non-negotiable things

Rennes, France, 2024. I am looking forward to visiting again this year.

My husband and I have a trip coming up later this spring and I’m thinking about packing.

(Okay, let’s be real, I think about packing a lot, even when I don’t have a trip on the horizon.)

Anyway, as always I have created a detailed packing list — actually, it’s a multi-page spreadsheet — and I’m at the point in our planning in which I’m making precise notes. These socks, that pair of sneakers, those pajamas. I’ve figured out about 95% of what I’m taking and, yes, most of my clothes will be wool-based.

Generally speaking, I have most random other stuff under control now, but of course, it’s always an evolving situation. No matter what, I will contain my stuff in my usual travel backpack (approximately 40 liters) and some sort of small sling bag/purse.

Still, as I peruse my list, I realize that in my middle age, I have a short list of non-negotiable items that I must have with me. This list goes beyond the must-haves — clean underwear, meds, a phone charger — and veers into a gray area of things that are not necessary, but still wanted.

For example, skincare. I was a teenager in the 80s and can assure you that my friends and I scoffed at the idea of using sunscreen. Therefore, as a fair-skinned woman in my 50s, I now am in the care of a dermatologist who has strong opinions about my skin and what I do with it. Don’t worry, I always pack a hat and sunblock now. And, as it happens, I now pack an array of little containers filled with various lotions, potions, serums, and whatnot. Technically, I don’t need everything every day for an entire trip, but I am not going to let my dermatologist or my aging skin down.

And then there are socks. I usually pack more than I need in a variety of styles because I have strong preferences about my socks and I am happiest when my feet are happy.

A more frivolous example, however, is my eyebrows. I dye them at home without fail every four weeks. It takes less than 10 minutes and is a small vanity that I am not at all embarrassed to admit to. For longer trips of around a month or more, there’s always that question of what do I do about my eyebrows? Dye them just before we leave and then let them fade out or pack what I need and dye them while I’m on the road? I do the latter. I’ve figured out how to decant the products into a tiny disposable bag that I can toss after I’ve used it in Portugal, Italy, or wherever. Easy peasy.

What about you? What are your not-necessary but still non-negotiable must-haves when you travel?