I planned ahead for my spring break packing list this year. I made a cup of coffee, opened my laptop with genuine confidence, and filled a cart with things that excited me—new shapes, new silhouettes, the jelly sandal trend I’d been eyeing for a year.
Then I returned almost all of it.
Package after package, nearly everything landing as “not me.”
In my defeat, I took a pencil to paper and tried to figure out what went wrong. I wanted loose, easy pieces, but kept feeling like I was swimming in them. Like I was wearing a costume. A little trick I learned from a somatic therapist came in handy: Feel where the disappointment is in your body and let it speak. Don’t interfere or make meaning of it.
What I actually wanted was freedom and room. I wanted to feel feminine and refined but entirely on my own terms. Not dressing for anyone’s gaze but my own.
That became the brief. And the second edit was completely different. I pulled out what I felt good in and then made a few outfits from there. I’m trusting that bringing what I like will be enough.
Here’s What Stayed on My Mexico Spring Break Packing List
1. Linen shorts with a cool edging detail that felt like themselves.
2. A crochet dress with a donkey on it—technically a swimsuit cover-up—that got an immediate yes on first wear.
3. A swimsuit I actually bought and returned last year, then ordered again and kept this time. Bold pattern, big energy, an outfit on its own.
4. A Y2K-esque black halter that goes with everything.
5. The perfect sun hat.
6. A few gauzy tops.
7. Equally gauzy shorts to pair with the above.
8. A fun tee that will layer over anything.
9. Shiny Umbro shorts.
10. Simple flip-flops.
11. Classic rope sandals.
12. My tiny sunglasses.
13. A yellow mesh grocery tote for beach stuff.
The shell anklet and the basket are on the list, too—but those are things you buy on vacation, not before. Some things you have to earn by actually being somewhere.
I’ll try to snap some pictures while I’m there next week and share what actually comes together. It took a lot of effort and overthinking to realize I was definitely going about it the wrong way.
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Kate is the founder of Wit & Delight. She is currently learning how to play tennis and is forever testing the boundaries of her creative muscle. Follow her on Instagram at @witanddelight_.
