How To Pack When You're Heading Home For The Holidays

Heading back home for the holidays is no new activity. Since a good portion of us have been doing it since we left our tearful parents at the front steps of our college dorms, by now, we've got some semblance of a routine in place. Come fall, we're booking the cheapest ticket we can find (even if that means a red-eye to and from), finagling ways to take the least amount of vacation days possible, and making sure our homecoming will be complete with an already-decorated tree. But packing for home? Eh, that one we're still trying to figure out.

With a turnaround trip that short, sticking with a carry-on is the way to go. Where we used to rely on wiggling into whatever clothes we left behind in our childhood closets, it's time to accept the fact that our high school sports sweatshirts are no longer going to cut it. On the other end, the cardinal sin of traveling is overpacking. So to avoid the pitfalls of lugging around a bag with one too many pairs of boots you swear you needed, we've compiled the complete packing list for heading home for the holidays. Just add your laptop and a mini bag of makeup samples and voilà!