I’m currently flying somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean en route to Cincinnati! It’s a bit of a whirlwind trip as I am only in Cincinnati until Sunday evening. I’m bursting at the seems to see Amy and Ryan along with their new bundle of joy, baby Parker. How adorable is this little guy? I am also excited to take Charlie, their cocker spaniel, out for a few long walks as the weather is supposed to be 75 degrees!
I was up extra early this morning to pack for the trip as I didn’t have time to pack last night. Instead of packing, I enjoyed one too many glasses of wine at girls night! We laughed over Indian food at Bombay Cafe for almost three hours. These girls have really made Geneva feel like home and our weekly dinners provide each of us with a space to laugh about husbands or dating, share travel adventures and ask for Geneva help. Our venue changes each week – sometimes it is a casual home cooked meal at one of our homes and other times it’s in a new restaurant we’ve wanted to try. I was thrilled that the other girls were keen to switch things up with Indian cuisine last night as I’ve been craving it lately. I’m a novice when it comes to Indian food so I let everyone else guide our shared plate orders but in the end we had the perfect amount of food including Tandoori chicken, a delicious lamb dish, lentils, and a few veggie dishes! 
The 5am alarm was not a welcome sound but luckily I was able to pack light for this trip as I’m back in Geneva Monday morning. Packing and traveling is getting easier as I have started to appreciate the value of packing only essentials versus over packing. In addition, there are some essentials which I now keep together for easy grab and go. I basically grabbed everything on my essential list, which is stored and updated on a list app on my phone, before zipping my bag shut. I also keep a travel outfit always folded together in my drawer so I don’t have to worry about it being dirty or searching for it the morning of a flight.
Travel outfit:
- Bra & underwear
- Black yoga pants
- V-Neck tshirt
- Light scarf
- Black wrap sweater
- Compression socks
- Running shoes
Here are the essentials that I pack on any trip:
- Running gear – Socks, shorts, tank, short sleeve running top, sports bra, Garmin, charger, water bottle, headphones.
- One casual outfit – jeans, t-shirt, bra, underwear, a pair of flats or flip flops, depending the season
- One “going out” outfit – jeans, blouse, bra, underwear, wrap or light jacketunderwear
- Pajamas
- Travel accessory bag – camera charger, camera, vitamins, converter, Apple iPhone/iPad cord, laptop charger, backup iPhone battery, passport, compression socks, travel size toiletries for plane (toothrbush, face wipes, moisturizer, toothpaste), and neck pillow.
- Large purse – wallet, computer, iPad, phone, makeup pouch
Many of the items I pack serve dual purposes such as the running water bottle, which stays full during travel and keeps me hydrated on flight. My travel compression socks can also be used on a run while my plane outfit can also serve as an extra days clothing. I’ve been traveling with my Mizuno running shoes as they are my lightest shoes and are also perfect for wearing during the day when exploring new cities. Having a travel accessory bag always packed and stored in my closet has kept me from forgetting important things like chargers. I’ve wasted too much time and money trying to replace them in foreign countries.
What is your one travel essential that you always have to have with you on a flight?
I always have my passport with me. You never know when an opportunity will come up to go somewhere new! One time I was trying to follow the “safe” advice to leave it locked up at home, and then I ended up in a panic needing to get my roommate to overnight it to me. Totally stressful, though it did work out in the end!
Given all the travel (read: backpacking) I have done in the last 18 months, I have got pretty good at packing! My must have – others than the ones you listed – is headphones. Nothing beats listening to music as a great soundtrack to your travels. That way when you listen to those songs again, you are transported back there.
I love posts like this. I travel a lot for work, and I also pretty much always have a list on hand for what I need, and also keep a travel toiletry case ready to go. Another thing I always have with me: healthy snacks (usually Clif bars/Lara bars) and a few packs of instant Starbucks Via coffee. These are great for both pre-workout fuel in the hotel room and emergency snacks for the plane, etc.