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?
Looking forward to seeing your trip to Rennes - such a lovely place!
Non-negotiable? Just 4. Knitting. Engrossing reading. Decent headphones for listening to podcasts in bed. My current notebook for lists, forward planning, ideas. Who knows, maybe one day I’ll extend myself to sketching.
If I don’t bring a journal to write in I always kick myself. Alas if I do, I forgot I brought it.