Three Weeks in a Carry On: A Hobbit's Tale

Before we move on to Destination Stockholm: The Ikeawakening, a word on packing for three weeks abroad. I was SO amped up about the trip that I started mentalpacking my carry on a few weeks ahead of time.

And yes, you heard that right—I was absolutely set on doing the trip with only a carry on (plus a tote purse). The key here was banking on a laundry day in my London Airbnb, with a night to let everything drip dry in the land of the dryer-less. Here's a close approximation of what I brought:

Sabbatical by heyimanna featuring a white v neck t shirt

That's a whole lotta gray. Plus! Don't forget assorted undies, socks, groaning beauty/skincare bag and tote innards (like a laptop, Kindle, sleeping mask, alternative beauty bag—I know I have a problem and I'm working through it).

What worked:


- I knew it’d be chilly almost every day, so I sacrificed space for three coats: an old beat up leather bomber jacket (sadly NOT Balenciaga), a trench coat and a heavier navy peacoat. This was a perfect decision, because the weather dropped from 80 to 40 degrees over the trip.

- More and more over the last year, I’ve slid into a jeans/neutral shirt/boots uniform. But lucky for me, that translates perfectly into a European travel wardrobe! So chic. Hence 2 pairs of jeans and a fuckload of shirts. My Paris Airbnb had an iron for the button downs.

- To shake it up, I also brought a skirt and casual dress. These were a good way of dressing up for dinner.

- This fancy dress only came out once, but I knew the Crazy Horse night in Paris called for a showstopper. A guy in le Kitsch asked if I “actually” dressed like that in New York. Compliment or criticism? I leave it up to you.

- Converse, Zara ballet flats and Topshop boots. I wore those last two to death, and definitely could have done another pair of boots for colder Stockholm and London. At home I wear heels relatively often, but for this trip decided to save room and stick to flats.

- I wear my beloved NY Adorned and Catbird earrings, necklace and rings every day, so I threw two extra costume necklaces in and called that a day.

- Not pictured, but I transferred my extensive skincare routine (where applicable) into these little squeezy tubes. They are expensive but way more durable than the shitty plastic ones I’ve tried from everywhere else.


What didn’t:


- I had planned on trying a barre class in Paris and London, but timing was tight and I ended up running around everyday anyway. The sports bra and top went untouched, but I wore the yoga pants on flights like a dumb (but comfortable!) American.

- My curling iron didn’t make the list, but luckily Jess left hers with me in Paris.

So at the end of the day, I would have liked another pair of jeans and boots. But! What's the worst that could happen packing light? I might have had to go... shopping.