It's the week of my cruise!  Part of me is beyond excited, thinking of the sun, the sand...the frozen drinks...  Part of me is freaking out over packing.  Yeah.  Packing.  I mean, I've never taken a cruise this long.  Emily and I will be gone for 8 days and 7 months. And I'm feeling overwhelmed by luggage sizes, luggage weight, and what I can really wash and rinse in the sink.

As you know, I'm trying out flying Spirit Airlines as a member of their $9 Spirit Club.  This is my first trip with Spirit, so I'm still trying to feel things out a bit.  It's also my first cruise with MSC Cruises, so I don't really know the reputation for dress casual.  It's a real conundrum.

I pack my clothes in space saving bags.  That's both bad AND good.  Bad because it makes me think I can pack more, so I go over weight limits.  Good because I can fit more in there.  Also good...because I can organize right off the bat.  Underclothes and PJs in one bag, shirts in one, pants and skirts in one, and dresses in one.  Easy peasy, right?

I brought 2 tee shirts and 2 workout pants.  I figure I'll buy tee shirts, and I can rinse my workout pants *if* needed.  I brought 7 blouses that can be mixed and matched with the 2 pairs of capris (white and black) and the 3 pairs of capri leggings (black, tan, gray and blue) plus a cute white jacket that I can mix and match with everything.  I brought 3 casual dresses (what can I say...I'm most comfy in dresses) and two different cocktail dresses for formal night.  I brought thin flip flops for the pool and after-cruise hostel stay, two pairs of dressy flip flops and a pair of tennis shoes.  I also have a coverup and 2 swim suits.

I did bring extras.  A hanging bag for organization, magnets, a dry erase board and post it notes for messages, my underwater camera, meds (okay, those aren't extras...) and my beauty stuff.

I'm allowed 40 lbs.  I came in at 32.

Yes, I'm still stressed.  What if I can't add, and I'm over my 40 lbs allowed?  I don't even know what to leave behind!

This time tomorrow, I will be in the hotel, washing the travel yuck off of me, and getting ready for bed.  I can't wait!  I do need the sun and sand.  This week will be exactly what the doctor ordered.

Confession:  I am terrified of getting lost.  What if I end up in a bad part of town?  What if I never find my way home? But when I was in Europe, getting lost was a wonderful adventure.

By the time I landed in Amsterdam, I had been awake for 20 hours.  My insulin pump had become dislodged when my seatmate decided to flail his arms around when we landed in London, and my blood sugars were rebounding from that debacle.  By the time I landed at Schipol Airport, I was hungry and exhausted, but excited to begin my adventures.  All I wanted was to head to my hostel, grab a quick shower, and find a Febo for a quick meal.  I mean, it was still daylight; surely I would be able to explore, right?  I got directions for which train to take to my hostel, and went on my merry way.

​What I didn't realize is that there was construction on part of my route.  The stop I thought I was supposed to use was shut down.  I got off a stop before that, and decided to walk.  And walk I did.  Over cobblestoned streets, through parks, and into a city square that I just KNEW would lead me where I was supposed to be.  That didn't happen.  I walked for two hours, then grabbed a map to try to figure out where I was and where I needed to be.  That was no help.  I used data to pull up the Rome2Rio app; although that is usually a huge help to me, for that day, it had me walking in circles.

BUT...I experienced so much, and leaned a lot.  I drank a soft drink at Burger King.  I sat on a wall across the street from a concert hall full of teens cheering for the Netherlands' hottest band.  I talked to a police officer, whom I thought was a taxi cab driver, and he was so nice.  Finally, after 6 hours wandering around the Centraal station area, I found my Hostel, checked in, got my shower, and went out to eat.  I knew where to go, now, and I enjoyed a delicious Italian dinner.  I was so exhausted that I fell asleep twice during dinner, but that, too, is a special memory.

Next I went to Germany.  Deutschland.  The place where my exchange student, Malte's, family was hosting us.  Emily and I met up at the train station.  I immediately hit it off with Malte's Mom, and enjoyed watching Malte drive us to his home.  The next day, we saw castles and cathedrals.  Then we returned to Malte's house.  Malte's family lives in a home we would call a condominium.  We parked in a different spot near his neighbor's farm.  While I turned to get photos of the animals, everyone else walked back to Malte's house.  I turned around and realized...I was hopelessly lost.  I walked around for a while before calling Emily to tell her I was lost.  Before long, Malte's whole family was outside calling for me.  It was embarrassing, but it's a wonderful memory (and I got some great pictures of his neighbor's animals).

I learned that getting lost can be a fun adventure.  I created some memories that I wouldn't have had otherwise.  I have a lot of wonderful anecdotes that are good for some laughs.  Maybe getting lost isn't so bad after all!

My European vacation last year was eye opening in many ways.  For one, it proved to me that one doesn't need a lot of "stuff" to travel.  In fact, I realize that I usually over pack.  After wandering around Amsterdam lost for 6 hours, luggage in hand, I knew I had to get my over packing under control.  The Europeans do it right.  They know how to compact pack and what clothes and how to create many outfits with different pieces..  Rarely did I see people struggling with their suitcases when I was at train or plane stations.  In fact, embarrassingly, I was usually the one struggling through the terminals.

Since then I've traveled several times, and I've worked to pack the bare necessities.  I even participated in a pageant and only brought a small suitcase and a bag!

I also came to the conclusion that flights really are cheaper when you pack sparingly.  Since I really love to travel (have passport, will  leave the country!), I would rather spend money on experiences than on suitcases.

With this in mind, I decided to join the Spirit Airlines $9 Club.

WHAT?  Am I CRAZY?  I mean Spirit has such a bad reputation for late flights, overbooking, tight spaces and strict luggage rules.  How could I possibly make Spirit work?

Well, dear readers, I have decided to give it a try.  I know what I'm getting into.  If my flight is supposed to depart at 10:20, I'll be lucky to be in the air at 11:00.  If it is supposed to land at 2:00, we may be circling the runway at 5:20. The trick is to realize this and to plan accordingly.  They tell you up front that there are no "free" drinks or snacks; that's okay, just bring your own.  The point is, with one of the newest fleet of planes in the sky, Spirit has great safety reviews and they are very up front about what you get for your money.  Honestly, they feel a lot like every single airline or train I took in Europe.  To me, a little common sense will save a lot of money in the end.  And it's worth it.

My first experience is right around the corner.  I will be flying Spirit on my way to the cruise.  I am flying the day before, so that if there are any hiccups, I will have time to fix them.  And if there are none?  Beach time, baby!  We are allowed a pretty generous personal item bag, so I will have a lot of my "just in case" stuff in there. Being an 8 day cruise, I'm keeping my wardrobe in mind.  I did opt to purchase a checked luggage option.  That gives me a little more breathing room.  I'm bringing a lot of separate to mix and match so my wardrobe doesn't need to be so extensive.  It leaves me a lot of room for souvenirs, too.  Purchasing my bag option when I booked saved me a lot of money, too.

With the cost of my 1 year $9 club membership, my checked bag and my ticket, I was still $89 less than my next cheapest option.  The annual membership will be great, too, when it's cold in Missouri and I long for the beaches in Mexico, or if I get a yearning to visit some of my southern friends.  I won't need to dream....I will just need to pack my carry on bag and GO!

Maybe I'm being idealistic, but I think that Spirit may be ushering in a new era of airline travel, and I'm excited to take advantage of it.  I learned in Europe that less is more; we will see if that works when I'm on my cruise.  Stay tuned for my post-flight report, and maybe you, too, will be inspired to get in the "less is more" travel Spirit, too!