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My mom and I had the best time on the East Coast! Since my dad and I went to Puerto Rico together earlier in the year, I wanted to go on a trip with just my mom. And since my boyfriend is in Japan for two weeks, now was the perfect time! I chose Philadelphia for our vacation spot because of all the historical significance—plus, it is a goal of mine to visit every U.S. state, and I knew Philly is only a short distance away from New Jersey, Delaware, and Maryland. In just five days I crossed off four new states, woohoo!
Monday, October 2
I worked from home today and spent much of the day trying to prepare for two back-to-back trips (next up is Indianapolis for a work conference), which included lots of laundry and a deep clean of my apartment. Fun fact: dusting is one of my least favorite things ever.
Tuesday, October 3
Last day of work before vacation! It’s been so busy in the office lately that I felt like a chicken running around with my head cut off, trying to get everything done and submitted before leaving for a few days. Probably not the best time to have planned a vacation, but nobody told me Octobers are so crazy.
Fit and Flare Dress: Nordstrom Rack, $40 ($1.60 per wear), last worn here | Velvet Flats: Sundance Outlet, $60 ($5.45 per wear), last worn here
Wednesday, October 4
I worked from home this morning and scrambled around the apartment to finish my pre-trip checklist. I met my mom at the airport and we flew the three and a half hours to Philadelphia to start our adventure! My friend got me this sweater for my birthday two years ago, and it’s one of my absolute favorites. I feel very trendy pairing it with these jeans.
Cropped Sweater: Gift, last worn here | Straight Leg Jeans: Express, $15 ($0.68 per wear), last worn here | Taupe Booties: Shop LC, gifted by brand, buy here
Thursday, October 5
What a day we had! We started with Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell, toured the Mint, visited Christ Church and the burial ground where Benjamin Franklin is buried, and then spent the evening at Halloween Nights at Eastern State Penitentiary (they turn the old prison into a bunch of haunted houses and attractions). It was so much hotter today than I was expecting, so I’m really glad I decided to pack this knit tank last minute.
Olive Green Sweater Tank: Francesca’s, $15 ($2.14 per wear), last worn here | Straight Leg Jeans: Express, $15 ($0.65 per wear), last worn here | Taupe Booties: Shop LC, gifted by brand, buy here
Friday, October 6
During our second day in Philly, my mom and I explored the Basilica, ate lunch at Reading Terminal Market, and walked to the Philadelphia Museum of Art to recreate the famous Rocky scene of him training on the steps.
I don’t like this outfit and am not sure what I was thinking when I packed it. I love these jeans, but they only look good with heels… and obviously I wasn’t going to wear heels exploring a new city. These white sneakers look so silly with them (which I knew! Why did I pack this outfit anyway?!). I looked like an Oompa Loompa in all the photos. And as much as I like the crochet top, the awkwardly long length just doesn’t work for me—I think I should finally give it away.
I had a hard time packing for this trip. I’m already bad at packing the correct items for the weather, but I also wanted to be cognizant that some of the places we were visiting are not the safest (Baltimore is the third most dangerous city in the U.S.). I was trying to avoid skirts/dresses and anything too flashy since it was only my mom and me, and I just didn’t know what the vibe would be like. Which left me with jeans, but I only have so many jeans, hence why I packed this pair that look dumb with flat shoes… mistakes. As I said in this Reel, I’m very good at packing a lot into a small suitcase, but I’m terrible at packing the right things.
Crochet Top: JCPenney, $16 ($0.64 per wear), last worn here | Anorak Jacket: JCPenney, $30 ($0.43 per wear), last worn here | Cropped Flared Jeans: Express, $40 ($0.73 per wear), last worn here | White Sneakers: Primark, $10 ($0.59 per wear), last worn here
Saturday, October 7
We picked up a rental car this morning and then drove nearly three hours to Baltimore, Maryland, to see Fort McHenry, where the Star Spangled Banner was written. That’s pretty much all we had time for today before driving back to our new hotel in Wilmington, Delaware. You may recognize this outfit as one of my go-to looks when I was studying abroad in Scotland.
Sweater: Francesca’s, $45 ($1.80 per wear), last worn here | Skinny Jeans: Express, $42 ($0.61 per wear), last worn here | Leopard Rain Booties: Ralph Lauren via Macy’s, $60 ($0.80 per wear), last worn here
Sunday, October 8
We crossed the Delaware Memorial Bridge this morning into New Jersey so I could cross off another state! While there, we explored a national cemetery and fort before making our way back to the Brandywine Valley for a fall train ride. Unlike Friday, I loved this cute fall outfit.
Olive Green Bodysuit: Francesca’s, $20 ($1.25 per wear), last worn here | Cardigan: Unknown, $30 ($0.73 per wear), last worn here | Cropped Flared Jeans: Express, $25 ($0.71 per wear), last worn here | Taupe Booties: Shop LC, gifted by brand, buy here
. . . . .
Which of this week’s outfits is your favorite? I plan to share lots more about my trip, but I’m so behind on everything right now that I can’t guarantee when that will be… Stay tuned.
Miles of smiles,
Grace