The things I carried (Pt. 1?)
In (suit)case you're curious
As I packed up my apartment last November, I also had to carefully strategize the luggage I would be living out of for the next 5-6 months. In addition to a weather-appropriate & occasion-diverse wardrobe, I needed to pack both personal and professional effects as well as toiletries. And I needed to be able to easily carry it all on whatever public transportation or unpaved roads I might find myself on (I don’t like to use taxis unless it’s absolutely necessary). Because I would obviously be bringing my laptop, that meant I would obviously be carrying it in my Day Owl backpack (they’re back!!!)—which meant I obviously didn’t have enough shoulders to also wear a backpacker backpack. This meant I would have to resort to a wheeled suitcase, which is not ideal for public transportation OR unpaved roads. For me and my twig arms, lugging a big, heavy suitcase up and down stairs and/or hovering it over rough terrain is neither easy nor fun. So, it didn’t matter that I’d be packing and therefore checking full-size toiletries on every flight; if I could manage to fit everything into my carry-on-size suitcase and not have to schlep the larger one, all the better.
Capacity:
- 1 carry-on size suitcase (that can be expanded to be slightly deeper)
- 1 Day Owl backpack (an OG size that’s smaller than the Backpack but larger than the Slim)
- 1 packable tote (for plane snacks and general overflow)
Once my capacity was fixed, I had to design a concise yet versatile wardrobe that could adequately clothe me for any permutation of the following factors:
Climates:
- December in Los Angeles, CA
- January in New York, NY
- January through March in Portugal
- April in Tulum, Mexico (not originally planned for, but we made it work!)
- May in New York, NY and Los Angeles, CAOccasions:
- City life (working in cafes, eating out, sightseeing, etc.)
- Country life (manual labor, getting dirty, being outside, etc.)
- Cozy life (travel days, lounging, existing in co-living spaces)
- Chic life (going out, going to a funeral, etc.)
So, here’s what I packed:
Clothing
Outerwear
(1) Raincoat, navy*
(1) Patagonia Nano Puff Hoody, bright blue
(1) Crewneck sweatshirt, maroon
Bottoms
(2) Jeans: blue, black* (I only own one pair of black jeans, but a lot of thought went into which pair of blue jeans I packed)
(2) Leggings: brown, black
(1) Wide-leg cotton pants, black
(1) Cotton overalls, multi-colored
(1) Bike shorts, black
Tops
(2) Long sleeve shirts (tight): black*, grey*
(1) Long sleeve tee (loose), black & white stripes*
(1) Cotton crewneck sweater, black & white design*
(3) Tank tops: black x2, white
(4) T-shirts: grey, black, charcoal, pink
(2) “Cute tops” - black floral, pink floral
(1) Dress: short-sleeve chambray
Pajamas
(1) Sweatpants, yellow
(2) Big shirts
(1) Short sleeve sleep dress, white & black stripes
Underthings
(3) Sports bra tanks: black, grey, navy (could also be filed under “Tops”)
(3) Sports bras: green, black, pink
(3) Bralettes: pink, black, brown
(~20) Everyday underwear
(4) Period underwear
(5) Short socks (I’m now down to 4)
(7) Long socks (including 1 thick, wool pair*)
(2) Knee-high compression socks
Shoes
(1) Blundstone boots, black*
(1) Allbirds Wool Dasher Mizzles, beige
(1) Birkenstock sandals, blue
Accessories
(1) Blanket scarf, blue/black/grey
(1) Beret, black*
(1) Baseball cap, black
(2) Bikinis (one was brought to me in February)
(1) Watch, digital
(2) Sunglasses & case
Toiletries
Hair
Shampoo bar (ran out, restocked in Feb)
Hair Balm (ran out, restocked in May)
Travel-size scalp “tonik” (ran out in March)
Showercap
Comb
(2) Hair ties
(1) Scrunchie
(2) Hair claws, big & small
Body
(1) Bar soap
(2) Travel-size deodorants (I bought two to see which I liked better)
Body lotion (ran out, restocked in April)
(5?) Disposable razors (not proud of this) (ran out, restocked in March)
THC topical balm
Hand lotion bar
Nail clippers + file
Face
Oil cleanser (ran out in Feb, restocked in May)
Water cleanser (ran out, restocked in April)
Essence/mist (ran out, restocked in April)
Hydrating serum (ran out in March, restocked in May)
Moisturizer (ran out, restocked in April)
Sunscreen, travel-size (ran out, replaced in April)
Exfoliator, travel-size
Eye serum
Skin balm
Makeup (small pouch consisting of the very basics)
Mouth
Electric toothbrush + 2 refill heads (plus European and North American chargers)
Analog toothbrush
Toothpaste (ran out and restocked multiple times)
Multiple containers of floss
Travel-size mouthwash (didn’t last me long)
Retainer + cleaning tabs
Tongue scraper
(4) Lip balm
Miscellaneous
Duh
Passport & cash
Phone, wallet, keys
Electronic
Laptop
Keyboard, bluetooth
Mouse, bluetooth
External hard drive
(3) Headphones: 2 wired earbuds, 1 bluetooth earbuds
Slew of chargers for North America, Europe, and UK
Computer glasses
Pen & Paper
(4) Journals for various uses
(1) Fountain pen + ink cartridges
(3) Ballpoint pens (1 died)
Lonely Planet Portugal guide*
The Ministry for the Future by Kim Stanley Robinson* (you should read this)
Self-care
Tarot deck
Tiny bag of crystals
One container of edibles
Vape pen (shh)
(2) “Toys”
Food & Bev
Cloth napkin + spork
4 month supply of probiotics (ran out, restocked in May)
Travel, etc.
Combination lock, just in case
Laundry bag
Earplugs
Headlamp (brought to me in February)
(2) Cloth masks
(4) Cloth handkerchiefs
Living out of an already-full suitcase offers excellent shopping prevention. However, I did have to buy a few things along the way.
Acquired abroad:
The following does not include the various toiletries I had to replace along my travels, mentioned above. It also doesn’t include the seven postcards I bought and sent to a few of you.
(3) Journals for Morning Pages (kicking myself for not buying more of the perfect one I bought in Porto, but space was always a concern)
(1) tiny notebook to keep in my purse
(1) habit-tracker notepad*
(1) Gua sha
(1) Pumice stone
(1) Gardening gloves for the PDC
(1) Thermometer (I got dengue in Tulum, more on that in my next post)
(1) Used copy of Under the Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayes (left in Lisbon)
(1) Chunky cotton cardigan, lavender* (I couldn’t resist the sample sale)
(1) Pair of black floral shorts for Tulum (secondhand!)
(1) Green leather crossbody purse* (secondhand!)
(1) Long blue corduroy skirt* (secondhand!) (never worn, only schlepped, no regrets)
(3) Mini soaps for a Mother’s Day gift
(2) Cork compact mirrors (one for me, one for Mom)
(1) Large canvas tote that says “When life gives you lemons, ask if they’re organic” in Portuguese*
(1) Hand lotion (finished while abroad)
(1) Bug spray (OFF’s natural bullshit that clearly did NOT work)
(2) Big sunscreens (I used/abandoned one in Tulum, and did not end up needing the second, but now I have it for this summer’s adventure.)
(1) Large rock that looks exactly like a cheeseburger patty :)
4-5 sheets of paper detailing the permaculture designs for Marta’s yard
* These items are now in storage as of May 2023
Since returning to my storage unit in Brooklyn and my mother’s house in LA, I’ve swapped out some winter gear for summer gear—but I won’t bore you with those details (at least not right now).
Weather aside, I’ve also identified some items I wish I had and would like to incorporate for the rest of my travels, assuming I can make it all fit:
Travel water flosser (I refuse to sacrifice my dental hygiene any longer)
Stojo collapsible bowl (if push comes to shove, this might replace my Stojo cup)
Jump rope (inspired by a guy jumping rope in a plaza in Lisbon)
Travel alarm clock (so that I don’t have to look at my phone every morning!! Any recommendations?)
I can’t believe you actually read all of that!
If you found this interesting or helpful, let me know and I can plan to reveal what’s in my next luggage configuration.
In the meantime, keep an eye out for a recap of April + May plus exciting news about where I’ll be this summer.
Not all heroes wear (or pack) capes.
Wow! That is so impressive! So are you in LA now?