Travel Tips

Globetrotter Suitcase

OK, I am packing a suitcase for the first time since September, which is depressing. I’m not sad that I am going away, but I am sad that I haven’t been away since September. In the year prior to my arrival in Vancouver, I managed to visit Shanghai, Guangzhou, Oslo, Amsterdam, Prague, Madrid, Barcelona, Stockholm, Gothenberg, Paris, Devon, Geneva, and the Swiss Alps. That was when I was living in London. So I’m having trouble dealing with the fact that since September the only place I’ve been to is Squamish and Burnaby.

Anyway, I thought I’d share a few of my packing tips with you all, since I used to be pretty good at packing suitcases, back in the day when I used to travel.

• Get nail gels done before you leave, so you don’t have to bother bringing nail polish and remover, or waste any time doing your nails. They last about three weeks. And I make sure to get to get my nails cut short at the time of the manicure, so they aren’t too long at the end of the trip. (I had mine done at JC Institute student salon. Takes a bit longer, but its way cheaper and they do a great job.)
• The exception to the above is beach holidays, I prefer to cut my nails short and leave them bare. Sun and salt water do miracles to nail strength. Buff them and keep them clean, and the sun will whiten the tips.
• Have a generic packing list on your computer, that you can print out every time you travel. I include almost everything on the list, and cross out the things I won’t need on a particular trip (for example, sunscreen and swimwear will not be on my London packing list.) It means I never forget a camera lead or my valium.
• Are you traveling with check in luggage, or carry on? Don’t forget the liquid restrictions if you aren’t checking in. I buy travel versions of my beauty products when I can, and if not, I use Muji travel containers and fill them with my beauty products.
• Imagine your check-in luggage gets lost. You can always buy new clothes, but some things are harder to replace. Make sure your carry on includes all your jewelry and valuable, electronics and chargers, medication (birth control pills are hard to replace!), eyewear, contact lenses, things like that.

Louis Vuitton Suitcase

• I don’t pack until the night before, or sometimes the morning of. Its hard to pack your facial wash there days before, when you need it up until the morning of your departure. I write a detailed list, which I edit over a few days to make sure I don’t forget anything, and then just pack at the last minute. If the list is complete, I won’t forget anything.
• If you are dong a beach or villa holiday, don’t pack much. Last summer I went to a villa in Spain and packed a tons of clothing, in the end I wore one tenth of it. A pair of flip flops, and pair of shoes, five bikinis, and a couple dresses are all you need. Save the room for sunscreen, moisturizer, and a good leave-in conditioner.
• Try and think about some outfits when you are packing, but make sure to choose pieces that go with a lot of things. Its impossible to plan all your moods (I’m not like a Vogue person who plans each one of her ten daily outfits before she packs.) Lengths tend to dictate my choice of clothing, if I’m bringing a lot of high waisted skirts, I make sure to have short tops or items I can tuck in. If I’m bringing low slung jeans, I am sure my tops are long.
• The exception to the above is wedding packing, if you are going to a wedding that requires lots of outfits, plan every detail and bring a spare outfit.
• Always pack shoes and handbags in dustbags
• Don’t bring too much jewelry, unless its cheap stuff. Its too stressful traveling with expensive jewelry, unless it is absolutely necessary.
• Make sure you have the right underwear and tights to go with your clothes (seamless, low slung, control top, padded, etc…)
• I almost always pack too much. Pack, and then get rid of at least 20%. Unless you are going somewhere where there is no shopping at all.
• If you are going to Asia, and have size 8 or bigger foot, don’t count on buying any shoes, so bring a lot. It is close to impossible to find a pair of shoes in a size bigger than US 8 or UK 6 in China. (I have tried…it is extremely frustrating.)

T.T. Trunks Vanity Case

My carry-on travel essentials:

1. Dr. Hauschka Rose Day Cream, long haul flights are seriously dehydrating.
2. Hand Cream, same as above, I like Burt’s Bees Shea Butter Hand Repair Creme. And have a nail file to hand, always.
3. Lip balm
4. Valium, for a long haul, where I need to work the next day so sleeping through the flight is essential. But be careful, I make sure I don’t get through more than 20 pills a year, its addictive.
5. iPod, for obvious reasons
6. Good books, I read about one a day if I am relaxing
7. Cashmere cardigan, good for layering
8. Shawl, I have a silk cotton one that works as a blanket on the plane, a sarong, and a scarf.
9. Water!
10. Fruit. I hate plane food, and its fattening. I also bring nuts to snack on.

Images from Globetrotter, Louis Vuitton, and T.T. Trunks.