Packing. This is always an area of huge debate between travelers. I know people who are adamant that they will only bring one carry on bag and nothing more, and I know people who prefer to check everything. Personally, I'm a check everything girl. I have a very small carry on for only immediately important plane stuff like skincare, coloring books, books, my phone, passport, etc, but other than that, I check everything. Why? Because I bring a ton of stuff! Deciding what to bring is one of the hardest aspects of travel, and is definitely an area that depends on personal preference. Packing should always be based on what you want to do and the climate of the location you're going to. Here's a few of my tips for how to think about packing:
1) If you're going to be doing a lot of walking around, bring comfortable shoes. For me, that usually means ballerina flats, or flat boots, I'm not a sneaker person.
2) Pack for the climate. For London this year, I'm going to have some t-shirts and dresses, but also bring a few sweaters and pull overs because the UK can tend to get quite windy, especially at night.
3) Bring enough so that if you cannot find a washing machine or laundromat, you will have enough clean clothing. Also, try to bring pieces that can be used to make at least a few different outfits, not just one
4) Do you plan to go out to anywhere fancy? For some this can be a fancy dinner but for me this usually refers to bars, so I always bring a few cocktails dresses and one pair of black heels that can be used with any outfit.
So, as I mentioned above, I tend to overpack. I just prefer to bring anything that I might need, I'm definitely not a travel with only the essentials girl. To quote Lafayette from True Blood, "Packing light and being me don't mix". First of all, make up is one of my hobbies and loves, so I always bring a rather large toiletry bag with my cosmetics in it. It doesn't take up too much space thankfully, but can get a bit heavy. I also always bring 3 pairs of shoes; a pair of flats, flat boots, and a pair of heels. I wear my flat boots on the plane since I am always freezing on the plane and they're also usually the heaviest of all shoes, so it makes sense to wear them instead of packing them. Clothing I don't have a specific pattern for, but I always bring 2 large suitcases which I check. I'm not worried about checking valuables or anything, I check everything except for my laptop, and always have my luggage locks on. I really do not know how some people can only bring one carry on bag and that's it, that's like a magic trick to me! I guess I'm just the type who needs a lot of stuff. I'm also of the mindset that I would rather bring something with me than worry about possibly not being able to find it wherever I am going. I always do vacation shopping and things, but it is rarely for something I really need.
However, as much as I tend to bring a lot, I do have my items organized in what I believe is a good way, and if anyone is struggling with organization, I can help. I keep things in categories. I always put electronics (wires, converter plugs, etc) in one section of my suitcase, often one of the pockets built into the bag itself so that I always know where they are. Shoes are always together, socks are together, and anything remotely fragile I cocoon around a pile of clothes. I never throw my make up bag on the top of my suitcase and close it because if it gets thrown, the make up will be absorbing all the impact, and can break. Instead, I do a few clothing items, put my bag in, and put more clothing on top of it. Do this for anything that is breakable, I've never had a problem with this method. Also, wrap liquids. I don't feel like dealing with the liquid restrictions, so for me it's easier to throw everything into a checked bag. I am always worried about liquids opening in flight or something, so I always make sure to wrap them in Ziploc bags, and then in one big plastic bag so that if they do bust, your clothes and other items are safe. Nail polish is another thing I have never had a problem with but I know many people are wary of packing. What I do is take a small make up bag that can only hold about 4 bottles, and wrap 2 together with Ziplocs (2 in 1 bag) and then put those in another Ziploc containing paper towels, and wrap it up tightly. Then I put that into the plastic make up bag which fits the polishes snugly, and zip it. Then, just like with my make up, I sandwich the bag in between some clothing so that it is not taking any impacts. The polishes are not clinking around, they are pretty secured in place, and have never exploded on me.
I am far from a packing expert, so I cannot offer any tips for how to consolidate a fabulous travel wardrobe into only one small bag that can be carried on or checked. I just bring everything, so I have to check my bags. I hope the few tips that I do have however will be helpful! In the end, it all depends on your personal method of travel, and what you want to bring with you
Further proof that I bring everything...my cat, Spots, attempting to come with mommy!
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