When I set out on my first solo international trip — a two-week journey through Ireland, the UK, and Iceland, along with pit stops in New York and Chicago — I was plagued by one question: What should I pack?
Since I was only bringing a carry-on suitcase and a backpack, every item had to earn its place. By the time I got home, I made plenty of memories — and came to a much clearer sense of what I’d pack again, and what I’d leave behind.
Here are four items I was glad I brought, and three I could’ve gone without.
I’m glad I packed a light jacket that worked in so many different climates.
Even though I went on this trip in the summer, I knew several places I was visiting would be rainy. But because of the different climates I was going to, I quibbled over how warm I wanted a jacket to be.
I settled on an older, rain-resistant jacket that had lost some of its fluff rather than a light windbreaker. The jacket kept me warm in the Icelandic mist and didn’t overwhelm me in New York during evening showers.
Bringing local currency was a last-minute decision I don’t regret.
Right before my trip, I decided to get Icelandic krónur, British pounds, and some euros.
I spent a long time deciding whether to bite the bullet and get paper cash, wondering if that would even be useful. Since I was traveling alone, I erred on the side of caution and picked up some bills.
Even though I didn’t use it every day — except at the airport and to buy some souvenirs at small shops — bringing local currency gave me peace of mind, and I would certainly pack it again.
An all-in-one worldwide adapter was crucial.
If I had to pick one item as most essential, it would be my all-in-one travel adapter.
Since space in my bag was scarce, this all-in-one version was perfect, as it preserved room in my suitcase for other items and prevented me from bringing multiple adapters.
Bringing wired headphones was a lifesaver on flights.
I always keep a pair of wired headphones in my bag with all my chargers. A few times on my flights, when a TV show wouldn’t download in time, or my AirPods ran out of battery, my wired headphones were there for me to use for in-flight entertainment.
Not only were they a lifesaver, but they also meant I didn’t have to buy a pair on the plane.
I wish I had left my stylish shoes at home in favor of a more functional alternative.
On day three of my trip, before even leaving the US, I was in New York and had found myself in a Foot Locker because my feet were already hurting.
Even though I love walking, the sneakers that I thought were reliable — not perfect, but reliable — were failing me, and I was in pain.
So, I ended up purchasing a more functional pair suitable for lots of activity. After this purchase, I came to an important conclusion that I think will stick with me: it doesn’t matter if the shoes are cute if they’re not walkable.
I packed more shirts than I needed.
In the wee hours of packing, I started thinking about every what-if moment that could happen. For example, what if I went somewhere nice or spilled food on a shirt?
So, I ended up bringing seven different tops, and now looking back, I definitely could’ve left one behind.
After all, by the time I visited Iceland, I was layering so much that my base shirt didn’t really matter.
A fancy dress took up way too much space, and I didn’t even wear it.
Forgetting that my trip was mostly sightseeing and pounding the pavement, I packed a dress just in case.
However, when I actually needed something borderline dressy, I reached for one of my versatile shirts instead.
Next time, unless I have an explicitly fancy occasion, I’ll leave the dress at home and save room in my suitcase for other essentials.
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