Travel: How I Travel With Only A Carry On

Flashback to October 2017, my parents are getting married in the Dominican Republic. Everyone is jumping on a plane and there’s so much to bring a long with us.
I’ve already packed about 4 days before our departure. My carry on is by the door, and a few days later, the night before our flight my dad is trying to pack at last minute. Everything is overstuffed and many things are missing like socks, both regular and dressy. He looks at me, proud of himself, and I’m like —No, move over.

I ended up packing his, my little brother’s and an extra bag.
Fast forward to today and it’s time for another one of my escapes. If you’ve been paying attention, I like to spend as little as possible when traveling. (See how I travel on a budget HERE) one of the things that saves me some cash, is not checking in a bag. Some airlines charge about $50 per bag. I avoid those fees by traveling with a carry on bag that’s included with my flight.

Carry on’s are pretty small, so I constantly get asked how I travel with only a carry on all the time. This time I decided to share.
I’m a huge list  maker, and if you’re not, that’s okay. Maybe mine will help you.

And to make things a little quirkier and colorful, I decided to draw a little something for the occasion.

This is how I pack my carry on:

In the event you can’t read my chicken scratch, some of my favorite tips are :

– wear comfy slip on sneakers at the airport, it makes it way easier to get through TSA. You don’t have have to worry about laces, or falling over when doing so when someone behind you is trying to rush. Also, wear some thin socks so your feet don’t have to touch that cold and dirty floor.

-When picking out your clothes, try sticking to the same color scheme. It makes matching much easier, especially if you want to mix and match pieces. This is also a great way to have a cohesive look on your Instagram!

-If you like dresses, you’re in luck. I like packing a bunch bc it means I don’t have to carry extra things to coordinate an outfit. Dresses and even rompers are a complete fit.

-When packing, try the the rolling method. Everyone is different, and lately I’ve been seeing alot of the packing cubes, which I’m sure are great. But rolling the clothing nice and tight gives me the ability to squeeze a lot of clothes in one place. It’s like playing Tetris, making sure every space is filled. Rolling also means no wrinkles, when you decide to wear.

-This is probably a given, but make sure you charge everything before leaving home. Your phone and camera should be full. If you have a camera, invest in extra batteries, Amazon even sells third party batteries, and it’s nicer to switch batteries rather than lugging around another charger.

-Since we’re talking tech, try getting a solar powered power bank. I personally like the solar powered ones because I can clip I on to my backpack and it charges itself throughout my day. I bought this one. It won’t ever be uncharged. (unless it’s night time and the sun isn’t my friend)

-Before even leaving to the airport you should get on Google and download their offline maps. Find the instructions HERE. This has been a huge game changer for me. In some places you don’t have access to Internet. When I visited Cuba, I was so glad I had maps downloaded, I always knew where I was, and even with no internet the maps are interactive because you have saved all that information. Try “starring” your favorite places too. Like where you want to eat, or even where your hotel or Airbnb is for easy finding.

-Always wear SPF. You should be doing this evening you’re not on vacation. And if you’re somewhere tropical don’t get blinded by the “I want a tan so bad” craze. You will get one, the sun is stronger in certain places and your health comes first.

-On the plane ride, bring a big scarf with you. Parshminas are perfect because they double up as a blanket. It gets pretty cold up there. You can also use the scarf at night in case you didn’t bring a jacket. And if you’re going somewhere warm, you can always use it as a sarong. When sleeping you can use it as a head wrap. Pieces that are multi purpose are perfect for traveling.

-I like to pack granola bars. I keep some in my backpack for the flight. Sometimes the snacks are teasers and pretzels and water just don’t cut it. They especially come in handy when I’m sightseeing and can’t find somewhere I want to eat. It can hold me down until I actually get to dinner time.

– Also, bring an empty water bottle with you. Yes, you read that right. When going through TSA, you’re not able to bring liquids. Bringing an empty bottle is efficient because yo can fill it up at a fountain and avoid paying $7 for a bottle at the duty free. Also, you get tiny bottles from the flight attendant.

-Have your passport and itinerary ready and close to you at all times. If you don’t know how to make an itinerary you can read this post HERE. I explained how to go about making your own. This helps with knowing which gate to go, and information needed. Another tip I like to do is to make a scan of my passport and paperwork I might need and email to myself. You never know if you misplace something and you don’t want to get stuck overseas with no identification.

-and my last tip for now… You’re on vacation, try unplugging from social media for a bit. Bask in all the culture around you. Have fun, meet new people and experience life. You can always upload later.

I hope this has been helpful, and if you use any of my methods, please share with me! I would love to see how it worked out for you.

Happy Traveling!
Stay tuned for my upcoming posts about my trip to Bermuda!
Best,