I know. Melodramatic.

But I feel as though I’m escaping with my life. Every night a newscaster says, “We lost another one today to the ‘West Nile'” AND, the freakin CDC is flying in! They only stop by if its extreme, and trust me fellow Texans. It. Is. I mentioned to my husband yesterday evening that I had been bitten while running (even after drenching myself in DEET) and while I can’t confirm that it is a mosquito bite, I also cannot confirm that it isn’t. The experts say that about 90% of those infected do not show any symptoms ever, and the incubation period is around 3-14 days. Let’s just hope I’m in the ninety percentile bracket, because there is nothing that is stopping me from jetting out tonight. Goodbye Texas,  Hello “Golden State”.

This is not adios forever friends,  just for a long much needed couple days. As the last couple months have been extremely warm and hectic, it is with anticipation that I will rise tomorrow to walk along the beautiful beach of La Jolla or Del Mar to do: perhaps nothing or everything.

As I am a last minute packer, I thought I’d share my method to packing (this time for my California jaunt)  as well as the (5) essentials  I would recommend to anyone who is flying.

To start, my 5 requisites are:

1.) Fiber One bars, 2.) Burts Bees lip shimmer, 3.) Honey Sticks, 4.) Oscillococcinum vials, 5.) Boots ginseng eye cream

• Fiber One bars: I bring these along every time I travel. I’m not sure what it is about being on the road/plane, but my stomach almost always gets upset, and these alone fix my “ailments”
• Burts Bees Lip Shimmer: About $5, this shimmer is wonderful for dry lips as well as a touch of color. One does not need a mirror for application because of the sheerness of this product. I prefer this type of packaging vs. lip balm in a tub. Airplanes are filthy, and this way you don’t ever have to have apply with your finger.
• Stash Tea Clover Sticks: Not a fan of airplane coffee and I do not drink sodas (ever), I typically bring my own tea (in a ziploc) as well as clover sticks to add sweetness to my drink. The stewardesses will always have hot water, so feel free to ask. Trust me, your not drinking freshly ground and brewed java! (you can purchase these packaged honey tubes at Central market)
• Oscillococcinum vials: Like pop rocks, I take one vial before I board the plane. There are lots of people who are sick, and an airplane is a perfect breeding ground for whatever everyone else has (And I don’t want it). This is just a preventative measure, but since I started doing this about 3 years ago, I have not once gotten sick.
• Botanics Moisturizing eye cream: About forty five minutes before my plane is to land, I visit the lavatory and dab this under and around my eyes. It feels cold, and as if it has “caffeine” in it.

Now that I’ve shared what is in my handbag, you ask, “what is my method to packing?”  Well, I start off with where I’m visiting first. Then, I try and go with a theme. Here’s an example: I’m going to California, so its cooler (temperature wise), but the people there have a carefree/laid-back/individual aesthetic rules, spirit. So this is whats in my suitcase: white pants, white/black/ripped jean shorts, (1) dress for a nice dinner, (1) light jacket, (1) striped cardigan, flip flops, wedges, and white flats. Everything I take will be able to coordinate back with all shoes and bottoms. Below is a picture of all the tops that will be along for the adventure: