My Vacation Packing Guide, Part 1: Miami

I went to Miami for a speaking engagement, but most of the trip was spent trying to balance two completely different parts of my life at the same time.

I drove there with the kids, which already changes the tone of a work trip immediately. It was not a vacation. It was a few packed days of conferences, meetings, networking, outfit changes, logistics, pool breaks, meals squeezed in between obligations, and trying to make sure I still got meaningful time with my kids while continuing to build my career.

That was the hardest part of the trip: constantly toggling between work mode and mom mode.

One minute I was preparing to speak or rushing to a meeting, and the next I was sneaking away to the pool, the beach, breakfast, or the waterpark with the kids before heading back to another event. I was answering emails while coordinating snacks, changing in hotel bathrooms between conference clothes and mom clothes, trying to be fully present in both worlds even when they were pulling against each other.

We arrived in Miami after the drive and immediately shifted into a full schedule.

For arrival day, I wore a Free People embroidered tank with Gap jorts, which worked perfectly for unpacking, getting settled, and spending part of the afternoon by the pool with the kids before the evening started.

Later that night, I changed into a black Banana Republic set for dinner and networking.

We ate at Motek, which ended up being one of my favorite meals of the trip. After a long drive and jumping immediately into work mode, it felt good to sit still for a second and have a real dinner before the events and meetings started taking over the schedule.

The next morning started early.

For the speaking engagement, I wore a cream Rebecca Minkoff blazer with the cream Rebecca Minkoff floral pencil skirt. Polished enough for the conference schedule but still comfortable enough to wear through an entire day of running around.

Most of the day became a blur of speaking, meetings, networking, checking in on the kids, and trying to fit everything together without feeling like I was neglecting one side of the trip for the other.

In between obligations, we stopped at Aventura Mall for a little shopping break before heading back into the rest of the schedule.

By evening, I changed into a Mango linen short set for a sunset boat ride, which ended up being one of the few moments during the trip where everything slowed down for a minute.

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By the third day, I felt like I had fully settled into the routine of switching between conference schedules and family time every few hours.

I started the day in Pixie Market barrel pants with the black Rebecca Minkoff Jett Moto Jacket before eventually changing into a black Free People top with Gap jorts later in the day.

We spent time at the JW Marriott waterpark with the kids, which honestly became one of the most memorable parts of the trip for me. It felt chaotic trying to balance everything, but also important.

I do not want my career to come at the expense of time with my kids, even if balancing both means constantly shifting gears all day long.

That night for dinner, I wore a Zara flutter-sleeve top with the Rebecca Minkoff floral pencil skirt again, mostly because it ended up being one of the easiest and most versatile pieces I packed.

The last day was spent mostly at the Four Seasons beach and pool before driving home.

I wore a Victoria’s Secret two-piece

set for most of the day and later changed into white vintage Levi’s with a white embroidered Mango top.

We had breakfast at Lido, spent a few more hours by the water, packed the car back up, and slowly transitioned out of trip mode and back into reality.

The trip was exhausting. Not in a bad way, but in the very real way that happens when you are trying to grow professionally while also staying deeply present for your family.

There were moments where I felt pulled in opposite directions all day long.

But there was also something important about the kids seeing me work. Seeing me speak. Seeing me build something while still making time for them in the middle of it all.

It was not relaxing. It was not perfectly balanced. It was messy and full and tiring.

But it also felt worth it.