Summer Vacation Checklist
Summer vacation: quite possibly the most anticipated week of the year.
After a year of cold weather and hard work, this is the one week where all of us get to get out of town, relax, and unplug. While summer vacation might be the most relaxing week of the year, the days leading up to it are anything but that. If you’re like me, you probably procrastinate packing until the absolute last minute! Typically I wait until around 11 pm the night before I leave on a vacation to even think about packing, and I’m up until the crack of dawn running around like an absolute maniac, trying to get everything ready to go. Luckily, I’m aware of this habit, however, and have come up with a checklist to make this process just a little bit easier.
Whether you’re jetting off to Europe or the Maldives, or just road tripping down the coast for a few days, here are a few items that you need to bring on your vacation.
AWAY Luggage
In order to pack efficiently, you need a suitcase that it small and compact, but able to fit everything you need. When it comes to luggage, AWAY is a really great option. Not only is it moderately priced, but it’s also really cute and functional. Featuring a hard exterior shell and a built-in charger, as well as great interior organization, this suitcase is easy to carry and perfect for any long or short vacation. If you’re only traveling for a week or so, I really recommend going with a suitcase that’s small enough to bring as a carry on, which is why I love AWAY. Both the small and medium sizes are small enough to fit in the overhead compartments on a plane, but they still fit everything that you would need for a week.
Travel Sized Bottles
If you’re like me, you probably prefer to bring your own shampoo, conditioner, lotion etc. Do yourself a huge favor and get some travel sized bottles. Not only can you find ones that are meant to go on planes and are much less likely to leak than a standard bottle, but you also don’t have to go through the hassle of checking a bag. Save yourself the time and money, and stash up on some tavel sized bottles.
(Linking some really good ones here.)
The Carry On
Having a good carry-on can make or break your travel experience. Regardless of if I’m checking my suitcase or not, I like to have everything that I’ll need on the flight underneath my seat in my carry on. Typically on travel days, I like to have my sunglasses on me, as well as my computer and phone, chargers for both, a good book, makeup wipes and some lotion/lip balm… plus an extra layer in case I get cold. When I’m traveling, my go-to carry on bag is the Noho Bag by OVERT, because it fits everything I need, and is easy to keep organized. I also love the Settlement Backpack by Herschel, which is a slightly less expensive option, and if my bag isn’t too heavy, I’ll just go for a simple tote. I’ve had my longchamp for years now, and it’s stayed in great condition.
What to Pack
By nature, I’m an over packer. I’m the one who will pack 10 outfits, despite only being gone 5 days, but only actually end up wearing two of them… I’ve definitely started to learn from this, and am way more conscious of what I pack. Mainly because I’m the one who has to lug all of that around! If I’m going to be gone for a week, I like to bring mostly basics, and a few cute outfits.
I’ll usually bring one pair of shorts, two dresses, and a few tops. As for shoes, I’ll bring one casual pair of sandals and one pair of dressier shoes, and then I’ll wear sneakers on the travel days. I also wear the same travel outfit both ways, so I don’t have to pack an extra one. When I’m on summer vacation, I pretty much live in a swimsuit during the day, and the only outfits I really have to think about are dinner time looks… so I definitely keep that in mind. I also like to bring an extra bag for laundry in order to make the unpacking process a little bit easier when I get home.
As for makeup, I just pack the products that I use on a daily basis, which can fit into one bag. My skincare routine is pretty extensive, so when I’m on vacation, I try to condense it. I’ll bring a good face wash and moisturizer, and then my favorite vitamin C serum and my rose quartz roller. Lastly, I always bring my own face sunscreen, because I’m really careful about what I put on my face (I use the invisible shield by glossier, which I’ve talked about tons in previous posts).
I put all of my products in sealed bags, to protect my clothes just in case anything spills.
And that’s it. Depending on where you’re going and what you’ll be doing, this packing list is definitely subject to change, but my rule of thumb is that if you’re traveling for a week or less and can’t fit everything into a carry-on suitacse, you’re probably overpacking.
Happy travels!
-seb.
