How to Pack for a Cross Country Road Trip

Hello from sunny Venice, California! I have completed my cross country trek and my boyfriend and I are currently in our new apartment a few blocks from Abbot Kinney. 

As expected, many of our friends have been asking about our new place (more on this when we finally get set up) and the road trip - what route we took, where we stayed, and most importantly, how we survived spending so much time in our car. Here's the deal. In total the whole trip took two weeks when it should have taken six days. We had a mini delay but were fortunate enough to spend the week in Colorado with family, thank goodness! We drove from Boston and stopped at the following cities: New York City (always a great time), Cleveland (hidden gem, IMO), Omaha (meh), Denver (LOVE), Aspen (LOVE), Zion National Park (didn't give it much time), Vegas (real quick, just hit the outlets), and Los Angeles (our new home!).

If you are planning on doing a road trip across the country in the near future, there's a few things I should mention. First, living on the road is exhausting. Even if you are fortunate enough to stay in nice hotels or in a friend's spare bedroom, your body hates you. Hates you! And regardless of if you shower at each destination, you feel a little dirty, too.

Second, pack comfortable, staple pieces that you can mix and match. Be sure to include options (or accessories) for a night out with friends. Friends always want to show you around town! You probably won't need any outfit that is over the top, unless you plan to stay in a super flashy town like Vegas. I packed two casual dresses as "night out" options and never wore them. I mostly wore jeans and tees and then swapped out accessories. Be sure to also pack for a variety of temperatures. Deserts are super hot in the day and freezing at night, and you never know when a random snow storm could surprise you in the mountains. 

Here's the final list of items that I found myself wearing most:

For Layers:

A field jacket // A neutral sweater // A sweatshirt or fleece

For Tops:

Striped long sleeve // Black and white tees (I buy mine from HM men's - the smalls fit so well!) // Gym t-shirt

For Bottoms:

Black jeans // Boyfriend jeans // Leggings // Jean shorts // Running shorts

For Shoes:

Weather-proof Chelsea boots // Running shoes // Vans // Flip flops

For Accessories:

Scarf // Sunglasses // Earrings // Necklace