I HATE PACKING…but I’ve never had to pack for a two-week vacation (The Horror). Initially, I was going to buy a new suitcase for my trip. I saw IT-Lightweight luggage at TJ Maxx one day and immediately fell in love. It was a measly 4pounds and meant that I could probably fit more clothes in my suitcase without going over 50 pounds. Eventually, after much thought I decided against it; I spent too much money on the trip already and at this point, I needed to focus on saving for it.
When I got home I began to pack all of my things in a large suitcase, yet it seemed like the suitcase itself was heavier than my clothes. I downsized literally 2-hours before my flight to a smaller version. It was probably the best decision I made for myself. In total I carried a:
- Medium suitcase
- Book Bag with Wheels
- Purse-which was more like a second carry on
Switching my suitcase now meant squeezing all my clothes in by any means necessary. I had shirts inside of heels and wore two jackets on the plane. I basically packed all my clothes in large Zip Lock bags and poked holes in each of them to release the air (each bag was separated by the outfit I would wear in each country). The zip lock strategy worked out but to be honest by the end of the trip it was hard to keep up with. An approximate list of things I carried is below:
Suit Case
- About 10 Day outfits
- 5 Night Outfits
- 3 Jackets (Winter, Raincoat, Leather)
- 3 Sexy Shirts for the night
- 2 Leggings
- 2 Jeans
- 1 Overalls
- 2 Sweaters
- 8 Shoes boots and sneakers
Carry On
- Ipad (A waste, I didn’t use it one time)
- Passport holder and passport
- A pen for documentation
- ID besides a passport
- Converter-London and Europe plugs are different
- 2 Travel books
- A Journal
- Maps
- Makeup
- Gum
- Tooth Brush
- Undies
- Extra Pair of Clothes
- Sneakers
To be honest I over packed. I packed two pairs of black boots and only ended up wearing one. I also packed three heels and ended up wearing two. My advice: less is more when it comes to shoes
Ky’s Travel Tips
- Pack light, in the words of Erykah Badu. Next time I travel to Europe, I will be taking 2 bags instead of three. It becomes too much of a hassle trying to keep up with all that luggage…it’s just super annoying
- Also invest in a Bungee for luggage which is a sort of elastic rope that allows you to hold in place any sized carry on, on top of your luggage
- Iron clothes before you leave, as European hotels have a weird policy that doesn’t allow irons in the hotel rooms
- I bought a lock for my luggage but didn’t end up using it. Don’t be like me and take that risk, use the lock because you never know who’s rummaging through your stuff
Before Leaving for Europe Remember:
- Remember to switch your phone to an international service or else you will have no way to contact your loved ones
- Remember to download What’s App and MagicJack to call and text internationally
Travel By Ky 