HOW TO PACK FOR A VAYCAY WHEN YOU'RE AN OVERPACKER
You really don't need 6 different variations of a black ankle boot!
I just touched down in London ahead of a month-long vacation in Europe (I can't even begin to tell you how excited I am!), and have been planning my packing like a crazy woman (albeit I didn't actually put things inside my suitcase until last minute, haha).
I am an absolute serial overpacker. Without fail, I'm always packing a useless amount of shoes and doubles of similar clothes! So in order to somewhat limit my packing this time around, I've decided to plan it out a bit better than I have known to in the past. But don't worry, I'm certainly allocating half of my boyfriend's suitcase as my own regardless ... hehe!
Plan your outfits ahead of time
You know where you're going and for how many days and nights, so why not plan your outfits ahead of time? Each day - plan out what you want to wear, and also factor in something for the evening that may be a little bit dressier. Try to match back a few pairs of shoes to the same outfits, same with accessories! Also, try to mix and match certain pieces between outfits so that you can make the most use of what you're bringing with you. I also like to take a quick photo on my iPhone of each outfit I plan, so that it's easy to look at before I'm getting ready for the day.
Invest in good luggage
Not only is good luggage vital to prevent it falling apart throughout the journey (especially if you're traveling through multiple destinations), but good luggage also means added features. For my Europe trip, I decided I needed some new sets of wheels and absolutely fell in love with the cases over at AWAY - prompting the addition of both their Large Luggage Case and Large Carry on Luggage Case to my collection. The hardest part of the process was deciding whether to go with the safe colour of black, or the not-as-safe but totally cool Baby Pink. Eeeep! No surprises ........ I went with black. The best part about these cases aside from the fact they are insanely sturdy and durable? The Large luggage case comes with in built compartments for splitting up your clothes so you can find them with ease (a God-send, trust me!) and the Large Carry On case comes with a rechargeable battery and USB ports to charge a phone or iPad. Yep - I will be that girl wheeling my luggage through Heathrow Airport all while charging my phone. Amazing!
Minimise the beauty products, girls!
It's a girl thing, I know, but when we travel we of course want to take everything we use on a daily basis with us and before we know it, half our suitcase is filled with hair dryer, curling wand, hair straighter, an entire range of skin care products, 10 eyeshadow palettes and the list goes on! While hard, try to minimise things like beauty products to the things you will need for everyday makeup looks, and also transfer things like moisturisers into smaller travel containers with just the amount you will need for the vacation.
UTILISE PACKING CUBES
My parents gifted me with some packing cubes as part of my Christmas gifts last year and I am of a firm belief that they were the best Christmas present ever! Something I have never utilised whilst packing until now - being able to separate sweaters from t-shirts from jeans and from shorts was an incredible experience! I even used them to separate my "winter" wardrobe for places like London and Paris from my "summer" wardrobe for the Amalfi Coast and Santorini. So good.
BE REALISTIC
Sure, it sucks not to be able to take 5 different pairs of black ankle boots and 2 different styles of leather jacket with you on your trip, but when you're being realistic, you don't really need them. Give some thought to what you want to take and what you will use. Worst case scenario you can just buy something new, right? ;)
I hope that helps you pack for your next adventure! Until then, I'll see you guys around Europe!