I am only 22 years old and I can’t have everything yet.
The belief that the very second you are handed a college degree you are also going to land a glamorous job, live comfortably in a modern apartment in the city and hobnob every night with all of the most successful 20-somethings in the industry…is far-fetched. Has anyone else noticed this is exactly how our parents’ generation tends to stereotype us Gen-Y-ers? As entitled brats who have no grasp on the meaning of hard work? I think of myself as the proud antitheses to that stereotype.

Now, I know I’m not the only one. But I also know there are many who are somehow clinging to that belief, and its unfortunate. Because they are setting themselves up for plain old pain (and also making the rest of us look bad).

My belief that a lot of people still have this completely ludicrous expectation for an automatically dispensed lifestyle is confirmed by one thing. The amount of people my age I’ve seen roll into a pit of depression once they add up the numbers and, “Wait, I’m negative? What now? Can I pay rent with an AmEx?” is disturbing. They are shocked to see there is no way they can afford to move out of mom & dad’s house while working their entry level job and making car payments on their brand new Jetta. Fat chance. Not unless they want to give up $10 cocktails, weekend trips away, and many other unnecessary things they thought simply landing a full-time job authorized them to indulge in. And, oh, how tragic would that be?

Do you know what I realized post-grad?

Reality is not cocktail hour schmoozing, mani-pedi’s, and mimosas every weekend while living in a charming apartment uptown.
Reality is working as many hours as you can get your hands on (50+ between three jobs) because maybe getting a full-time position in your career field isn’t going to happen right away but that shouldn’t be enough to stop you from chasing your goals. Reality is doing what you have to do until you get there.
Reality for this girl is moving into an apartment on the less fortunate side of town where the paper-thin walls revealing a mother screaming at her crying babies in Spanish every morning. Because rent is expensive and day-to-day life, minus the luxury, isn’t cheap. Reality was working three jobs at minimum wage until I could use my degree full-time.

Imagine my shock when I realized Sex & The City was not exactly true-to-life for a 20 year old. That shock lasted about one month, when the job offers didn’t exactly come pouring in this summer. I did what I had to do, and I’m happy about it. Trust me, it doesn’t do you any good to be bitter because your fairy godmother didn’t drop your dream job (as a fashion columnist) in your lap.

Just because you arent living glamorously yet does not mean you never will.
You are only twenty-something.

My advice & realization: Do not waste your time complaining. So what if you don’t have the money to do whatever you want? Who does? So what if sometimes you have to still eat ramen for dinner (I happen to love ramen, actually. So it worked out for me)? Learn how to cut corners and still be fabulous. Enjoy the treasure hunt that is thrift store shopping and save money. Learn how to love the taste of home-brewed coffee and save the Starbucks for special occasions. Learn how to pack a lunch instead of eating out every day. Be realistic.

Working hard for what you have is more to be proud of than being born into riches and never expecting or tolerating anything different.

The words that I live by:
It is only up from here. I will not be in this place forever, but I’ll enjoy it for what it is. Nothing will feel better than earning an upgrade someday.

Spend your 20’s enjoying what you’ve worked for so far, and dreaming about what your continued hard work will someday earn you.
But you don’t need it all now. You’re only twenty-something.

Danae Matthews lives in San Francisco and writes for an on-line women’s health resource Women’s Health Base.

Hit the Brakes

There is a defining moment in every relationship. The first kiss that assures a mutual attraction. Meeting the parents. For all of the flowery displays of affection and exclusivity there are then the “red-flag” moments. Amidst the red-flags it can become hard for us to decipher what are speed-bumps and what are road-blocks. The deal breakers that should send us heading for the hills so frequently become the things that we think we can “work out” together. This is why you have so many girlfriends stuck in dead-end relationships lying to themselves that at the heart of it all, they are meant to be together.
So how do you decode a speed-bump from a road-block? Every relationship comes with its own set of rules of course, but some things to keep in mind…

1. Your significant other doesn’t like any of your friends
   Who you choose to surround yourself with is a direct reflection on you and your personality. If the person you’re dating takes issue with your best gaggle of girlfriends watch out. This could mean a number of different things, but two big ones could be: he is conditioning your relationship to be exclusively you+him by cutting out the competition, and/or there are things he doesn’t love about you that he sees illuminated in your friend group.
2. Major life decisions start being taken off the table
   If all of the sudden your boyfriend starts getting really adamant about the things he doesn’t want, listen to what he’s saying. If in the beginning of dating you managed to tip-toe around most of the serious subjects, but now he is making big proclamations about never wanting to get married, or having no desire to have children it could be the symptom of a much bigger problem. The last thing you want to do is think that if you stay together longer, he will change his mind.
3. You start getting calls and texts to see what you’re doing
   This is a fine line to walk. Some couples text all day long as a way to get through a tedious work-day or stay connected. But if you start getting more and more texts or calls just to “check-in” and see what you are doing it might be a good idea to hit the brakes and convene for a convo. You already have one father and if you allow what may seem like innocent behavior go on too long, you could end up with two.
4. Separate religions, but now you’re serious
   So this is a really hard one to navigate. Some people avoid this problem entirely by only dating people within their own belief system. But a major speed-bump turned road-block can be dating and then falling for someone of an opposite religion. If this happens you need to sit down and have a serious conversation about where you think your relationship is going and how serious you both are about your beliefs. The last thing you want to do is pass on an opportunity for love without having discussed things first. Just remember- definitely not a conversation for date number one or two!
5. You have to instigate all plans
   If in the beginning of your relationship/dating your guy made all the plans to go out and now it’s all on you, it could mean more than you think. It is natural for guys to get comfortable in a relationship and get lazy, especially if you live together. But if you are still in the early stages and you are always the one getting together plans this is a red-flag. You should still be the main focus a year, 5 years, heck- 20 years into a relationship!

By Annie Favreau from Inside Jobs

Whether you’re a graduate on your first employment hunt or a young professional looking for a career change, you want to choose a job that’s got a future. One way to do this? Pick a career in a new or developing field. Here are five jobs that hadn’t been invented when you were in grade school:

Digital Journalist – Digital journalists are like the energizer bunnies of journalism: you find stories quicker and deliver news faster by blogging, micro-blogging, vlogging, texting, tweeting, and generally feeding the social media frenzy.

This is a relatively new field, born from the public’s ever increasing consumption of on-demand, easy-to-digest news. As such, the new breed of reporters must distinguish which stories are best told through what medium—words, photographs, video, audio recording, or visual graphics.

A word of warning: because you’re often working without the safety net of an editor, digital journalists need a strong knowledge of journalism ethics and media laws. That way, you can avoid career-killing situations, like getting sued for libel.

Average salary: $25,480–$51,210

Environmental Economist – Mathematically minded folks who are interested in greening up their jobs should consider becoming Environmental Economists. This career choice marries ecological and economic sustainability: you perform cost/benefit analysis of government policies that deal with air pollution, water quality, waste, and global warming.

Environmental Economics has been around for a while. But now that everyone and their mother are concerned about shrinking their carbon footprints (and rightly so), this career field is developing into a professional hot spot.

Average salary: $60,990–$119,630

TSA Officer – The Transportation Security Administration (TSA for short) was created exactly ten years ago in response to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Since then, TSA agents have been screening passengers, baggage, and cargo to protect our friendly skies.

At first glance, this job might not seem a little…well, boring. Going through some lady’s bag to find her illegal tweezers isn’t a job most people dream about. However, TSA officers often receive extensive training in the fields of security, intelligence, and counter-terrorism which can lead to other career openings. And you’re the first line of defense against any and all threats.

Average salary: $21,980–$39,990

Forensic Accountant — If you’re a math whiz but have always secretly fantasized about investigating and bringing down criminals, why not combine your two interests and enter the world of forensic accounting?

Investigating insurance claims, tax evasion, money laundering, and fraud are all part of the daily grind. But it’s not all paper trails and numbers; forensic accountants are often called as expert witnesses in court.

Technically, this job is more than ten years old, but the demand has grown exponentially in recent times (Bernie Madoff, anyone?).

Average salary: $46,740–$79,470

Online Reputation Manager – Anyone who’s Googled themselves understands the value of an online reputation manager.

Whether you’re deleting Facebook photos of a CEO smoking something strange, or responding to complaints about a company’s product, online rep managers works to maintain a pristine online image for their clients.

What’s it take to succeed in this position? Not a lot beyond a firm grasp on social media, strong communication skills, and the willingness to spin a story. The field is so new that even the experts have only been working there for a couple of years.

Average salary: $38,740–$72,180

Annie Favreau works for Inside Jobs, a career exploration site that helps people discover what opportunities exist and learn what paths can take them there.

By Amy Ahlers, Certified Life Coach & Author

“If only I were thin enough, rich enough, better looking…THEN I could stop being so hard on myself.” Have you ever had that thought? If only your circumstances were different you could then magically shift your internal dialogue into an empowering, nurturing, loving one, right? After more than a decade of coaching people from every walk of life, I finally got it: we are hard on ourselves despite our external circumstances.

We beat ourselves up for both the big things and for the tiniest imperfections. And all this punishment isn’t helping us become more successful or to feel more fulfilled or even to get more done.

And who can blame us for being so hard on ourselves? Women have a lot on their plates: careers, romance, kids, health . . . the list goes on and on. We’re supposed to bring home the bacon, fry it up in a pan, have incredible sex with our partners (never letting him forget he’s a man — that is, assuming he is a man), get the laundry and housework done, have healthy, accomplished kids, and a tight butt and perky boobs to boot. And it’s no easier for men. The demands of modern life make us feel like we’re supposed to enjoy being pulled in a million directions at the same time. And that we’re supposed to be as flexible as Gumby on muscle relaxers. But we’re only human.

What would happen if we gave ourselves a break?

First, it is vital that you identify the critical, catty, judgmental voice in your head as your very own Inner Critic. And I’ve got news for you: Your Inner Critic is a Big Fat Liar! She/he tells you Big Fat Lies to try to maintain the status quo and keep you in your comfort zones even if your comfort zones aren’t all that comfortable.

If you want to take control of your happiness, it’s time to take Your Inner Critic out of the driver’s seat.

Try the five tips below to ditch Your Inner Critic:

Tip One: Identify Your Inner Critic’s Top 10 List of places, situations, and environments where she/he likes to show up and criticize. Is it at work? Social events? In bed? Whenever you look in the mirror? Once you know what circumstances are likely to trigger Your Inner Critic, you can be better prepared to deal with that voice.

Tip Two: Draw, doodle or sketch a picture of Your Inner Critic. Is he pudgy with big glasses? Perfectly pressed in pink? A slob with a cigarette in one hand and a martini in the other? Don’t worry if you think you can’t draw. No one will ever see this but you, so go for it! Having a mental image of the voice that tortures you – particularly a funny image – can instantly take away some of Your Inner Critic’s power.

Tip Three: Get to know Your Inner Critic on a deeper level. Notice what makes him louder, and notice what diminishes her power. What happens if you just yell “Shut up!”? What if you just look her calmly in the eye and reassure her that everything is going to be all right? Maybe he needs a compliment every now and then? After all, Inner Critics need love too.

Tip Four: What are Your Inner Critic’s favorite Big Fat Lies about you? What does he/she say to you over and over? Is it, “You’re a Failure,” “You’re Unlovable,” or “You’re Not Enough?” Your Inner Critic will collect evidence to make the case that you’re not good enough, even twisting things around when necessary. Your Inner Critic will do everything possible to back up those favorite punishing, disappointing, sad stories about you and your worth, so it’s up to you to remember the good stuff about you, no matter how convincing she/he seems.

Tip Five: Do this powerfully simple three step process to see through Your Inner Critic’s Big Fat Lies:

• Step One: Ask yourself, “What is my Inner Mean Girl/Inner Critic saying?” Give voice to  the Big Fat Lies you are believing. Speak them – get them out of the darkness and into the light so they can be healed. Don’t hold back here . . . rant! Let it out!

• Step Two: Close your eyes, take a deep breath, and ask yourself, “What does my Inner Wisdom know?” Sink into the land of your Inner Wisdom’s Truth. This is the place that feels grounded. It feels like home. Really let the Truth wash all over you and disintegrate the Big Fat Lies. Ahhh . . . that feels better!

• Step Three: Lock in your Inner Wisdom’s Truth by repeating it (aloud if possible)   accompanied by a physical gesture that reinforces the message. My Inner Wisdom has me lightly touch my heart; I have one client who waves his hand as though he were testifying in church and another who touches her belly. This gesture becomes your touchstone, reminding you to step into Truth and feel better.

Shifting your focus to your Inner Wisdom will always bring you in line with your Truth and Compassion, and you will  always feel better. As you practice this process more and more, you’ll find your Inner Superstar coming to life.

Here’s the Truth: You are a Superstar.

And I know, because my Inner Wisdom told me so.

* * *

Join Amy Ahlers for the Exposing the Big Fat Lies Summit and Get The TRUE STORY About How To Quit Being Hard On Yourself & Start Being Happy! 21 World-Class Experts Disclose Their Secrets And Share Like You’ve Never Heard Them Before…Really! http://tinyurl.com/BigFatLiesSummit

AMY AHLERS, the Wake Up Call coach and cofounder of the Inner Mean Girl Reform School, is the author of Big Fat Lies Women Tell Themselves: Ditch Your Inner Critic and Wake Up Your Inner Superstar. Visit her online at http://www.wakeupcallcoaching.com/

* * *

Based on the book Big Fat Lies Women Tell Themselves: Ditch Your Inner Critic and Wake Up Your Inner Superstar © 2011 by Amy Ahlers. Printed with permission of New World Library, Novato, CA.

www.newworldlibrary.com or 800?972?6657 ext. 52.

In a previous entry, I mentioned that I’m making a few changes in my life. One of them involves a change of scenery. In other words, I’ll be moving soon – in fact in a just a couple weeks. I want to stay close to the places and people that I enjoy the most so I won’t be moving too far. Still yet, I enjoy putting myself in different situations, exploring new areas and learning along the way.

Throughout this process I’ve learned a few things that can help anyone on the move.

Donate, dispose, and de-clutter: The first thing I did before going on a packing frenzy is reorganize the possessions I already had. I followed what I like to call, the three D’s: de-clutter, donate, and dispose. It’s so easy to accumulate things without knowing how much we actually have, so it helps to have a “spring cleaning” no matter what season it is. If you haven’t actively used something, let’s say a piece of clothing or furniture, in the past 6 months or so, it might be time to let someone else use it. Donating items to your local Goodwill or Salvation Army can give others the benefit of using your gently used items. Not to mention, you can also get a tax deduction if you do itemized deductions when filing. If the item has completely lost quality or usage, it might just be time to say goodbye and dispose it. It will reduce the amount of time and things you will need to move from one place to another.

Coordinate: Coordinating logistics of the move was by far the topic that needed the most patience and planning. Moving will give you a chance to “start over” and make changes to the lifestyle you have.

Here are just a few things to consider once you know where you are going to live:

o How much advance notice will I have to give my current home? Is there any penalty for not giving enough notice?

o When will I be moving?

o Do I need to change my budget for the move?

o How much advance notice will you need to give a moving company or to my friends who help me move? (I would recommend planning this a month in advance, especially in the summertime.)

o How early can I move into the new place?

o Are there any pre-move-in procedures I need to go through at the new place?

o Have I informed all the necessary people about my move? (This can include your personal contacts, the utilities and amenities companies, the post office, etc.)

Something that helps me stay organized during this time is making lists – “to-do” lists for the current and future home and a “to buy” list for the next home. Luckily I have mostly everything needed to furnish a home, so the “to buy” list is short.

Take care: When you become so involved in taking care of everything for the move, it’s easy to forget about taking care of yourself. Don’t let the moving process be an excuse for you not to. Make small adjustments if you need to but don’t deviate too much from how you regularly take care of you. Also give yourself time away from the move. It can be a stressful process so make sure you share your time with your friends and continue to do the activities you enjoy. The moving process will eventually all come together.

Enjoy – You’ve reorganized your belongings, planned for your move and remembered to take care of yourself along the way. You’re settled in the new home now and the only thing left to do is: Enjoy your new home! It’s your place for new beginnings, new friendships and new memories.

If we all lived our lives following the advice of such a visionary the world would be a better place.

• “Be a yardstick of quality. Some people aren’t used to an environment where excellence is expected.”
• “It’s rare that you see an artist in his 30s or 40s able to really contribute something amazing.” At age 29
• “Real artists ship”
• “I think if you do something and it turns out pretty good, then you should go do something else wonderful, not dwell on it for too long. Just figure out what’s next.”
• “Simple can be harder than complex: You have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple. But it’s worth it in the end because once you get there, you can move mountains.”
• “Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do. “
• “Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”
• “Again, you can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards.
  So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.”
• The only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it.

To Steve.

sources: slideshare, wikiquotes, businessinsider

Being of the female species is so odd. Every time I get into a discussion with my boyfriend, a male friend, or any other guy about why a woman did such and such it usually ends in some variation of “if you women can’t even understand each other, no wonder guys can’t. We don’t even stand a chance.”

- Women have been known to pick a friend because she’s intelligent. And then later hate her because she makes her feel stupid. 
- Women can compliment a “friend” on how beautiful she is, while secretly be turning flips inside at how jealous she is of her figure. 
- Women can say negative things about another woman, through her teeth, while smiling and then scream with “excitement” as soon as her *dear friend* is within arm’s length. 
- There’s a 50/50 chance that “I love your dress” is actually a compliment if it comes from a woman. 
- The dynamic in a group of women generally changes if even one guy enters the room. 

When I was in elementary school , my male cousin said “when guys are mad we just punch each other. Then we make up and we are over it.” He genuinely I had no idea why elementary age girls gossiped about each other, were friends one day and enemies the rest, and spent so much energy on girls they didn’t like.

I have always been overly logical and an analyzer. If you asked me to help move your coffee table from one side of the room to the other I’d want to know why first. I don’t think this is very typical female of me. With my 20+ years of analyzing, I most often have no answer to why women do what they do or the cliche “what do women want”. 

Ladies… what’s your opinion on the matter?

2012 Nissan Versa Sedan

If you’ve ever met me in real life, you’d laugh that I’ve had the pleasure of test driving cars for a few companies in order to share them with the world. I carry my geek girl badge with pride — and am the go-to tech support person for the majority of people in my life — but I am in no way, shape or form a mechanical person. When I first started driving I decided that the little red light on my dash that you might know as “Check Engine” meant “turn around immediately and drive to dad’s house.”

When I was a teenager, I’m pretty sure I only had two criteria in a car: a cool (and loud) stereo and preferably a fun colored car (I wanted purple at the time). Now that I’m a few years beyond teenagerdom, I still may treat the check engine light as “oh em gee must call boyfriend“, but I most definitely know what to look for in a car.

If I were getting a brand new car today, these are the items that would be on the top of my “Want” list:

• a car payment that won’t make my bank account cry;
• a roomy backseat and enough trunk space for a successful trip to Costco (this statement officially brands me as an adult);
• a music system that gives me exactly the music I want to listen to (hello iPod/iPhone, goodbye radio);
• and a car that can handle any kind of road, adverse weather, and most of all … u-turns.
• (optional: I’m still thinking I might want a pink car eventually. But not Mary Kay pink.)

Bet you'd lose a game of "how much does this car cost"

When Nissan asked me to go to Seattle to try out the soon-to-be-released 2012 Nissan Versa Sedan, my first thought was “yay Seattle!” and my very next step was must research this car. I almost fell on the floor when I saw the price on this thing – just under 11k! From the low price, I wasn’t expecting much from the car, but I was pleasantly surprised.

On Saturday morning of our weekend in Seattle, we were prepped with a driver checklist including a rundown all of the specifications and all sorts of other nerdy stuff over breakfast. And then came the good part! On being escorted to the hotel garage, we saw a lineup of shiny new cars, all beautifully arranged. This is when I reallllllyyy thought someone had been misquoting the price to us. If I saw that car on the street, there’s no way I’d guess it was an economy car.

All in a row

We spent the rest of the afternoon driving around Seattle. We got to explore the city, drive up some MEGA hills, and may have done an impromptu how-quick-does-this-thing-stop-in-the-rain test. Related: did I mention my mom went on this trip with me? Like many Gen-Yers, I have a great relationship with my mom. We’ve traveled all over the world and I’d definitely include her in major purchasing decisions, so it only seemed natural that she was part of the test driving experience. In fact, my first driving impressions and learn-to-drive experience happened in her Nissan, so I have a special place in my heart for the brand.

My mom and I driving around Seattle in the Versa!

My final verdict on the Nissan Versa: A+. If I had to pick one feature to highlight, I’d say I love the way it handled. I’ve never driven on such steep hills as Seattle and that car had some serious get-up-and-go to it. My second favorite feature has to be the iPhone integration. Bet you can’t guess the first thing I did when I got in the car. Ever heard the nerd saying ABC? It stands for “Always Be Charging”. When we got in, I plugged my iPhone in mostly so it wouldn’t die and so that I could continue my picture taking adventure, but was surprised when my music started play automatically. Another fun feature of this car is the backseat. Nissan’s Product Manager, Mark, was doing a demo for us and he sat in the backseat to show us how much legroom he had even at 6 foot tall! The only downside (for me) is that it doesn’t come in pink :)

Last but certainly not least, here’s what my mom thought about the Versa:

“The Versa held the road so well even on wet and curvy streets. It is very peppy on take off unlike lots of smaller cars which you feel like you need to hang your leg out and peddle on take off. The leg room in the front and back seat was simply mind blowing in a good way. Overall, the versa was fast fun and exciting.. Thanks Nissan for yet another brilliant car!”

*disclaimer: Nissan provided travel and accommodations for this trip as an opportunity to test drive the 2012 Nissan Versa. All opinions expressed here are my own. If you want to know more about the Versa you can visit: Nissan Versa. Innovation Upsized. The photos in this post were either taken by me or provided by Nissan.

And so I leave you with this, how do you think car shopping now differs from that “first car” hunt in your teens? What is on your “want” versus “must” list now?

Click to view rest of the photos from the Seattle adventures on Facebook

Pinterest

1. How to fall in love without losing yourself.
2. How you feel about having kids.
3. How to quit a job, break up with a man and confront a friend without ruining the friendship.
4. When to try harder and when to walk away.
5. How to kiss in a way that communicates perfectly what you would and wouldn’t like to happen next.
6. The names of: the secretary of state, your great-grandmother and the best tailor in town.
7. How to live alone, even if you don’t like to.
8. How to take control of your own birthday.
9. That you can’t change the length of your calves, the width of your hips or the nature of your parents.
10. That your childhood may not have been perfect, but it’s over.
11. What you would and wouldn’t do for money or love.
12. That nobody gets away with smoking, drinking, doing drugs or not flossing for very long.
13. Who you can trust, who you can’t and why you shouldn’t take it personally.
14. Not to apologize for something that isn’t your fault.
15. Why they say life begins at 30.

This guest post was written by Sunny Brady, her bio will appear at the end of the post. As someone who used to travel ALL.THE.TIME. for work, I can attest that these pointers are great. Feel free to add your own in the comment.

Anyone who has been in a line at the airport understands the hassle of managing checked bags and waiting for what seems like an eternity for them to arrive at baggage claim. By only bringing carry-on luggage, you will not only be saving yourself a significant amount of time, but you will also find traveling to be incredibly more convenient. Follow these tips and tricks below on how to pack all your essentials into carry-on bags:

1. Make a list of activities.

Sit down and make a list of all the things you plan on doing on your trip. For example, if you are going on a business trip, write down all the conferences and dinners you will be attending. If you are going on vacation, write down all the sites you are planning on visiting. Doing this will help you decide what outfits you plan on
wearing to each event and also helps cut down on bringing excess clothing.

2. Check the weather.

Make note of the weather of your destination for the duration of your trip a few days before your departure. By doing approximately what the temperature will be like, this will prevent you from bringing clothes or shoes that are inappropriate for that weather. If you are going to someplace warm, focus on bringing light clothes and only pack one jacket or cardigan in case it gets chilly.

3. Only bring a week’s worth of clothes.

Clothing is often the biggest villain when it comes to over-packing. Only pack a week’s worth of clothes, including undergarments. Even if you are staying somewhere for longer than a week, you can always do laundry at the end of the week. Furthermore, this forces you to choose your top favorite outfits and also plan them accordingly for each activity you plan on attending. Rolling clothes instead of laying them flat is an excellent way to maximize the space of your luggage bag.

4. Pack versatile shoes.

Many of us have fallen victim to the problem of carrying way too many shoes for just a short trip. We tell ourselves that we enjoy having the options. However, this can lead to using up an unnecessary amount of space with pairs that you may not even end up wearing. Choose neutral-colored shoes that will match with more than one outfit. Limit your shoes to a pair of flats and a pair of heels. If your trip involves lots of physical activity, bring a pair of sneakers, but plan on wearing these on the plane as sneakers tend to take up a lot of room.

5. Bring all toiletries in travel sizes.

In addition to saving space, airlines now enforce a limit on the amount of liquid you can bring onto a plane in your carry-on bag. Leave that huge bottle of perfume at home because it will get confiscated at security. For hair products, perfume, and lotion you want to bring with you, visit your nearest convenience store for travel-friendly sized bottles to store these in. Furthermore, if you are staying a hotel, you may not even need to bring shampoo or conditioner because many places provide them with your room.

Sunny Brady is an account manager for marylandstorage.com Her website helps customers find the best self storage in Maryland for their needs, for example self storage in Annapolis and other cities. In her spare time, Sunny likes to bike and participate in outdoor activities.