seekingmygreaterperhaps

I LEAVE TOMORROW!

I have packed my backpack (to the brim… there isn’t much space. Good thing the only souvenir I collect is postcards!) Sorry family and friends… don’t expect much as far as gifts. But what I plan on getting the most of are experiences and photos. Maybe make a few friends along the way, we will see.

After over a year of planning this trip, my dream is finally coming true. As scary as it is to be on my own, I am so freaking excited. I’ve spent the past 3 days trying to fit my life into a 75 L backpack. I’ve managed to narrow it down enough to get it zipped, and it weighs 38 lbs. I have to carry that on my back. Yes, I plan on becoming super buff. There are a few things I will not be returning with, like my sorority little’s paddle, shampoo, vitamins and medicine, and potentially my combat boots. This just means I can’t buy many souvenirs, which is a good thing since I’m on a budget.

I’ve spent months compiling what I thought I needed from various blogs and Pinterest posts… this is what I came up with.

In case you are planning a backpacking trip for Europe in the winter (also, all my clothes are bulkier… yay planning), here is my packing list.

Clothes

• 2 pairs of jeans
  • one skinny
  • one boot cut
• 2 pairs of black leggings
• 1 pair of jean capris
• Raincoat
• Sunglasses
• 1 skin colored cami
• 3 short sleeved shirts
  • one tan
  • one black with studded sleeves (double as night wear)
  • one blue tank top
• 4 long sleeve shirts
  • one pink and navy striped
  • one mint with cool sleeves
  • one white nicer shirt
  • one blue nicer shirt
• 1 blue flannel
• 1 denim shirt
• 1 purple sporty sweater type shirt
• 1 sweater
• 1 pair of pjs
• 2 dresses
  • one black
  • one pattern
• 1 pair of spandex
• 1 leather coat
• 1 swim suit
• 1 small purse
• 1 winter coat (wearing)
• 1 warm hat (wearing)
• 2 scarves
  • 1 winter scarf (wearing)
  • 1 “scarfbag” – this is an infinity scarf with a built in pocket with a zipper, you can store passports, phones, ipods, whatever in here for when you’re traveling, it’s pretty anti-theft. I found mine here.
• 1 pair of gloves (wearing)

Shoes

• combat boots (I got them for free! So if I need to leave them in Europe… it’s not a big deal)
• black flats
• Chaco’s (doubling as shower shoes- WHAT UP)
• grey Nike’s (cute and comfortable)

Hygiene

• microfiber towel
• Cocoon sheet (this is to protect me from anything at a hostel)
• Laundry supplies
  • sink plug
  • dissoluble sheets of detergent
  • clothesline
• cleansing face wipes
• shampoo
• conditioner
• body wash
• loufa
• tiny bottle of scrunch spray
• solid perfume sticks– these are awesome! like tubes of chapstick, but perfume.
• contact supplies + extra changes of contacts
• glasses
• bobby pins
• hair ties
• comb
• medications
• vitamins
• nail clippers
• tweezers
• chapstick
• feminine products
• toothbrush + toothpaste
  • I have a protecting pod on my toothbrush
• tide to go stick
• swiss army knife (that birthday present Dad got me, finally coming in clutch)
• razor
• bar of soap to double as shaving cream
• eyeliner
• mascara
• small eyeshadow
• bandaids
• allergy medicine, EmergenC, day quil and nyquil (just in case)
• deoderant
• Ibuprofen

Miscellaneous travel supplies

• luggage lock
• ziplock bags
• passport holder
• 2 color photocopies of passport
• journal and pens
• tape
• eyemask
• earplugs
• outlet converter (thanks Janet!)
• water bottle
• Camera
  • charger
  • extra memory cards
  • batteries
• tablet (I’m taking this in place of a laptop, it’s much lighter. While I have had to buy some specific accesories so that I’ll be able to blog/ write home/ share pictures, I think it’s worth it)
• phone charger
• iPod and charger
• flashlight
• plastic utensil (kind of like this, I only bought one, for about $3 at an outdoor store in Bloomington)
• travel cubes (Leah bought me these for Christmas, and I can already tell you how thankful I am for having them. It makes packing so much easier)
• deck of cards
• bottle opener
• book- sadly, the reader that I am, I can only pack like 1 book… so I’ll have to figure out other ways to read

Important steps to handle before you leave:

1. Call your bank and let them know that you’re going traveling.

2. Get travelers health insurance. I got GeoBlue for pretty cheap.

3. Make sure your passport is up to date, have all of your IDs ready.

4. Figure out what you are doing with your car, or other major aspects of your life at home.

5. Have your transportation worked out- I had some issues with my Eurail pass, that thankfully got resolved and worked out in my favor, but had a slight heart attack in the meantime.

I am a hyper-planner. So I believe I’m prepare for this trip. My bag is packed, kind of heavy, but READY TO GO!

Days until departure: 1

Total Trip Cost so far: $2,401 (includes flight and Eurail pass, does NOT include all the money I spent on travel gadgets)