Upon lugging my suitcase back home from my last journey, I couldn't quite understand why my bag was so dang heavy. While unpacking, I discovered that my bag didn't have anything extraordinary in it, but rather the usual crap that a lady needs in order to survive. Now I know I'm going to catch some grief for this because my granola friends will say, "You're so beautiful you don't need make up or jewelry!" And you know what, they are right. But does the average person look enhanced with said accoutrements? I think yes. What women travels without:
1. A hefty Ziploc bag of products: One day I decided to see just how many products I used on my body. The answer: 24. That's right, 2 dozens things! Obviously I have a bit of a product addiction, but to those who say you don't need it, I say, do you really want to be around me when my hair looks like Edward Scissorhands, my face looks like a 15 year old boy, and I smell like a locker room? Nobody should have to see/smell that.
2. A wide variety of bras: Don't blush, bras are a necessity of womankind, no matter what shape or size. Who knows when you'll need a strapless, t-shirt, racerback, black, nude, one strap contraption to make you look slim, appropriate, and appealing to the man stew of D.C.? I overheard a group of ladies at the airport having this same conversation, and I was like, "Totally with you sister."
3. A large quantity of chargers: Be it phone, tablet, Kindle, camera, laptop or iPod you'll need them all on your prolonged stay. You'd think by now we'd have a universal charger to make it easy on travelers, but then again, why make it convenient?
4. Multiple pairs of shoes: As most of you that know me are aware of, I'm a bit of a shoe fiend. So when I say my luggage had 9 pairs of shoes in it you are not surprised. Sure it's a bit of an overkill, but know that I bought three pairs on the actual trip (one should not ignore excellent sales). Shoes are there for all of your walking, beaching, dressing up times so it really pays to be prepared.
5. Plane entertainment: There are few things worse than being on a long flight without something to do. I had accidentally packed my book in my suitcase on my way to D.C. and found myself watching a movie on someone's laptop between the crack of the two airplane seats in front of me. Kind of creepy and also less meaningful without sound.
So the next time you are packing for a trip, remember to keep the luggage light and only take the essentials listed above. You never know what you'll encounter, but at least hopefully the hot weather will be enjoyed on a beach rather than your couch. Bon voyage!
