Did I tell you I had a weekend away for my birthday?
This must be what heaven looks like.
I went to Florida for a celebration with Erin Dixon, my dear friend and editor at Dossier Journal. I descended my stairs at 5:15 last Friday morning, lugging my Patagonia roller duffel behind, to find Erin shouldering a bag similar in size to the one I bring to the office every day–sort of appropriate for a writer and an editor, I suppose. But Erin did end up borrowing my nightgown (a hand-me-down from my mom) for sunscreening purposes, as pictured here.
Yep.
I packed about seven too many tank tops and two too many dresses for a three-night getaway. For the past several years, I’ve allowed myself a new “birthday dress” to wear for the celebration (see last year’s here) but this year, the only one I needed was an old cotton voile slip from the sale basket at Wendy Foster in Santa Barbara–the same city where Erin and I fell into friendship.
This year’s birthday dress, pictured 4-5 years ago.
For the past several years, I’ve worn it all summer over my bikini (and sometimes a tee-shirt, when my chest has too much sun). Its color has faded to the palest whisper of a pink, and this year, it was the only dress I needed for a perfect birthday–all the rest was overpacking.
The getaway also turned out to be an inspiration trip for a project to come…(with skies and signage like this, how could it not?) I can’t imagine a more perfect present.
Sometimes just a change of scenery is all we need to bring new energy to an old favorite.
For more adventures in wondering what to pack, see here. Happy weekend!