This is our second list for those who are curious. Skip this post if you’re looking for anything other than an insight into how I pack!

Our GLA250 is Mercedes’ smallest crossover SUV. The back seat folds flat, which gains us the depth of the rear seat backs, allowing us to fit 2 large suitcases, 1 carryon suitcase, 2 car bins and a camera bag. We can shove random soft items into the back seat legroom, and throw a coat or two on top of the suitcases under the hatch cover.

We’re not taking every piece of clothing we own but, honestly, I packed way more than we actually need simply because it would fit in the car. Two bins of clothing we’ve not yet downsized, including heavy winter things we won’t need plus a set of formal wear for each of us, will be stored with son #2 for the winter.

We wore our lighter weight winter coats in the car. We already had snow in Collingwood, and we can never be sure what kind of weather we might hit through New York and Pennsylvania, but we don’t plan for beginning of December blizzards! My purse held our passports for crossing the border, as well as hard copies of reservations for our en route hotel nights and winter condo, in case we are asked for those going through U.S. customs.

Here’s what made the cut and came along:

CARRYON

⁃ Clothes for 2 en route hotel nights,

⁃ kit bags

⁃ Laptop

⁃ electric toothbrushes

⁃ Jewellery

⁃ Vitamins & medications

CAMERA BAG

⁃ camera, Apple TV, iPads, chargers, cables

LARGE SUITCASES X 2

(I use Ziploc bags to compress clothing. Wrinkles don’t matter – we’ll have an iron at our destination. January can still get cold in Myrtle but March and April are already hot, so we need clothing for 3 seasons – everything except true winter.)

Ted:

⁃ 3 pr. casual pants/jeans, alternate colour belt

⁃ 1 pr black dress pants for New Year’s Eve

⁃ 2 pr. shorts

⁃ 14 x underwear, socks

⁃ 8 tee shirts

⁃ 2 x pj bottoms

⁃ 3 x sweatshirts

⁃ Sweatpants

⁃ 2 x long sleeve tees

⁃ 6 x long sleeve dress-shirts + 6 short sleeve buttoned shirts (Myrtle Beach is demographically older, and a golf-centric community, so there are clubs and restaurants which require “collared shirts” for men)

⁃ 2 Hats (winter and summer)

– athletic socks & workout gear x 5

⁃ Bathing suit

⁃ Windbreaker

⁃ Raincoat

Rose:

⁃ 14 x underwear, 3-4 bras

⁃ 2 x pjs

⁃ long lounger dress (to use as a robe, lounger and beach coverup)

⁃ 2 pr. jeans, 2 x summer weight pants, belt

⁃ 2 capris, 2 shorts

⁃ 1 black lined legging, 1 black summer weight legging

⁃ 7 x long sleeved tops

⁃ 14 x summer tops

⁃ 4 x cardigans

⁃ hoodie for cool beach days

⁃ as many pretty scarves as can fit into the gaps in the suitcase, to change up the look of outfits

⁃ apron

⁃ Sleeveless knit jersey gown (also useable as a summer dinner dress)…and bling for New Year’s Eve

⁃ 3 sets workout gear

⁃ 2 Bathing suits + 1 coverup

– spring weight jacket with hood

⁃ Fleece jackets x 3

⁃ Raincoat

BLACK BIN#1 – Household stuff we don’t have to do without YET

⁃ Single cup keurig

⁃ Spices

⁃ Water bottles (gym)

⁃ Rolling pin, pie plate, pastry blender

⁃ Silicon wine bottle stoppers

⁃ Calendar book, bankbook, pens, whiteout, grocery cards

⁃ scissors, small whisk, lemon zester, garlic press, knife sharpener

⁃ Small portable tool kit, crazy glue, sewing kit

⁃ 2 umbrellas

BLACK BIN #2 – Mostly shoes (saving suitcase space for clothes)

⁃ Ted: runners, black dress shoes, loafers, water shoes, and moccasins (slippers)

⁃ Rose: ankle boots, 3 x closed-toe flat shoes, 1 x beach flip-flops, 3 x sandals, running shoes

⁃ Ted’s 2-layer Columbia jacket