Packing, Planning and Freaking Out!!

So two weeks from today will be our first full day in America's Last Fontier!! All of our luggage is laid out in one of our spare rooms... all of the little mini toiletries have been purchased (3.4oz or less seriously?) and the ones that will be going in our carry on bags have been squeezed into a quart size zip lock bag (even though I would prefer TSA allow us a gallon sized bag)!! I've purchased a memory foam pillow because I am NOT using a pillow that has traveled around the world and been used by who knows how many other people, so I sound like I'm prepared right? NOT!!

Every suggested packing list for a trip to Alaska suggests that you pack so that you will be able to dress in layers which does not help me narrow down the amount of clothing that I want to bring. How many pairs of pants should I bring for a 7 day trip? The obvious number of shirts would be 7 (maybe 8 or 9 to give some choices) but since it is suggested to dress in layers doesn't that mean I need to bring 2-3 shirts per day + at least one winter coat?!? Ahhhhhh!!!! I need suggestions here people or I'm going to end up going crazy!

Now lets think about shoes for a minute... if you know me, you know that I love shoes, which means that I have quite a few pairs. Currently in my laid out suit case I have three (yes I said three) pairs of boots alone!! Jason thinks I've lost my mind but here's the explanation... I have my knee high snow boots because there will still be a decent amount of snow on the ground out there, my hiking boots, and my water-proof fuzz lined clog boots... these three pairs of boots take up so much room in my suit case that all my clothes will have to be packed on top of them and I still need tennis shoes too for all of our walking around the towns that we will be visiting!! Am I being crazy or does in make sense to bring all of these shoes across the country?

Every time I going to be on a plane I am really excited, but as the time draws nearer I begin to get nervous (like sick-to-my-stomach nervous)!! And it never fails that just before I am going to fly, the news is filled with reports of planes having difficulties (i.e: the Southwestern plane who suddenly gained a hole in the roof as it was flying through the sky)! I am soooo very excited about this trip, and the thought of seeing Alaska from an airplane is wonderful but I would love it if I could close my eyes in DC and wake-up just in time to see the mountains as we circle Anchorage to land!! It's been four years since I have been on a plane so the freaking out is already starting - every time I think about getting on the plane my stomach starts to do flips (oh and we won't even go into the fact that I am terrified that they will loose my luggage)!! Anybody have any tricks on how to calm my flying nerves?

On a much less neurotic note, I have checking the weather in Anchorage & Fairbanks daily!! Anchorage's average highs have been in the mid-high 40's with lows in the 20's... Fairbanks is a few degrees cooler than Anchorage and both have snow and rain in the forecast almost every day (no accumulation though)!! During the week of our adventure the sun will be rising in Anchorage near 6:15am and setting near 10pm... in Fairbanks it will be rising before 6am and setting near 10pm - how exciting is that? As long as we can stand the chilly temperatures near dusk these times will give us plenty of time to see the beautiful state of Alaska!!

I need packing suggestions people because I've got a lot of packing to do in the next 13 days!!