Transformation Tuesday #43: the Trip Home

Last week during my trip, I realized I had (unintentionally) been on a jeans fast. Well, I went on a bit of a shopping spree while visiting Hong Kong. I picked up five new shirts (!) which I'm going to incorporate into this season's capsule wardrobe (and will be switching a few things out as they rotate in). In my defense, it's the year of the rooster and there were some pretty adorable rooster apparel to be had, plus I found a great-fitting button down at Muji (and picked it up in three colors!).

I needed to find the best way to fit these items back into my suitcase for the trek home. I knew I would have room but also didn't want to carry as much in my carry on bag/purse on the plane. One of the things I love about traveling is that I take a break from daily tidying rituals, like putting clothes back into the dresser or hanging up my coat. One of the not-so-great things about traveling is trying to pack all this back up:

The easiest way to start packing is to completely empty the suitcase. It looks even worse here:

I started by picking out my PJs, shoes, and the clothes I planned to wear that day and on the plane ride home. Setting those aside helped me see what was left to pack. I folded up all the tops and pants into the packing envelope, then added the shoes I wasn't wearing, and the souvenirs I had picked up during the trip. 

This made the final morning SO much easier as far as getting ready and throwing my toiletries into the suitcase before heading out the door.