FBFF: Summer Vacation

I will be starting a new feature here on Pemberley Rose: Fashion Beauty Friend Fridays. So what exactly is this? Every Friday, I will post my responses to questions listed in the FBFF Google Group. (Check it out here.) I hope you all enjoy this new regular feature! This week's topic is how I pack for vacations...

1.      When it comes to packing for vacation what’s your mantra? I always try to pack as many mix and match items as I can. Why? For one thing, it helps me with resisting the impulse to pack everything in my closet. Another reason is because I definitely don't want ridiculously heavy luggage, especially if my vacation involves a plane. (Who wants to pay for overweight luggage anyway?) Believe it or not, it is possible to create many stylish outfits from just a few basic pieces.
 
2.      What are your must packs? As important as it is to pack light, I always bring an extra outfit or two, just in case I change my mind about my other outfits. I also make sure to bring miniature bottles of toiletries: shampoo, conditioner, body wash, lotion, toothpaste, and contact lens solution. I also try to only bring one pair of sandals that go with every outfit. Oh, and I definitely can't forget sunscreen! 

3.      What are you happy to leave behind? It doesn't matter what season I go on vacation - I never bring anything school-related. Let's face it, a textbook would just be a waste of luggage space anyway since I know I'll never open it during vacation. :)
 
4.      Any packing secrets that help you get everything into one suitcase? Before putting anything into my luggage, I always lay everything out on my bed to make sure that I didn't forget anything. After double, sometimes triple checking, I roll everything so it fits in my luggage. (I'm not sure why, but rolling my clothes takes up much less space than folding.)
  
5.      Beach reading…what are you taking with you to read in the sand? As much as I love reading, I don't like reading on the beach. I'd much rather frolic in the water or have a picnic in the sand. I wouldn't mind having a few issues of Glamour or Cosmopolitan though.

::sigh:: These questions made me kind of sad about the Big Sur/Monterey vaction that Lucas and I had to cancel last month. He could only take one specific week off and what do you know? That week just happened to be finals week. -_- Still, I'm determined to have an awesome vacation this summer!