carry on only: 7 weeks in europe edition

August 31, 2023 by Kala MacDonald

i’m back at it, packing up my sweet old (broken) Away carry on suitcase yet again, this time for a mildly-nerve-wracking 7 week adventure that will begin in Porto, Portugal and land me in Florence, Italy just in time to greet my gals for my Multi-City Biodynamic Wine and Wellness retreat.

I am, how you say, SO EXCITED. And low-key a bit anxious for this epic route I’ve curated for myself.

I am not about to be the girl trying to lug a huge suitcase and tote bag and carry on and purse around the historic, cobblestone-lined streets of Europe. As well, I’m taking lots of trains and a couple busses, so packing light is critical to this trip’s success and to my having as few freak outs and panic attacks as possible. My goal: take just my Away carry on suitcase, which is light enough to pick up and carry up stairs, onto trains, etc., and my trusty Lululemon crossbody fanny pack.

Of course I’m aware I will likely be doing a small amount of shopping and old book collecting during my travels, so I’m open to expanding into an additional tote along the way, but that’s IT.

Read on to see what I packed for this epic, multi-city solo trip followed immediately by my 10 day/9 night retreat offering!

Pro tips:

Try things on before you pack them. Take a look at what you’ll be doing, consider where you’d wear something based on your schedule, and if you won’t wear it a couple times at least, skip it. Peep me trying on a new knit top I got for a cutie option to make sure It’s actually comfy, wearable, and packable within my plans. (Spoiler alert, it’s coming with)
Roll your clothes. I don’t know the science to how fabric takes up less space when you roll it up, but it does. So try it!
I’ve said it before in my other packing blogs, but I’ll say it again: a color scheme is key. I’m doing Portugal, Spain, France, and Italy in the Fall — low season for these areas — with still warm but sometimes cool weather. The temps are expected to be in the 70s and low 80s during the days, and 60s to low 70s at night. I anticipate it to be a little bit chillier and windier by the coast, too, during those stop overs. A few mid/long dresses and some layering options ought to do me well! I’m making sure everything can mix and match. A lot of neutrals with, oddly enough for me, blues and reds.
If you read my other packing blog you know I separate my little items, toiletries, and the like into a “dry bag” (the paisley print zip up pictured) and a “wet bag” (the Stasher bag pictured) for ease and organization. I’ll also have some “wet” toiletries in my purse (sanitizer, lip balms, hand lotion) to get away with more than just a quart size worth on the plane. Luckily the pharmacies in Italy and France are epic so I know i can re-up with something similar or even better when I run out of the curated collection of toiletries I’m bringing. As well, I’m bringing items that are multi-use for me to get the most bang for my space-taken-up. For example, the Neem oil from Pratima, which is a GOAT catch-all product in my household, is packed and can be used for everything from gun sha lubrication to makeup removal to a day or night serum before moisturizer/sunscreen or after retinol to a body oil or when shaving. Plus its good for any little skin irritations, bug bites, chaffing, or rashes that may arise from so much moving around. Pare down what you use typically to what you actually NEED, and know you can try new products on the ground if you run out.
My Amazon storefront has some affiliate links to my favorite must-haves and travel essentials. Thank you in advance for shopping my storefront, which does earn me a small but appreciate commission!
Layer your suitcase. You’ll see below a photo of each base layer of my suitcase sides and then the top layer that fills it out. Stack, stuff, roll, flatten. You’ve got this!

Shoes:
Rubber slides
Reebok sneakers

Bottoms:
Black Lululemon Align leggings (2 long, one bike short style)
Black Linen Trouser (linked similar, mine were thrifted)
Agolde Blue Jean

Tops:
Red knit crop longsleeve
Red knit sweater
Black Hoodie
Taylor Swift Eras tour tee
Black t-shirt, crop tee, loose tank, crop tank, regular tank, bandeau
White crop tee

Dresses:
*they all have pockets, I swoon
Short sleeve blue/olive floral
Long sleeve olive
Long sleeve stone

Other:
Selection of undies, bras, bralettes, socks
Silk face masks for plane and train travel
Baseball cap

Utility/Tools:
Phone charger
Universal converter/adapter
Airpods
Plane earbuds
Mini travel straightener
Dual-voltage blowdry brush
Film camera/film

Toiletries, etc.:
Glasses/extra contacts
Sunglasses
Pedicure kit (Callus remover, nail file, slippers, cuticle tool)
Mini tweezers
Gua sha tool
Face razor, body razor
Face and body sunscreen
Face and body oil
Hair detangler
Hair oil
Moisturizer
Retinol
Toothpaste

Makeup:
Westman Atelier Mini Trio (contour, highlight, blush stick)
Caliray tubing mascara
Benefit brow gel
Ilia liquid eyeliner pen
Aquaphor

Other:
Snacks (organic nuts, dried fruit, coffee sachets, tea bags)

Happy packing!

my 48 hour pre-long-flight routine

June 08, 2023 by Kala MacDonald

today i’m headed to south africa for my 2nd annual Lux Wellness Safari retreat (!!!) and felt like sharing my routine ahead of a long flight like this one. i’ve been on some pretty long flights before, but the flight from LAX-ATL is 4.5 hours, and then i board a 15.5 hour flight ATL-JNB. it’s certainly not a trip for the faint of heart, but the journey is so worth the destination. that said, i want to arrive fresh, feeling good, & smelling and looking mostly-pretty, and that doesn’t happen by accident!

here is my 48 hour routine to prep for a healthy, restful, long travel day + long flight:

while i’m always drinking plenty of very mineraly mineral water, the couple days ahead of a flight i am nonstop. i use filtered water and add about 10-15 drops of Trace Mineral Drops to every glass. think of it as homemade evian on steroids. i don’t know how else to explain what this does to the water other than it makes it “stick” to you, aka even though i’m constantly drinking water i’m not peeing every ten seconds. the minerals contribute to so many bodily transactions, so not only are you supporting all your systems by adding these drops to your water, you’re super-hydrating to prepare for that dry, recycled airplane air.
the night before i fly i do a “full shower” meaning exfoliation, hair mask, double shampoo, shave, etc. and then i style my hair and immediately add dry shampoo as a finisher. this allows me to fly with freshly clean, freshly styled hair so i can arrive fairly put together. i usually leave my hair down for the flight, but if i do tie it back i use a silk scrunchie to avoid breakage and dents.
the night before and the morning of a flight, i make a strong tea (any herbal variety will do) and add about 4-8 drops of wildcrafted oregano oil, a dropperful of chlorophyll, and manuka honey. this combo is super nourishing and cleansing, and a great prep for small, shared spaces like a plane or airport. oregano oil is antioxidant, antifungal, and anti-inflammatory, chlorophyll is an internal deodorizer, immune booster, and detoxifier, and manuka honey is antibacterial, antiviral, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant. never skip this step. just be sure you search for wildcrafted and organic when possible for all products.
i eat before the flight and after the flight, but reserve the long flight itself for a period of fasting, minus some organic nuts i’ll pack in my carry-on. aka, don’t eat the airplane food if you want to land feeling and smelling good. listen, sometimes i do eat the food on a plane, it’s fine if you do! however, i like to use the opportunity to give my body, and specifically my digestive system, a chance to take a break. i’m still chugging my mineral water, but the fact of the matter is a day of fasting every now and then is actually really great for the body, and i find that it helps my jet lag too, to arrive hungry and jump right in to whatever meal time it is at my destination. not to mention, its bacteria that contributes to that sour, smelly, post-plane vibe that makes you want to immediately hop in the shower so you don’t offend your friends on the other side of your travel day, and having the chlorophyll in your tea + not eating on the plane equals a sweet-smelling arrival every time.
time your sleep on the plane to beat jet lag. for example, on my ATL-JNB leg of today’s trip, i’ll arrive in south africa at 7PM. this means i’ll do my best to sleep during the first half of the flight, imitating a night of sleep, and i’ll do my best to stay up for the second half, imitating a day. i have my laptop to do some work, a book, and of course two many movies to watch! if i can pull it off, this means i’ll arrive to JNB on south africa time and will have a better shot at getting a full night of sleep after having a nice dinner after long day of travel! pro tip: as well, i will set an alarm for 7 or 8 AM the day after my arrival, get up as soon as it goes off, and avoid naps at all cost in those first two days. this has helped me beat jet lag (for the most part) most trips. lastly, i won’t gatekeep that i absolutely have flight anxiety, which is hilarious as someone who travels as often as i do, so xanax helps me catch some Zzz’s on a plane, plus a great neck pillow (worn backwards, trust me on this).

how i pack my carry on luggage for long trips abroad: cold-weather edition

June 01, 2023 by Kala MacDonald

straight up, i don’t even own any other piece of luggage besides my AWAY carry on suitcase. i have a duffle and a backpack for weekenders, but that suitcase is the only one i own and use. i’ve flown all over the world with that thing, sometimes for multi-week trips abroad, and have never felt like i under-packed or forgot anything i couldn’t pickup at a local pharmacy on arrival.

i’m currently packing (i’ve actually been packed for two weeks because i’m INSANE(ly excited)) but i unpacked and repacked to show you how i pack for a four week winter trip. i’m headed to my 2nd annual Co-Ed South African Luxury Wellness Safari, which is yoga and excursion centric, plus a week of wine tasting in Cape Town to follow. still, i managed to fit everything i’ll need in just my carry on and a tote bag! read on for my tips to travel light even during long, cold-weather trips full of a variety of occasions:

find out if there will be laundry access — access to laundry means you can pack even less and repeat outfits. i only have 5 shirts and one pair of jeans for this whole month long trip, but i know i’ll probably only wash the jeans once on the trip, and i can repeat the tops as i wear them. plus, i’'ll be rotating “real” clothes with yoga/lounge clothes, and two dresses i have for nicer dinners and for welcoming my retreat group! even if your villa/hotel/host doesn’t have laundry, there is likely 1-2 day laundry service nearby. even when i was in bali for months at a time, there was drop-off laundry service just a short walk down from our shala that was very affordable, quality, and quick.
pick a color scheme — this is easy for me since all my clothes are black, white, brown, and olive green anyway, but choosing a color scheme means you can mix and match clothes on your trip and everything sort of goes together. you can see my safari color scheme is thriving in the photos below, even down to the brown and camel colored hats. hell, even my airport outfit can be washed on arrival and rotated into my vacation wardrobe! if you throw in one rogue purple shirt or blue and yellow dress, it MAY get worn, but best to stick to a scheme and let it all mesh.
roll your clothes and stuff your shoes — i always roll my clothes and then stack about two layers deep, as you can see, to fit the max amount of things in a smaller space. it becomes a little game of tetris, so stuff and stack away! also, i use my zipper bag for flat things like my bucket hat, and put undies and socks and bralettes in my shoes. it’s empty space, may as well utilize it to pack something! speaking of shoes, for a trip like this i’m packing utility/hiking boots because safari vibes, and a pair of plain white sneakers. last year on safari i wore these boots everyday on our game drives and during the bush walk, and the sneakers will be cute for chill time at the villa and with my jeans/dresses in cape town. i’ll probably also sneak in a pair of plain slides to have on hand for by the pool, etc. since i have the space.
stop being this girl — you aren’t going to shit your pants everyday, you aren’t going to wear the orange dress you regret buying 6 years ago and have never put on, and, sadly, you probably aren’t going to run into a pop-up taylor swift event. i wear the same t-shirt/sweatshirt/sweatpant combo every night after i shower and to bed for like five days at home, and once i got realistic about this also being true on vacation, packing got a LOT lighter. so, with love, get real.
divide your wet and dry toiletries between your suitcase and your tote/backpack — get some high quality little to-go bottles and transfer your full-size products into travel sized versions. but the key is to have a “wet bag” and a “dry bag” each in your suitcase and your tote. don’t overpack the quart sized/travel size limits, especially abroad, because they’re checking during customs security and they will make you throw products away if you bring too much.
my suitcase, which will be in an overhead bin on the plane, wet bag will have things i’ll want in the shower, nighttime skincare stuff, etc. then, my tote bag, which will be with me under my seat on the plane, will have things i’ll want in the air, like hand sanitizer, toothpaste, things to wash my face, sunscreen, etc. my dry bag in my suitcase will have things like razors and nail care accessories, and my dry bag in my tote has my plane headphones, xanax, an eye mask, chargers, etc. i try to use stasher bags, but sometimes as you can see use a ziplock, for wet bags to avoid leaks in air.
consciously choose some travel-sized staple essentials and leave the big items at home — instead of bringing both my full size hair wand and hair straightener, i got a dual voltage travel size straightener that i can use abroad to create curls or straighten my hair, and if it gets ruined by the outlets there, it was $10 on amazon and i’ll live without it. i also have a packable down coat, pictured all stuffed and zipped into pocket size, which i got years ago from REI ahead of my trip to iceland. this coat is super lightweight but SO oddly warm because of the materials. it was a great $150 investment at the time and takes up so little space in my suitcase. i’ll also pack an expandable umbrella. things you may need to stay comfortable, warm, and dry on a winter/cold/rainy season trip, but the travel friendly version of those items, make all the difference in the world. a not-packable puffer coat would take up a whole side of my suitcase otherwise, and a full size umbrella would be bulky and annoying to tote around. full size hair accessories take up space and may get ruined abroad anyway as i navigate converting. save yourself the trouble and invest in some travel friendly options of these essentials.

going in the suitcase — from upper left, down: two hats, one thick black sweatpant and one jean, one swimsuit, wet/dry bags, travel straightener, three long sleeve and two short sleeve shirts, one pajama pant, two pajamas tanks and one pajama long sleeve, (ignore my plane outfit/book/laptop), three yoga sets, two nicer dresses and one matching short/long sleeve set.

this gallery shows layer one & layer two of my clothes on the right size of my suitcase, the bucket hat flat packed in the mesh compartment, and everything buckled in. on the other side of the suitcase, another book, the travel straightener, my wet and dry toiletries, boots stuffed with undies, socks, and bralettes, and my packable down puffer coat.