Epic Fail...

Checking into Southwest airlines my suitcase weighed 48.5 pounds.  I'm sure you can guess by now that it was not a carry on!  Thus my efforts to reduce my packing and get it all in a tiny carry on bag failed!  The surprising thing to note that on the return I found that probably 70% of the items I packed never got worn!

Traveling to Hawaii next time will bring about a new, lighter version of my old self and based on what I know now a carry on is entirely possible.  Afterall my sister-in-law did it! 

So you might ask, what would one pack for a week in Hawaii?  Here is my list below which I am happy to share and will be a source to refer back to when the next trip presents itself.  (I hope it's soon, I'm dying to go back!)

2 pair of sandals  dressy and casual
1 pair of slip-on shoes (Tom's style)
2 pair of shorts
2-3 pair of pants
several tops
3 casual skirts
1 dress
3-4 bathing suits
3 bathing suit cover-ups
1 sweater or light weight jacket
for the plane:
lightweight pants
shirt
scarf wrap
shoes

For those who may wonder, we spent most of the daytime at the pool and the beach.  We spent almost all evenings out to dinner but the island is so laid back that to get dressed up means a cute skirt and top or sundress, not a LBD.  We toured venues in Southern California, dress code the same.  Don't pack a hair dryer, shampoo/conditioner, or beach towels.  They are all made available.  Bring lots of cute jewlery, it can change up the look of an outfit with very little effort. 

Most of all, don't obsess over your clothes like I did, it can tend to ruin the experience.  Just go with the flow, hang loose and enjoy the time.