LOL - how do you like that title?! I thought I'd do a post about what I packed for my trip to Italy and Germany like I did when I returned from Paris in April. You can read that post HERE if you missed it. I was in Italy and Germany for twenty-six days (compared to 29 days in Paris and London.)
This is the comparison picture of the clothes that I packed for this trip...
The pile on the left is the things that I wore during the trip and the pile on the right are the things that I took that I didn't wear. I'd say I did much better this time! The worn pile is not that much for that length of time, but I knew I'd be hauling my suitcase around myself, so I tried to pack light. I wasn't prepared for the terribly hot weather that we had for some of the trip - I wished that I had more clothes for that. The three pairs of shorts, two pairs of capris, and one pair of jeans that I packed aren't in this picture. In less that a month I'll be packing again - this time for my trip to South Africa - we'll see how I do packing for THAT trip! :)
As I packed for my trip to Salt Lake City and Oklahoma City last week I took pictures of the things that are always in my bags. Maybe it will help you as you pack for a trip! Because I travel so much, I keep these things in my bags, ready to go.
I emptied out the front pocket of my carry-on rolling suitcase...
A pair of sunglasses in a non-crushable case, an umbrella, an eyemask, an extra pair of socks, a protein bar, and some extra kleenex.
In my carry-on I always have a wool wrap that I can use as a blanket on the plane and a travel pillow.
Also inside my carry-on are these things:
- my camera in its case, battery charger and extra batteries for my camera, noise-canceling headphones (and an extra battery), and a tin with a coffee mug, instant coffee (Starbucks VIA or Nescafe), creamer, and sweetener. I started carrying my own coffee supplies after getting sick of weak hotel coffee and paper cups. On the day of travel I'll also add my computer cord and iPad/iPhone cord to this suitcase. By the way, make sure your rolling carry-on suitcase has four wheels instead of two. It makes it sooo much easier to maneuver through the airport!
If you ever see a picture of me at the airport, leaving for a long trip, you'll see my favorite carry-on tote bag...
I love my Cath Kidston Business Bag - it is just the right size for all my things and the handles are just the right length to hook over the handles of my carry-on suitcase. A lot of my travel accesories are from Cath Kidston. The picture above is the contents of the front pocket of the bag...
- a computer screen cleaner wipe, a glasses-cleaning cloth, earplugs, hand cream, an extra set of headphones, lip balm, pencil and pen, bandaids, and sweetener.
Inside the tote bag you'll find these things...
- my ipad mini and keyboard, a folder with all my printed travel tickets and itineraries, a travel wallet with my airline member cards and where I'll keep my boarding passes and my passport (if I'm traveling overseas), and what I call my "bulkhead bag". I am often sitting in the bulkhead seat on a plane where you have to put your bags in the overhead compartment, so there are a few things that I want to have handy in case I can't get my bag for a while - lipgloss, kleenex, earplugs, cough drop, pencil, and I'll add my glasses and my phone once I'm getting on the plane to this soft bag that I can tuck beside me in my seat.
I use a purse organizer thing that I got in Paris that I put in my bag too and then pack the actual purse in my carry-on suitcase. I love it because I can change purses easily and try to stay organized. I often use a Longchamp Le Pilage bag when traveling because they are so lightweight and hold a ton of stuff, and the organizer helps everything not get lost in the bottom of the bag.
If I'm traveling overseas, I add a copy of my passport and any coins and travel cards that I might have leftover from other trips. I also take the plug adapters for the countries I'll be visiting and a voltage converter. I've started to travel with a travel power strip - it comes in really handy, especially in other countries, because you only need one adapter for the power strip.
I hope this helps you next time you're off on an adventure! Speaking of adventures... I have a couple upcoming trips that I want to let you all know about! For the sixth year I am doing a trip to New York City the weekend before Thanksgiving to see the city decorated for the holidays and kick off the Christmas season. All the information about the trip and to sign up is on the trip blog that you can find by clicking HERE.
The second upcoming trip is next April to the fabulous city of London, England! I take only small groups overseas with me so we can shop and sightsee and explore together. For our trip in 2015 I only have one spot open! I have a roommate for you, so you don't have to worry about that - if you'd like more information, you can read about the trip on the trip blog HERE and email me if you have any questions. We have an amazing time and make life-long friends - would you like to fill that one last spot? We have a great group going!!