Lessons from a Terrible Packer: Things I wish I brought with me to Mexico
I try to be a good packer. I really do. But it always ends up being that I pack too much or I pack too little. This trip falls into the latter category. So, to keep you from suffering the same fate as I did, I put a list together of the things that I wish I packed for a week in Playa del Carmen, Mexico.
ONE. High absorbency personal towel - this is the one thing that I wish I had on multiple occasions. Perfect for drying off after swimming in cenotes before hiking back to the Collectivo pick up. Perfect for wiping off sandy feet before getting on the shuttle to the airport because you had to squeeze in some last minute beach time. This is something I swore after I first bought it that I would never travel without, and I did, and I regret it. Compact and quick drying, it hardly takes up any space and is incredibly convenient. I think you will use it more than you know.
TWO. More American cash - This was just poor planning on my part. Usually I bring a couple hundred dollar in USD and quite honestly I have no clue as to why I didn't this trip. There was an ATM just outside our hotel so I was able to easily get pesos which was helpful when it came to tipping our awesome hotel staff, booking our whale shark tour required USD and paying with a credit card is not always possible. It would have also been easily exchanged or accepted at all stores and I could have avoided the ATM surcharges.
THREE. Lightweight long sleeve shirt - I literally had this top in my hand while I was packing, but for some (dumb) reason I left it in the closet. Because sunscreen was prohibited in the cenote and while swimming with the whale sharks, I ended up getting some rough sunburns while walking and on the boat. It was obviously too hot for a cotton long sleeve but some coverage to protect from the sun would have been an excellent addition to my packing list.
FOUR. More bathing suits - This, again, has left me asking myself what exactly I was thinking. C'mon, it is Mexico after all! I brought one one-piece suit, a strapless bikini that I thought would be good for laying on the beach or pool and a bikini with straps for any potential snorkeling.
FIVE. T shirts - I did not pack a t single shirt. What is wrong with me?! I guess I was so focused on how hot it was going to be that I only packed tank tops. For the same reason as the long sleeve, it would have been nice to have a little extra shoulder coverage to protect the sunburn. I brought a bunch of plain, white Hanes t-shirts when I went to Australia and New Zealand and when I left after five weeks, I left the shirts behind in the last hostel to make room for the things that I was bringing home. It doesn't make me feel like I'm leaving behind a shirt that might have sentimental value or feel like I'm wasting money.
SIX. GoPro battery - I love my GoPro. I hate my GoPro battery. While snorkeling at Tulum on the second largest barrier reefs in the world, my battery died. I had charged it the whole night before and somehow the first time I turned it on, it was less than a third charged. This isn't the only time this has happened to me. It has died quite a few times when I was living in Hawaii, too. So lesson learned. I will never, ever leave home with out a second, fully charged battery.
There were a few things that I was happy that I didn't bring, too.
ONE. Raincoat - It did rain a few times we were there, and poured as we were leaving when a tropical storm had just hit landfall, but the rain was a welcomed relief to the heat and it never stayed for long. I had planned on packing it, but just totally forgot and I am very happy I did. It would have just made me too hot and I would have been stuck carrying it for the day to only stay dry from a few minutes of rain.
TWO. High heels - I sorta took this trip as an invitation to buy myself a new dress (or two) and when doing my pre-packing I had a pair of my favorite TOMS wedges in the pile but they didn't make the final cut and I'm okay with that. Quitana Avenida is blocks of pavers and hills. Not the most easy of high heel walking surfaces.
How are you at packing? What is something that you won't leave for a trip without?
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