was being suggested that I should pare that down to just one for the next three months. What to keep? What to leave behind? Let me just say here unequivocally: it’s harder for girls. Guys (well, fashion icons like Jim) can get away with wearing the exact same clothes from one season to the next by simply adding socks and a sweatshirt as the months progress and the temperature drops. Not so for the ladies! For example, women progress from open-toed shoes to closed come late fall and winter, and (regardless of weather) summery colored cotton tees make way for leather jackets, sweaters, and scarves. To complicate matters further, even the length and fit of denim jeans can change from season to season. Damn you, Fashionistas!

My packing woes were helped greatly when I received this sage piece of advice from my real estate partner, and millennial friend, Scott Petersen, who had packed once to spend a year in Thailand. “I just had a few shirts and shorts, showered in my clothes, and when I needed something different, I bought it.” Taking his last three words to heart, I pulled out just enough things to be able to zip up my duffle bag and said “let’s roll!” I can’t wait to go shopping in Spain!