How do you pack for a month long tour that includes weather with lows predicted in the single digits (upstate NY) and highs around 80 degrees (Palm Beach, FL)?

This is how:

This was my room while I was in the process of packing yesterday. Believe it or not there is a system going on here.  I’ve got piles of clothes on my bed organized by clothing type (rehearsal items, casual items, warm items, etc.), the suitcase open on the floor ready to be filled, a few pairs of flamenco shoes piled on the floor, and my closet spewing out its contents. Alright, maybe there’s not such a great system going on….but here was the end result:

One large checked bag and my back pack ready for tour!

I have to say, despite all the packing and unpacking I do in my life–I constantly seem to be traveling or moving across continents–packing never seems to go smoothly. I should be an expert at this by now! The problem is you never know what you’re really going to need or want a month from now. So you have to just accept that you’re going to bring things you may not end up wearing or needing, and want things you didn’t pack. That’s life I guess, since we don’t have the ability to foresee the future. The goal is finding a nice balance between over packing and under packing. Easier said than done.

And now I’m heading upstate to Kaatsbaan International Dance Center in Tivoli, NY to rehearse for a week before we officially begin tour in South Carolina!