5 Things I’m Glad I Packed For My Trip
This trip was a challenge for me because I had to pack light as we traveled by train between cities. Packing light is a small part of the anxiety I get when traveling (read more about that on the member’s only blog. Subscribe HERE for free). But there are 5 things I did pack that I’m very glad I did and thought I’d share them with you in case you need to pack light for something too!
A really good hand-carry bag
Fanny pack
A Good puffy jacket
Portable phone charger
Reusable bags
Beis Weekender Bag
I found this bag from following Camille Styles and would always look at it at Nordstrom and then finally got it for this trip. I love it because it holds a lot! It was between this and a huge backpacking duffle backpack, but this (Beis Weekender Bag in particular) fit more that I could also easily find!
It opens wide at the top, has lots of pockets including a spot for my laptop, and isn’t too deep for stuff to get lost because the second opening is at the bottom. This made finding things I needed right away easy at the airport, in transit, or when we were in a city without my luggage. It also had that outside zipper for quick access and the sleeve to slide over my suitcase handle. If I could make it work, I would buy the mini weekender, but I went big for this in black! More color options available and I put the link at the bottom.
Fanny Pack
I love fanny packs and they’re a must when I travel. I get distracted with new sights, sounds, etc that I want my valuables right up against me in the easiest access and safe spot. I just kept some money, a credit card, my passport, and a paper, pen, mini lip balm and mini hand lotion (since everything gets super cracked in different weather), my meds, hand sanitizer, and a snack. It all fit snuggly right on my hip which I kept in front and tucked it under my pufffy jacket at night. I used the Aloha Collection in basic black, but anything works!
Puffy Jacket
A good puffy jacket is key just in case, and I love the ones at The North Face. They are cute, comfy, great quality, and have deep zippered pockets that let me hold more stuff so I can be hands free since I don’t like carrying bags when there’s a lot of walking involved.
Portable Phone Charger
My phone died every single day because I took a lot of pictures and videos, and used apps like Uber, Google maps, and Google translate. When your phone is such a convenience now days to help you find your way around and communicate in a foreign place, you don’t want to find yourself without juice so just carry the phone charger. I think I may actually invest in a lighter weight phone charger for a future trip!
Reusable Bags
I kept a couple of those lightweight reusable bags in my North Face Jacket pockets so in case I saw something I wanted to buy, I whipped it out and could shop. I used the ones we custom made with Eden in Love because they’re cute, strong, and easy to fold up. I’ll put the link below so you can find one you love. These came in very, very hand!
One thing I packed and didn’t need…
And of course, one thing I did pack, was my reusable water bottle, but ended it up not needing it. I instead bought a plastic bottle of water that I kept refilling and carried that instead in my pocket. It was lighterweight and worked just fine because I didn’t need to keep my water cold since it was cold outside.
One thing I wished I packed…
One thing I didn’t bring that I wish I did, was a lightweight extra duffle bag. I went over with one luggage, but should have had more fun shopping and not worrying about finding small omiyage gifts and just checked in a second bag for the flight home. I’ll do this one next time so I can shop with a little less stress wondering if it will fit in my already stuffed one luggage!
finding peace by piece:
When you don’t have a lot of room and don’t know what to pack, I hope this helps take a bit of the stress and anxiety away and gives you peace!
Speaking of peace of mind, I’m glad I packed a lot of chocolates!
Taking chocolates or omiyage from Hawai`i that others can’t easily get online, is always a plus! It came in handy when I needed to thank people, when I felt bad and needed to ask for a favor, or when I simply wanted to bless someone who may never have a chance to visit Hawai`i.
