I’m officially in travel mode! I’m making a quick trip back home to NYC for the weekend before I depart on my two-week Eastern European road trip to Poland, Denmark, Germany, Czech Republic, and Hungary! I’m traveling with one of my best friends, Jessica. She is the first person I traveled to Europe with. We are meeting up with my Polish friend, Jacek, whom I met in NYC over 8 years ago. He was gracious enough to offer to show us around. Along the journey, I will have a reunion with German friends I made while working in Cape Town and a college friend. 

As you can imagine, I’m excited! Friends have told me I’m an excellent packer, and I was asked to post about it. So, here it is: 5 steps I took to fit 45+ items of clothing into my carry-on:

Step 1: Think about Temperature

Temperature is critical in determining what kind of clothing you will pack. I am traveling to five countries with slightly different temperature forecasts. I knew my wardrobe needed to accommodate me in temperatures ranging from the high 50s to low 80s, and with a chance of rain. 

Step 2: Think About Planned Activities

An idea of what kind of trip you are considering will also determine what you will pack. For instance, a beach getaway, an adrenaline-seeking adventure, and a turn-up extravaganza will each require different types of clothing.
Road-tripping throughout Eastern Europe means I will spend a lot of time in the car. I realized I needed my wardrobe to include loose-fitting items so I would be comfortable while in transit. I would classify my upcoming trip as a historical nature-filled turn-up, because we will spend a lot of time sightseeing historical monuments, go on nature-filled bike rides and hikes, and experience the social scene in as many places as possible. Also, I love cathedrals and plan on visiting a few while traveling, so I needed to have modest enough clothes to get into the buildings (covering my shoulders and knees).

Step 3: Create Your Packing List

I created my packing list using Evernote but found a comprehensive downloadable packing list on Smarter Travel. If you prefer apps, iPacking ($2.99) was highly recommended by a friend who hates packing. It customizes your packing list according to your travel needs.

Step 4: Pick Outfits, Not Items

Now that you’ve covered the essentials, it’s time for the fun part: packing your clothes! My top tip? Focus on versatile outfits rather than packing random pieces. This way, you’ll wear what you bring, and you can easily dress items up or down for multiple occasions. Sticking to a cohesive color palette makes mixing and matching easier, giving you endless outfit possibilities from fewer items.

This is probably the first international trip I’m not packing a pair of heels for. I only wear them once or twice when I go out. So, this time, I opted for more comfortable/functional footwear options. Besides my active sneakers, I intentionally chose to pack neutral color footwear that will easily complement my clothing.

Step 5: Get Packing Cubes and Start Rolling!

My very first travelJewels article was an interview with my friend Claudia, who went on a 7-month global excursion. She shared some of her best-traveling tips in her interview, including packing cubes. I have to say these babies are a saving grace! I ordered my Bagail Travel Luggage Organizer 4-piece set from Amazon. The key is to roll up your clothing to optimize your space.

Important Things to Consider

• I started packing about 2 weeks in advance, partly because I’m that eager for vacation but also because giving yourself adequate time to think about what you need and slowly add things is good. A week in advance is good enough.
• I like to have many options to avoid buying unnecessary things while I’m away. The packing cubes allow me to over-pack but still use space efficiently (winning!).

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