3 Weeks Abroad in a Carry-On

When I first married, I had only traveled to a handful of states and out of the country only with the Army.  When our youngest was 2, we set out for Europe for a month.  Boy did we have lots to learn!  First of all, we over packed...seriously over packed.  We not only had the 2 year old, but a 7 year old and 9 year old.  Oh, and we traveled exclusively by train to 4 different countries.  You live and you learn.  Now 10 years later with passports full of stamps, we're a bit wiser.

First lesson was only to use carry-on bags.  I don't even know the number of times the airline has lost our bags.  One trip was when we were in Colorado with 2 extra children to go skiing and no coats because the bags were lost!  Also, when traveling by train, it just doesn't make sense to bring big, heavy bags.  I know, I've been there.  You are personally responsible for finding a spot for your bag and getting them on and off the train with no assistance (in a matter of minutes).

I've learned how to condense what I take and make pieces work together.  I should have said earlier, I'm no fashionista...not at all!  I just want to blend in and look relatively pulled together.  I've also learned that when going to other countries to not wear bright colors or prints.  When in doubt, wear black.  Always.  I've never gone wrong with that from Europe to South America to Canada.

I thought I'd give you a look at what I packed for this last trip to Europe with my girls.  I should preface this by saying that we were doing a lot of outdoor activities.  Nothing fancy at all.

Here are my 2 favorite bags.  I've had my Brookstone rolling bag for years!  It has been the best thing.  I've purchased other bags and they've always had issues.  Not this one.  Plus, so much fits inside!  What do you think about the Duluth shoulder bag?  I love this bag!  It is so functional.  Maybe not fashionable, but very useful.  First of all, it has a pocket that slides over your rolling bag handle.  This is so nice when your running through the airport because your bag doesn't slide off.  Secondly, it has a ton of pockets!  Seriously a place for everything including an iPad or a small laptop.  I use this bag to hold my iPad (with the Kindle app so I don't have to bring books), my travel Bible and journal (not pictured),  headphones,  a travel size umbrella (I have needed it on several trips, plus mine has a strap to hook onto your purse), a note book and pen, sunglasses, ear plugs and eye mask and a  reusable bag (lots of countries charge you for shopping bags.  I always bring my own.) Most importantly are my snacks.  lol!  Tied on the outside of my bag with a Coach scarf is my pillow-a necessity for a long flight.  

Another thing in my Duluth bag is my water bottle.  I drink a lot of water and I especially get thirsty on long flights.  On this trip, we were renting a car and then going to be doing lots of walking.  I didn't want to have to buy water every day.  Instead we purchased these collapsible Platypus bottles.  They're BPA free and hold up to 1.0 liters!  Perfect for traveling.  

Of course, all of my liquids needed to be easily accessible so I put them in my Duluth bag.  I packed all the liquids inside a plastic bag.

Besides the typical toiletries, I also packed essential oils.  The ones I always take on trips are Di-Gize-for stomach issues, Lavendar-to sleep and for skin irritations, Thieves-congestion and colds, Pan-away and Deep Relief for muscle aches and headaches and Stress Away for obvious reasons and because it's my favorite.  

Now onto my Brookstone bag.  Here's what's inside:

We were in Europe (Switzerland and France) in May.  We experienced a wide range of temperatures, mostly chilly though for us southern girls.  

I packed all casual clothes.  3 long sleeved shirts and 2 short sleeved.  These were all thin fabric that was easy to rinse out in the hotel room and then hang to dry.  

I had 3 pairs of jeans-skinny, black and straight legged.

2 dresses that were only worn in Bordeaux because it was too cold in Switzerland.  I paired the first with my denim jacket and the striped one with the white button down, tied at the waist.

The black North Face was worn almost daily!  It was the most practical item that I brought.  As I said earlier, the denim jacket was worn with the dress and the scarf was only worn on the plane.  

Now for the shoes.  I go for comfort with shoes, all the way!  The 2 pairs of flats are Lucky Brand.  They are the most comfortable flat I've ever worn.  Very cushy inside.  We did lots of walking and my feet never hurt in these.  The leopard pair are almost worn out, but I just love them and they really liven up my black, blah outfits.  The platinum pair were new for this trip and go with absolutely everything.  Plus these shoes take up hardly any room in my luggage.  Now onto the LL Bean boots.  I almost didn't bring them.  Then I found some space in my bag.  I am SO glad I included them!  The day we visited Rhinefall it was cold and raining.  My feet would have been wet and frozen in anything else.  

These little compression bags were a life saver!  The large bag fit my jeans, spaghetti strap shirts and PJ's.  The smaller one held all of my tops and underthings.  This was my first time to use these.  I'll definitely buy more!

I always bring along this little cross body Coach bag.  It matches almost anything I wear, looks cute and is oh so practical.  The red Duluth wallet is a must!  It clips to the inside of your purse and has slots for your credit cards (with a leather strap that snaps over and secures them in place), a spot for your license and a zipper pocket for your cash.  

The rest of my make-up and accessories fit in these bags.  I also have this handy flat iron bag that  a friend made for me.  

So, there you have it!  Three weeks in a carry-on for the practical traveler who doesn't have any "fancy" destinations.  What do you think?  I would welcome any ideas for my future trips. 

Our trip to Bordeaux (part 2 of our European vacation)

The second half of our European vacation was spent in Bordeaux.  This happens to be one of my favorite cities!  It's known as the little Paris-all the beauty, excitement and diversity without all of the crowds.  It is located in southwestern France and is a port city on the Garonne. It's known for the Gothic Cathedrale-St Andre-one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen.

For part of the trip we stayed in city central on Cours du Marechal Juin.  Our room was super tiny but had all we needed, almost.  A bed, a fold out sofa, mini fridge, TV and bathroom.  After the first night of burning up, we realized it did not have AC.  (Bordeaux is pretty warm and humid this time of year).  We tied the window open, but were kept awake by the sirens going off all night.(we were right across the street from the Sapeurs Pompiers-the fire dept and just down the street from the hospital)  I had earplugs, but my girls didn't.

Our first evening there we just walked and walked!  Did I mention how beautiful this city is???  I love the architecture and the cobblestone walkways.  Every meal we ate outdoors.  It was just too pretty to be inside.

Right behind our hotel was the Hypermarche @ Meriadeck (the huge grocery store!).  I forgot to tell you that we first visited Bordeaux 10 years ago.  We stayed in a little apartment.  The grocery store was one of my favorite places.  It's not your typical store.  Not only are there all kinds of food, but cosmetics,  home goods and even books.  We bought items to stock our mini fridge, souvenirs for us and our friends and even some French books to place on our book shelves.

Another favorite place of ours was Gambetta Park.  Imagine a tiny central park.  Just a lovely place to stop for a picnic or a much needed break.

We had met a girl in Huemoz (from Australia) who happened to be living in Bordeaux going to the university.  She offered to hang out with us and give us a tour.  We met at our hotel and walked to the river- Port de la Lune where we all played in the shallow pool of water.  We then walked to the Palais-Galltien (Roman ruins-a former amphitheater) .  After 8 miles of walking at site seeing, we made it back to our hotel.  We went to dinner at Le Comptoir.  Busy, but pretty good food.

The next day we went to an outdoor market at cathedral square.  One stand was selling oysters, another eggs and spices, meat, flowers and pasteries.  I bought 6 small canneli for 3 euros.  This is the typical Bordeaux dessert.  So good!

For lunch we walked to Le Grand Cafe.  I had a fabulous salad with  smoked salmon, boiled shrimp, a small scoop of chicken salad, lettuce, arugula, tomatoes all covered with a citrus dressing.  So good!  There was a French couple beside us who struck up a conversation.  They even gave Emma their creme brule!

The next few days were not exactly as fun filled.  Our real reason for visiting Bordeaux was for my daughter to have a heart procedure.  We moved to a hotel a little south of Bordeaux in Pessac.  For the next 4 days, we stayed here and walked the 20 minutes back and forth to the hospital.  Grace was admitted to the hospital, had her procedure and discharged a few days later.

You may ask why we came so far for health care.  Well, my husband has been here twice.  Theses doctors are the best in world when it comes to these heart issues.  To top it off, it's much cheaper here.  Also they are so thorough.  In the states, you'd have the procedure and go home the same day.  Here, you stay for 4 days.  Beforehand you have tons of lab work, an EKG and a CAT scan.  Afterwards you have an ECHO, and a stress text.  None of these things would be done at home.  We felt that Grace was well taken care of here.  Plus, the doctors are so personable.  Grace's cardiologist spent so much time with her.  She even gave us her personal number and email.  How many times do we get that in the US?

Grace has a 2% chance of this reoccurring.  my husband on the other hand, will have issues all of his life.  Chances are we'll be back in Bordeaux again. If we have to be in a hospital, I can't think of a better place!   Until next time!

My next post will show you how to pack in a carry on for a three week trip abroad!