SuZan Klassen

“Feel that heat and humidity,” I said to no one in particular as I deplaned upon our arrival at Kahului Airport on Maui.

A stewardess on the gangway nodded. “Yes, feel that,” she said with a smile.

Maui’s warmth was decidedly different from the freezing temperatures we left behind in Seattle.

For the past few years our hosts for this trip had invited us to their condo on Maui. Due to my hubby’s work schedule, we’d always declined.

But not this year. Finally.

My husband’s boss docked his pay for taking a vacation at their company’s busy time of year. Including travel time, we’d be gone ten days. Would Maui be worth it?

We’d soon find out.

To stay true to our commitment to traveling light we packed only three or four changes of clothes. Our hosts had offered the use of their washer and dryer while we were there. This saved us from the temptation to pack too many clothes and left room for any souvenirs we might purchase while in Maui.

It also left room for us each to pack our own pillows and reading material. Even though we tried to pare down the amount of reading material—we always pack more than we ever have time to read—it’s a work in progress.

We had one carry-on small suitcase each, plus one allowable personal item each. This made easier navigation through the change in airplanes for each leg of our flight to Maui. Best of all, we had no checked bags to worry about and therefore no additional cost.

Packing List:
4 short-sleeved shirts and/or t-shirts
3 shorts
4 pair of underwear and socks
1 swimsuit
1 pair of sandals

Winter Travel Issues:
Traveling from a cold climate to a warm one presented some challenges, too. We needed our coats when we left home and for our overnight stay in Seattle (SEA) between flights, but we certainly wouldn’t need them when we arrived on Maui.

The solution?

Layering to the Rescue:
We wore lighter weight jackets over hoodies with long-sleeved t-shirts underneath and jeans with some stretch built-in. (Yes, we’re that age when comfort is important while seated for hours. However, I noticed some college students wearing sweat pants on our flight. So maybe it isn’t our age.)

When we landed at Kahului (OGG) we stowed our jackets in our luggage and rolled up our sleeves. A quick change into sandals made me instantly more comfortable. (Several from our flight changed their clothing in the airport restrooms.)

What travel solutions have you used when traveling from cold to warm climates?
Tell me in the comments below.

So how do you think the rest of our packing strategy worked? Stay tuned to find out.

Until next time . . . Travel Light,
SuZan

© 2018 SuZan Klassen