PACKING FOR EUROPE PART II

I did a pretty decent job of packing for my ten days in Europe, give or take a few lessons learned along the way. If I were going again (can I please!!!!) here is what I'd bring again, what I'd leave behind, and what all I'd bring instead.

YES, GOOD WORK, ME
BLACK DENIM // Bringing a pair of black denim was the smartest idea of aaaaall the times. Having a second pair of jeans, though, would have been really, really nice, too. Soooo I bought myself a pair while I was out. Luckily, this is the type of purchase I don't mind having to make while abroad what-so-everrrrr, but if you don't like to make time to shop while traveling, I advise bringing a second pair of jeans. (I picked up a pair of these while in the Marais and I love them.)

MULTIPLE SHOE OPTIONS // Shoes are heavy, but for me, ultimately worth the backache. One thing I've learned from life in NYC about foot fatigue is that usually simply changing your shoes from day to day is enough to keep your tootsies happy pounding sidewalks for hours at a time. I did leave my penny loafers behind, I did regret it, and I did buy a second pair of sneakers to make up for it, but, see above. I wasn't too mad about it. :)

TEES + TOPS // Four shirts and a sweater were the perfect amount of shirts and sweaters. They were all I needed. Maybe a less bulky sweater the next time?

SCARF // Hooray for bringing a scarf! In a pinch it'll cover a sloppy pomme frites episode. Thumbs up.

NOT SO MUCH
DRESS + SKIRT // I looove wearing skirts and dresses in the summer, but in the colder months it's just too much work for me. I overestimated the weather forecasts and my willingness to dress up for stuff, and oh well. It was a nice idea anyway :).

BLACK BRA // Diiiiiid I wear that bra once? Nnnnnoope. I guess this is the lesson learned: If you don't wear it at home, you ain't gonna wear it abroad.

LIPSTICK // I just didn't wear it! Lipstick would have felt so over the top for some reason, but your mileage may vary. Now that I think about it, a tube of lipstick is small enough there's no harm in bringing some along just in case. If I had been with Brandon, I may have worn some to dinner? Who knows. Eh, I'd probably bring it along again. Whatever.

UMBRELLA // I hadn't planned to pack an umbrella, but I did pack an umbrella, and then it just sat in my bag taking up space. The one time it did rain I decided to duck into a café to ride it out, so next time I think I'd leave it at home. There were plenty of umbrellas for sale on the sidewalks everywhere I went, and if I needed one I think I'd have been able to find one just fine.

NEXT TIME
NOTEBOOK + PEN // I packed my iPhone and iPad thinking that would be plenty for any note taking or plan-making needs, but I found myself craving an old school pen and paper for writing down schedules + itineraries, listing out plans, doodling on maps, scribbling down thoughts, etc.

SUNGLASSES // I ended up picking up a pair of super cheap sunglasses, the kind you'd get at a gas station for $5, and that was a real good call. They got beat up and I didn't mind so much. But if I wanted to be purposeful about it, that could have been smart, too. :)

WOOL COCOON COAT // On my way out to grab a taxi to the airport I happened to grab my black wool coat at the last minute, and I'm so glad I did. Something oversized and menswear-y was much smarter than my trusty leather jacket, even if I do wear it all the time at home and as much fun as it may be to be a bad-ass and junk. :) The wool coat was much more versatile. It makes a better blanket or pillow on the plane than a leather jacket (no scratchy zippers), it's layerable like crazy in case the weather turns out colder than expected, and because it was longer it was easy to drape over the top of my tote bag and under my arm when I didn't need to wear it, which actually wasn't that often at first. Here it was April and I was most of the time freezing. Plus, I mean, the wool cocoon coat is trés trendy right now in Paris, so . . . well, you know how I be. :) (This one is amaaaazing.)

BAGGU REUSABLE SHOPPING BAG // I always have a Baggu with me in my tote in NYC, so I lucked out on this one and had one abroad as well, but to all those who don't walk around packing Baggu heat, you should definitely bring a reusable shopping bag of some kind. You pick up so many miscellaneous things while traveling--water bottles, maps, brochures, receipts, souvenirs--and having a big bag to shove it all in that I could wear on my shoulder was a life saver. 

BASEBALL CAP // Bad hair days happen, people.

MISCELLANEOUS THOUGHTS
PLANNING FOR SHOPPING // For those of us Natalie-types (whatever that means), I think purposefully under-packing for a trip like this is kiiiiind of a genius idea. "Oops! Didn't bring enough shoes!" Right? Verrrry clever. I've brought empty duffels before for this type of thing (one bag to, two bags home), but this time around I planned to stop in at the post office to mail myself some things. These days with checked luggage costing extra, it's almost even-steven either way. If your primary luggage has wheels. About three countries in I did fantasize about attaching roller skates to the bottom of my bag :).

CAMERA SITUATION // Whyyyyy are DSLRs so heavvvyyyyyy? I am so glad I brought my nice camera, don't get me wrong. Wandering around and taking photos was such a relaxing, enjoyable way to spend my time exploring, but I'm about ready to figure something out about this whole situation, because there's just no reason a person needs to lug around an enormous bulky camera anymore. What century is this! I've been researching cameras since I got home--I want something small and pretty, with switchable lenses, that doesn't weigh forty pounds. Maybe a Fuji? Any suggestions?

And ps--thank you to everyone who left notes in the comments on my original packing post. I read them all and they made such a difference in my planning! Thank you!