Going away on a trip is a big deal. Well, to me at least. It involves days of planning, shopping, preparation, and packing. Not only clothing, but sunscreen, shoes, snacks, electronics, and chargers must be accounted for. And my perfectionist-self makes sure it gets done.

On June 17, my intermediate family, as well as my extended family, and I will be flying down to Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic to celebrate my grandparents’ 50^th Wedding Anniversary.

My family will be enjoying the luxurious island for a full week. I will partake in the fun as well, but only for 5 days. My dad and I will be leaving the trip early in order to get to my lacrosse tournament in New Jersey on time. With that said, I will have to extend my packing ritual to be sure that I have my lacrosse gear ready for me when I return from the DR and turn right back around and head for the NJ.

To prepare for said abroad and tropical vacation, I will start packing about week in advance—a pretty common time for me to start packing for a trip.

First is the clothes. Bathing suits, cover-ups, dinner outfits, and workout clothes (which will most-likely go unused) fill the majority of my green duffle bag. Second is the shoes and other much-needed attire: Sunglasses, hats, jewelry, socks, etc. The electronics and items that accommodate my boredom are situated in my carry-on backpack, along with Coppertone Sport SPF 30 sunscreen and snacks for the hotel room, of course.

For a tournament, the normal items seen in my green duffle include uniforms, spandex, sports bras, tennis shoes, and foam rollers. My lacrosse bag houses my goggles, mouth guard, and putrid cleats. Usually, minimal preparation is required for these weekend events.

My upcoming trip, however, is double the fun. A fun-filled, relaxed get-away and a pain-filled, sweaty lacrosse tournament. At least a week of planning will be obligatory to fit my vision of a perfectly packed bag: Having everything I need, being compact, being organized, and being reasonably light enough for me to lug around the airport.

To start off, I will do the easy tasks. That would mean packing for my lacrosse tournament first, a less complex event: No pretty beaches or fruity drinks or relaxing bodies of water. Instead, it is simply 15 grass fields with sweaty lacrosse players.

Once I complete that task, I start the real mess. But first, my sister, Catie, and I who happen to share a room turn the packing session into a dance/singing party, playing countless Ed Sheeran songs and upbeat, motivational tunes.

I like to think of my bag as a cake: There are many layers. Shoes are always placed on the bottom of our bags to ensure no clothing gets stained from the dirty base of our footwear. On top of shoes lays the clothing. Once that huge layer is fit into our duffle bags, toiletries and hair products are laid down. Sunglasses and other fragile objects top off the cake.

Throughout the process, we consult with each other over whether something is a Yay or a Nay, so that we can have the most glamourous trip as we can.

As soon as the packing is finished and our bags are close to popping at the seams, we finish the debacle with Skinny Pop and Netflix: The greatest comfort.