I am quick to click, click, click. Just like that, a trip to Italy is booked.

I am not quick to pack, pack, pack.

I dread packing. I put it off until the very last minute.

After traveling 13 weeks in 2019, I have become a “pro” and have a few tips to share. Disclaimer: I still overpack 80% of the time.

2 weeks in Grand Cayman in January.

1 week in Australia in March.

A weekend in Bodega Bay in April.

1 week in Las Vegas in May.

3 weeks in Toronto in June.

1 week in Brighton, England in June.

1 week in London in July.

1 week in Poland in July.

2 weeks in Brighton in July.

1 week in North Vancouver in November.

I spent 25% of the year living out of a suitcase.

Packing 101

1. Check the weather. Don’t be fooled, I will still be 100% unprepared when the clouds roll in and the thunder roars.
2. Ask myself what kind of attire I need.
   • Will I be at the beach?
   • Do I need business attire?
   • Will I have time to lounge?
3. Get out a pen and paper.
4. Write the date of each day of the trip along with any plans I already have for that day. Do I need one outfit? Do I need two? Am I spending the day at the beach before having a fancy Italian dinner? Do I have business meetings in the morning and a dinner cruise planned for the evening? Often I have an itinerary for a business trip but not for a vacation.
5. Fill in the days I have an itinerary for first.
6. Next, fill in the remaining days to the best of my ability. If it’s a vacation I am packing for, I simply plan one cute outfit for each day.
7. Eliminate the lounge wear. I don’t need a new pair of sweats for each day. Settle with one, save space. Plus by packing 95% cute clothing I will be forced to look my best and feel my best while away. Personally, I will always opt for comfy clothes so this strategy has been a game changer for me.
8. DO NOT pack any outfit that is not listed on my piece of paper. This is the only way I can limit my horrid overpacking tendencies.
9. Roll my clothes to save space as I pack them in my suitcase.
10. Finally, take a photo of the piece of paper I planned outfits on for convenience while away. This way I don’t have to remember what shirt looked cute with what skirt, what shoes to wear with this or that, so on and so forth.

Comment your best packing tip! X

Brighton & Hove

A spontaneous trip to Brighton, England turned home away from home.

I knew one of two things would happen: I would have the time of my life and grow a lot as a 22-year-old human traveling by herself for the first time OR I would decide it was a mistake, cry myself to sleep in the coziest of white fluffy beds and book the next flight home.

Travel solo, book the private room in a family’s home. Who knows, you may board your flight back home with a second family and plans to visit soon.

A strange man with an English accent dropped me off on a cozy, colorful, old English street, lined with light pink flowers. My nose tipped up as I stepped out into the salty air. The sea was just a ten minute walk from where I was dropped curb side with my two giant, proclaimed to be “oversized,” light pink suitcases.

Me and my baggage rolled up to the doorstep. I knocked. A woman named Jules greeted me at the door. She called her husband Nic to carry my three tons of cute outfits up to the loft.

I was completely exhausted having traveled for nearly 24 hours to get to this moment of familiarity with a woman I had briefly messaged back and forth with about my arrival time.

I willed myself up the stairs, one step after the next, quite the task after traveling over 5,000 miles in 24 hours. I stepped into the picture perfect loft, hardly believing it was as cute as the photos. The Airbnb listing flashed through my mind: Stargaze from the bathtub of this Artisan loft space.

There was the most delicious snack awaiting me. Fresh tomatoes, cheese, bread with olive oil and balsamic. Jules asked me if I would like something cold to drink, perhaps a glass of wine. I thought to myself, who would EVER say no to a glass of wine? Particularly after a 5 hour layover and 3 different airports.

The only time I ever said “NO” to wine was when I misunderstood the question.

Jules then asked if I would like to join her and her family for dinner. I could hardly believe my own ears. I had just traveled a million miles, didn’t know this woman from Eve and she had just invited me down to dinner. She continued to amaze me as she asked if I would rather eat in the loft after so many hours of travel.

Needless to say, I rinsed off, let the cold white wine coat my throat, threw on a pair of shorts and went downstairs to meet the family, wet hair and all.

I met Nic, Rihanna, Louis and Betsie.

Dinner was to die for. If I hadn’t shared many delicious meals with Jules and her family, I would say it was drool worthy solely because it had been hours since I had had a meal, but that’s not the case.

I happily devoured the pasta. Jules, as I came to find out, is one of the most amazing cooks. She’s an absolute angel, I’d never felt so at home.

Jules’ family was sweet. We really hit it off that evening. I didn’t go back upstairs until midnight or so. Imagine that, spending hours with a family you’ve never met, after spending nearly 24 hours on one airplane after the next.

Say yes to a glass of wine, a home cooked meal and good conversation after hours of travel and pure exhaustion.

Jules was head over heels for America. I remember Rihanna saying, “Mums obsessed with America!” I spent the evening answering every question in the book. They had come to America as a family a couple years ago, yet they were absolutely fascinated by every detail about me and my life.

Say yes to an invitation to watch Love Island.

Sit out in the garden, say yes to a cup of tea and spark conversation in the “common area.”

Ask questions. Engage.

The conversation may whisk away the afternoon, turn into a stroll to the grocery store with Jules, more wine and more delicious food.

Say yes to a beach day with Jules, Rihanna and Betsie.

Ask for recommendations, locals LOVE to tell you about their sweet home.

Share your story, be an open book.

Go wine tasting by yourself, meet the sweetest group of British girls who insist on taking you for Pimms after the tasting. Make plans for them to take you to their fav wine bar when you’re in London the following week even if it doesn’t happen.

Just be you.

Have you ever wanted to plan the trip of a lifetime, but didn’t have a clue in the world …pun intended… what to even Google?

What airline should I fly?

What time of the year should I go?

How LONG should I go for?

How many days should I spend in Rome?

Should I spend an entire week in Amalfi??

Where should I eat?

WHERE should I stay?

How do I get from Amalfi to Sicily? Train? Plane? Boat?

What the heck do I even PACK!?

Do you have a wild hair to travel but don’t have any friends or family who share your passion?

Have you ever had a horrid meal while on vacation and felt absolutely defeated after thinking the food was going to be the best part of your trip?

You imagined homemade tagliatelle pasta with a decadent truffle butter fresh from a farm in Tuscany. Pasta from the Walmart isle is staring back at you as you sit on a patio outside the Vatican. It’s as if the trip is as spoiled as the parmesan shaker on top.

✈️

The solution is as easy as A, B, C.

I am going to share mis favoritas with you.

A to Z.

A for Africa? Yep.

I for Italy? Sì.

P for Poland? Tak.

Y todo lo que hay entre.

✈️

I’ve been told, if all else fails, you have to start a travel agency.

Similar to the reason I love to cook, I love to see that beaming smile on the face of one of my loved ones when they have just been on the most amazing three-week vacation to Italy with me.

My goal is to make you smile this big, thanks to my recommendations.

Cheers to traveling the world together, one country at a time.