What’s In My Bag: Europe
Originally posted September 2016
I recently looked back on one of the first trips I took abroad, my 2014 Europe trip! I just got back from another European trip, so this blast from the past was fun to see what I took on my first trip across the pond.
What I packed:
A few things changed after I took this photo… here’s what I actually packed:
6 tops - 3 that could be dressed up, and 3 solid tee shirts. The amount of tops I brought was perfect, but I wish I had swapped a few of the “dressier” options for more casual/comfortable choices for travel days. My most-worn tops on this trip were my basic black and my basic white tees!
2 pairs of leggings - one long and one cropped. These ended up being my preferred bottoms since they were super comfortable for long days.
1 pair of jeans - I only wore these a couple of times, and could have easily gone without them!
1 maxi skirt - I wore this a lot when the weather was warmer and when I needed to be more modest to enter certain attractions (churches, etc.).
1 denim jacket - this was a last minute addition to my pack, I took this instead of the rain jacket, and I wore it almost every day of the trip! I have one with a good amount of stretch to it, making it comfortable even on long days.
1 cardigan - A nice additional layer for when it wasn’t cold enough for my jean jacket.
1 dress - I only wore this a few times, but I was happy to have a dressier option when we needed it
My Bag:
This is the eBags Motherlode Weekender Jr. measuring in at 19.5" x 14" x 9". I wanted a bag that would easily fit within the strict budget airlines restrictions, and this one fit the bill. It fit a surprising amount of clothes, shoes, toiletries, in addition to a bunch of souvenirs. The bag seemed so great I even convinced my travel buddy to buy the same one!
The bag sure held a lot, but with no discernible hip belt, I was miserable before I even got on my first flight! Every travel day was painful for my shoulders and back, as I could feel every ounce of the 25lbs of stuff in the bag. Since then, I've found the *perfect* travel bag for myself; stay tuned for that!
What Went Right:
I brought almost the perfect amount of clothing. I did end up buying a pair of genie pants and another top, primarily out of boredom. I also ended up tossing in a denim jacket at the last minute and buying a warmer layer when I was there. Despite being summer, it was cold and rainy on a few days we were there, mainly in Scandinavia. My shoe choices also worked out; a pair of sandals, a pair of flats, and a pair of walking shoes worked out nicely!
What Went Wrong:
I also brought along a small cross-body purse in addition to my main backpack. Upon arriving at the airport, I realized I had no room to put any quick-access items, such as things I wanted for the plane or even snacks and drinks. About a week into my trip, I purchased a larger cross-body purse that was my best purchase there! Having a daypack is essential when you're sightseeing for hours in the day and need to carry various items.
Overall it was a fantastic trip; we traveled to 15 countries in 6 weeks and made a lifetime of memories. It was fun looking back on this trip to see how far I've come & what I've learned about traveling and packing in the past few years!