Jessica:
As I sit here and decide what item to bring for my tot that will remind him of home I realize that all packing is just a reminder of home. 
Don’t get me wrong, I love traveling and have extensively before I was a mom but for some reason I am worried about being homesick. Due to the fact that we will be traveling via trains, planes and automobiles we want to pack light so that we can be as efficient as possible. The weather will be iffy and rainy so we also had to consider rain coats and fleeces that take a lot of room. We will be taking my husbands Osprey hiking pack, my camera bag and Abe will have his backpack with an extra change of clothes and snacks.
We work with the roll up method. Not only will our shoes and clothes need to fit but also our baby carrier and toiletries. I will take a collection of shirts and one light cardigan, hiking pants, tights and dresses. Most of what I pack is thin in case I need to layer. After taking these pictures I actually ended up shedding one pair of pants and 2 shirts but added socks. This really is a serious game of “Let’s mess with Jessica’s Indecisive Disorder “.
For Abe I had to consider bringing mostly pants and one pair of shorts. This is so hard to imagine since it’s HOT in Atlanta right now but lows are showing in the 50’s in Scotland so I think we’ll be okay. He will also have a pack that he will carry. This trip is a vacation but also a learning opportunity to teach my son self-responsibility even at almost 3yrs. I trust him completely to be aware and to be a toddler all at the same time. I know he will understand the value of how fortunate we are to be able to travel, if not now then definitely later. We have made activity bags for the kids- actually this is Ashley’s idea and we will touch more on a later post. Abe will be carrying those, some snacks and other accessories. I’m bringing some gummies (Annie’s Bunny Gummies have replaced Life Saver Gummies) so he can chew on while we rise in elevation. Now that he’s a little older, snacks aren’t a source of comfort unless he’s truly hungry so I won’t worry about bringing too many snacks.
As for my husband, he packs light, but his clothes are bulky and take up just as much room. With all that said and done we managed to pack with everything we will need for the trip. We will be taking an empty regular back pack in addition to bring with us when we hike but are not planning to rely on its storage too much in case I need to wear my son between transportation. Overall I know my “home” will be with me having fun and exploring the world.
Time is drawing near and we are very excited to share our journey. Do you have any handy packing tips?
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