It’s a Monday morning, and I just got back from a two-night trip. It went surprisingly well. I felt like I was prepared for what I needed to do and had the items packed that I needed. Wow! I better document this for posterity. So here you go. My rundown of a successful weekend getaway for my future benefit and your amusement. 

Thursday

Win –  I actually started contemplating what to pack before my trip this time. Now don’t go crazy with that. I didn’t actually pack. This was just mental contemplation of the weekend and what I may or may not need. Sort of like Olympic athletes who visualize winning the race or successfully jumping over a hurdle the height of a skyscraper. That was me. I clearly saw a vision of a well-packed bag by somewhere around mid-day Thursday. 

Win – I also took the step Thursday to buy a handful of road trip snacks. I even included some of our snack items in my Sunday grocery shopping. (Should I award myself a bonus point for that? 

Loss – As you may know from my other posts, I have discovered a successful snack bag includes items that I like but that are considered disgusting by my traveling companions to avoid sharing. So this was a fail for my weekend. I did not purchase any black licorice, so I did have to share my chocolate-covered almonds. 

Half-win – I got all of the clothes I needed for the weekend washed. Docking half a point because I did fall asleep before they were dry. 

Friday

Win – Packed my bag with the clothes from the dryer. Successfully got everything I anticipated needing into my duffle bag without having to do any strength-training exercises to get it zipped shut. I even tossed an extra outfit into the mix so that I’d have an option that I knew I wouldn’t wear for Sunday morning. I only had to take everything out once and repack it due to my lack of folding ability. 

Win – We left the house at our scheduled time, and here’s the real win – we were still talking to each other. Leaving for a trip can be stressful for my marriage. Surprisingly (if you are a newlywed or have never dated), my husband and I don’t really have the same priorities before we leave home. 

Win – I got to the hotel and actually hung up some of my clothes so they wouldn’t be quite as wrinkled on Saturday and Sunday. This is something I do mainly because it makes me feel like I made an effort without having to iron. 

Win – I remembered my toiletry bag, so I had all the essentials. Now that I finally have two of everything and just leave what I need in my travel bag, this has been less of a problem. 

Win – Charging cords for all of my devices were in my duffle bag. It was a beautiful sight. Before I climbed into bed, there was a line of cell phone, laptop, etc all happily gaining energy with cords that I brought myself.  

Saturday

Win – The outfit I chose for the day matched the weather of our destination. I wasn’t sure this would work out because I really wanted to wear a fall outfit that makes me feel confident, and the calendar says it is early spring. But I made the plunge, and the skies cooperated with some clouds and a nice October-like breeze. 

Sunday

Win – I got everything back in my duffle bag. It actually zipped even easier, which made me a little hesitant because I thought I might be missing something. 

Win – Despite the zipper situation, I didn’t leave anything in the hotel that I noticed or required a call from the hotel to come back and get. (You know who you are.)

So that’s 9.5 wins + a bonus point and one loss. I’ll call that a winning weekend getaway.