Breathe New Air

Today is the eve of my departure for one of the biggest adventures of my life thus far.

Tomorrow at this time I will be breathing in the same air that my ancestors did in Edinburgh, Scotland. 

Tomorrow marks the official first day of my school's "Spring Break" (Why it is in February, I'll never know) and I have trips to Edinburgh, Scotland; Dublin, Ireland; and London, England planned.

And when I say planned, I really mean planned.

I had touched briefly on my love for well-organized trips -- but this one has got to be the pinnacle of my career thus far.

But I mostly want to share it with you all so you can see the stops that I will be hitting during my tour at each place and maybe look up the details of each of them to get a small taste of what I will be seeing this week.

So if you're interested about where I'll be in this big, blue world next week, click here for my full itinerary!

Okay, so next I wanted to bring you through my thought process on packing for this trip because this in and of itself is a small miracle for a notorious over-packer like myself.

Behold, my entire week's worth of luggage:

And no, I'm not kidding.

The airline that I'm flying with (who shall remain unnamed for my own protection) is incredibly inexpensive to fly with, but is also super strict with the size/weight of luggage you can bring on to the plane with you. And me, being an innately frugal Yankee, and also an individual that likes to cheat the system, I decided I was up for the challenge of trying to avoid checking a bag. That being said, this Airline is so strict with their carry-on items, that I'm still going to have to smuggle on my satchel underneath my coat for each flight!

What fun is traveling without a little risk, eh?

Nickels and dimes, people! It's all about the Nickels and dimes...

The trick to traveling light is, yup, you guessed it: precise planning and logistics. 

So I'm going to bring you through my thought processes for this bare essentials adventure. 

So welcome to:

Kendra's travel-light-freeze-at-night-lightweight-bare-essentials-strictly-carry-on-baggage-instructional-checklist!

...Okay, I'll have to talk with my PR person about a new name...

But in any case, let's get started!

1.) Your day of travel outfit 

This step is critical because you are going to be wearing this outfit both for travel and for the first whole day of your trip. In my case, this will be the day that I travel from Dijon --> Paris --> Edinburgh, Scotland.

I opted for:

- my favorite sweater, that is not too bulky or itchy

- black jeans

- my most comfortable walking shoes

- warm, wool socks (especially if traveling in the chillier months)

- And remember, if you will only be in a country for two days (like me) you will most likely definitely be wearing this same outfit for the next day. Sorry if you think that's gross -- but desperate times call for desperate measures, people, and I'm a stubborn, frugal traveler. And besides, this outfit is pretty cute so it's okay. 

A note about the jeans:

-be sure to choose jeans that are good for both day and night. Black jeans are the best because they are able to be dressed up or dressed down. And choose wisely, as these are the only pair of pants you have room to bring. (Again, apologies if you think this is gross like I said before, DTCFDM...can you riddle that acronym?...I bet you can, mom!)

2.) Your outer layers

This is actually the most critical decision because this is what will be seen by others the most while traveling -- not so much the articles of clothing underneath.

I'm choosing to wear my...errr, my lovely mother's...stylish and feminine trench coat. This is ideal because it is both warm, waterproof and has a hood. I'm also pairing it with a knit infinity-scarf for added warmth, style, and comfort.

3.) Your shoes

Potentially your most important item, make sure you bring a pair that are:

-comfortable

-stylish

-versatile 

These bad boys are my go-to shoe, and are maybe some of the best shoes I've ever owned. 

Both comfy and decently stylish, I can get away with wearing these in a nice restaurant and schlepping around touring the cities I visit.

Again, choose wisely, you're only allowed this one pair.

4.) Your next city's outfit 

This, along with my black jeans and shoes, will be the outfit for my two days in Dublin, Ireland. Comfortable and warm, this thick jersey 3-quarter sleeve is great for 2 days of traveling.

5.) A versatile top

This plain black top will be what I wear to London to meet my friend Sabrina. What's fabulous about it is that it's versatility allows me to wear it one way during the day...

...Or pair it with a belt for a new look at night!

6.) Sleepwear

Comfy yoga-pants and a T-shirt should do the trick!

7.) Living essentials

I'm a girl, and I like luxurious things. I can't help it. It's in my biological make-up. But this is not the kind of trip where I can afford to bring all my luxuries and lotions and potions that I use to pamper myself each morning and night.

Like I've said, DTCFDM.

SO, I decided to really go bare-boned on this trip and limit my beauty products. Before I left I bought this wonderful Vera-Bradley traveling make-up/jewelry bag that has proved to be incredibly useful thus far.

Inside holds:

- hairbrush

- travel-sized shampoo and conditioner

- toothbrush

- toothpaste

- floss (fun fact about me, I'm obsessed with flossing my teeth, I can't go anywhere with out it...literally.)

- hair-ties (yes, Katie, I call them hair-ties and not hair-elastics)

- two bobby-pins

- Make up

- Make-up removing/face cleansing face wipes

- Baby powder (helps combat greasy hair if you can't shower every day)

and it folds up into this nice, little, compact bundle!

That unfortunate stain on the upper-lefthand corner is from when my shampoo bottle exploded inside my suitcase on my initial flight to France in January.

It's still too soon for me to talk about that tragedy...

Never Forget...

8.) Satchel Essentials

These are the items that I will carry in my satchel which will be on my person at all times during this trip. 

Camera, iPod, iPhone/iPod charger, European outlet adapter (the bane of my existence, but I won't go into that now.)

Umbrella and Ray-Ban sunglasses. A bit contradictory, I know. But luck favors the prepared. So bringggg onn the sun!!!

A cheap read. I'm borrowing this from my friend who lives next to me. I was going to bring my iPad and continue reading Wuthering Heights, but that was just too big of a risk the more I thought about it.  

Wallet. I hear those come in handy every now and then...

Euro-phone...runner-up as the bane of my existence. I'll also be taking my iPhone with me.

And this is pretty good to bring with you when you travel too...

9.) Your itinerary 

I will be traveling solo until I reach London on Friday, March 1, so it's paramount that as a solo traveler you have an airtight itinerary. 

If you check out the link of my itinerary above you can see that my itinerary is airtight, waterproof, fireproof, laser-proof, James Bond-proof...the works.

Take a look!

I've got maps, boarding passes...

 Google Maps directions, printed day-plans... 

Heck, I even have handwritten directions that I wrote out from Google Maps when the printer I was using ran out of ink at the most in-opportune time

And most importantly I have this man as my travel-buddy as I make my way from destination to destination.

and last, but certainly not least...

10.)An adventurous spirit and keen wit

An essential item for any traveler, this attitude is a must before any departure. It's also important to really get in the zone and keep your wits about you when traveling and to always be on your toes.

Life begins at the end of your comfort zone, so tie-up those shoe laces and go have yourself an adventure!

----

So that's it folks! That's all I'm takin' with me as I head out tomorrow!

I'm anxious to share my stories and pictures with you all when I return to Dijon next Sunday March 3rd at around 6pm. So hopefully by the beginning of next week I'll have a post or two up about my adventures. Until then, my blog will be on a bit of a hiatus as far as new posts go!

And anyone reading this, if you could throw up/out a prayer or thought to whatever you believe in for safe and easy travels for me these next few days I'd be much obliged :)

A beintot! Talk to you all when I get back!