Oh, one more addition:

I’ll probably get blasted for this but Crocs are pretty versatile travel shoes. I have this pair and they are so super comfortable, plus they still look pretty nice. I’m not very good at fashion though so take this for what it’s worth lol.

I feel you on the shoes. I marvel at people who can put in a full day of sightseeing while wearing something like ballet flats. I must have bad feet or something, because I need decent support in my shoes for that sort of day.

I really have to watch out for the tech. First round, I have my iPhone, laptop, Kindle, tablet, backup battery, lots of cords. The phone always travels with me, and I try to limit to one other device. Laptop if I’m going to be doing work, otherwise either the tablet or Kindle.

I think we’ve gotten rid of just about all our extras during our year abroad living out of backpacks. But the one thing I still don’t have, and need to find, is some kind of shoes that look appropriate enough to wear to dinner and yet are sturdy enough and comfortable enough to wear out all day walking around the city…

Over-ear headphones. Great for the flight to/back, but generally a useless waste of space for the rest of the trip.

“Spa day” essentials. I have this idea that one morning I will sit around give myself a facial and mini-spa day. I never do because there is always something more exciting to do than sit in your hotel room under a mud mask.

My grandma’s wedding dress. I keep telling myself carrying it around is silly, and it snags EVERYWHERE, but I can’t shake the feeling that true love is waiting for me at my next port of call, and this time it will be for real. 50 is too soon to give up hope!

I tend to pack too much tech. My laptop, tablet, extra chargers, etc., are so essential to my workday life that I just bring them automatically. But on vacation they’re pretty much left idle unless I make a point of using them to justify having brought them. Of course I know deep down if I ever leave them at home,…

I always end up bringing too many clothes, then I end up washing things and wearing them again (blouses, dresses, tights, etc.) so I’m learning to pack less.

A laptop, until I stopped packing it. An iPad gets me through just fine. If I know I’m going to be doing a lot of email I toss in a small bluetooth keyboard.

Running shoes/clothes, whose lack of use are always a double regret.

When we travel internationally, we stopped packing shampoo, soap, and conditioner. We dont travel often, so when we do it is a 2 week trip. The little bottles can run out by then, and if you are Air BNB’ing the soap isnt always there to fall back on.

That’s awesome. What did you do there? Were you on a scientific exhibition of some kind, or was it strictly a vacation stop to see the sights?

Unusual noise is my biggest issue when travelling. I travel with either a white noise machine or a tablet with a white noise app. Earplugs get used every now and then.

Here is a few of my favorites:

Facebook really has just become noise. Bad amateur punditry, links to articles from Mother Jones and Breitbart, “80 things that only 80s kids know about,” and anger. So much anger.

Drunkpeopledoingthings is the best was to feel better about your life choices ;)

See also: dresses. People think that I wear dresses all the time in order to look fancy, professional, and stylish. The real reason is that when you pick a dress, you don’t need to worry about anything matching, and (when you’re at home at least) you can lounge around in any position and still be comfortable.

All I got out of this was, “I’m a psycho, so I haven’t worn sweatpants in a long time.”