I got so many thoughtful suggestions on how to build up the wardrobe for this trip from (as opposed to the paring down a mountain direction I was taking)! I owe you a trip report. In the end I took considerably less than I originally thought of, but still a considerable amount. Not Nader Shah's sack of Delhi, but there was quite bit stuffed into that carryon.

I was not faithful in taking pix all the way through, partially because of some cutting remarks that the quantity of selfies on my phone reveals negative character traits (maybe I should've just told him about ylf?), but also because I just wasn't doing anything that superfab beyond getting on with my day.

Thoughts on how much I took--part of it is that I didn't know what was going to happen. There was a lot going on this trip, with moving my son into his dorm room, a little fellowship at a history center, and visiting my family. The same tops worked for everything, but required different bottoms. I did enjoy not needing to do laundry. Extending the trip meant I wore 1 pr of "emergency underpants" stored in my childhood room, but doing the wash at my parents' always involves arguments we just don't need. I could've done a load at the end of the professional part of the trip, but doing double shifts between archive and library every day meant I didn't have much time. Also contributing to the bulk is that Mr No-selfie had, in the past, been encouraging about the ways I've been "coming out" and changing what I wear, or at least my attitude towards it, so I wanted to wear lots of different looks around him, and I didn't know what we'd be doing together. Additionally, I wanted to get myself to the gym more than 3x in 2 weeks, would have liked to go to the waterpark and to do some serious swimming too, so I took more swim & workout stuff than I wore.

Midway through the trip, I left some casual clothes behind as I switched into "professional" mode. Good thing I had other stuff along, but otoh, if I didn't have so much, maybe I would've noticed sooner. On the 3rd hand, the weather took a turn for the cooler; even though there is one hot weather outfit I never wore, I did need all the warmer clothes I took “just in case” and wasn’t looking for the high summer things I’d forgotten in the drawer.

On to the pix:

2-3 I'm still wearing jumpsuits for flights. This one is a bit baggy, but had fewer strap issues than the blue one from the last outing. I like them because they keep me covered even if I score a row of seats to lie down on, as I did once this trip, have to scramble over seat mates, etc 

4 Off to Ikea to buy dorm stuff! Last time I was in Boston, several women complimented my outfits; not this time, lol. But I got the job done! I did wind up having a conversation with a Ugandan Uber driver on how African men have to adjust to the things women in the US and Europe wear, and the messages we don't intend to send. Told him about a friend from Somalia who drove a cab in Berlin; women flagged him down just to jump in the back seat together. Uber driver says he's never had that happen. Idk if that means American women fetishize African men less, or if that friend was better looking (when he offered me a hop in back, I turned him down).

5-6 Same short shorts & hoodie, different top. We unpacked everything in less than an hour, got back to the hotel for a second round at the breakfast buffet. (In pic 5 I have a black napkin in my lapkin).

7 Another flight. Different outfit, not a jumpsuit, because when I got there I took off the bike shorts and sweatshirt to wear the silk tank & cotton mini to get together with That Guy. He didn’t complain

8-9 Hiking around campus, before I admitted that no rental bikes was a deal breaker and got a car. 

10 Archive day! Other outfits were the purple skirt, cherry tank with lace trim and kimono (find is similar); the ditsy midi skirt with a tank and the eggplant hoodie; the ditsy midi with a tank and the pink linen jacket. I liked wearing the jacket, might build a capsule around the suit for a future trip, but then again, maybe repeat items shouldn't be so loud. I want to stand out for my work & the kind of person I am, not as "that woman in pink". 

11-15 back home again, spending time with family. Can't recall exactly how many years ago the pic of my parents is from, but you can tell I did not come from the mailman! The pic with my sisters cracks me up--I was so careful to find a swingy "cropped" top that didn't show my gut (thank you to everyone who commented!), and then the pants bagged out and hung low enough to show that soft underbelly after all. The swimsuit y'all helped me pick out is still going strong, better than my flips anyway. It's hard to see, but 15 is after my shower, doing a little puzzling before bed. I had left the pjs behind, so am wearing the tie-dye as an ersatz nightgown.

16 Stopped in Boston to spend 10 hours with my son. We did nothing special and enjoyed it very much. 

17 My funky pants are much more useful than I first expected, once they're laundered back to an appropriate size. I still prefer more coverage of my middle to fly, but the outfit was good for tromping around the city and ok for the flights. They are ridiculously comfortable on, even for 33 straight hours.

18. Got home to jeans weather, and pulled the new ones out of my bag immediately. Not sure yet if I'm going to get them hemmed or not.

ETA 19–footwear worn with 7 & a collection of places I slept en route, using the tie-dye as a cover.