Three-Day Weekend in New Orleans

I got to put my "travel light = no checked bags" packing rules into force recently when my boyfriend and I went to New Orleans for the weekend -- luckily, ahead of the most recent hurricane to threaten the poor Big Easy.  I ended up packing in a big purse, and it held everything I needed.

I traveled in a black ponte knit mini skirt (Boston Proper travel collection), a grey v-neck t-shirt (J. Crew) and a black satin zip-front bomber jacket (American Apparel), wearing black, strappy, heeled sandals.  I took along one red cold-shoulder jersey dress (Ideeli, I forget the brand), one short, sexy black jersey dress (Victoria's Secret), a white v-neck t-shirt (J. Crew) and a slinky, strapless black jumpsuit with harem pants bottoms.  I threw a couple of cuff bracelets into the bottom of my purse and rolled up a Wacoal chemise and a couple of pairs of panties.  Tossed my makeup bag and a hairbrush in, grabbed my sunglasses and I was ready to go.

It poured rain the whole time we were in New Orleans.  The black jumpsuit -- which I thought was kind of a fun, crazy option I didn't really expect to actually wear -- got a lot of play over the weekend with the satin jacket over it, since it suddenly turned cool.  I ended up never even wearing the black dress; wore the jumpsuit to the casino instead since it was cold and wet.  Wore the red dress out to dinner at Galatoire's.  Bought a pair of black flip-flops at the drug store the first day rather than wear my nice sandals while slopping through gutters full of rain.  Left my travel umbrella in the bar Sunday night.  Oh, well!

So, as usual, even packing in a purse it turned out I over-packed.  It's amazing how very few articles turn out to be essential from a Friday to Monday.  I felt I had everything I needed, and that I looked put-together and just fine.

I leave for Buenos Aires in just over a month.  Last time I went to Buenos Aires I checked a carry-on size bag and carried on another the same size, plus a purse.  I'm starting now to plot and plan and practice pack to see if I can avoid checking a bag at all this time.  Can I make it two weeks on the contents of a single carry-on bag, even with dancing two or three milongas a night, which means I have to dress up?