I packed. I went. I conquered. (ish.)
I’m not the conquering type, but I felt good about this one.
I’m not the conquering type, but I felt good about this one.
Here’s a thing about me: I look like I’d like to travel, but I don’t. I can’t quite explain this, but I know it’s true. My actual whole goal in life is nesting. Sure I like shopping, food and culture. But in my most honest moment, I can tell you this: My dream evening is watching a show w/my hub + cats while eating a gyro with no plate or napkin, only a paper towel. And a can of diet coke. There it is.
When I was the Creative Director of M.Gemi, the DTC Italian shoe brand, I’d be working in Positano, Paris, Sicily, Milan — and always just be desperate to get home. So much so that I once brought my hub with me! He made biscotti while I was shooting and had a ball.
The Must List
Said hub LOVES to travel. And so I compromise and we do. I’ve laid down a few of my “musts” though. Here they are:
nonstop flights only
no hotel hopping — I want to stay put as much as possible
no tourist attractions for me (especially not into ruins and churches)
we get to the airport early enough for me to not get nervous or rush
minimal missed work time
guides so we aren’t getting lost and pissed about it
Do I sound like an entitled B? I don’t think I am if you meet me but I do get that.
Packing My Calm
The other thing I’ve realized is that packing the right things helps me mentally prepare (even get excited) and feel more calm about the whole trip. So every time I go somewhere I try and streamline, pick up tips, and pack better.
What does good packing look like to me?
I can easily manage my own stuff (pushing, hoisting, etc)
I don’t run out of anything or feel inappropriate anywhere
I don’t have to buy anything but have room if I want to
I have fun with my style the way I do at home
I use everything I bring
This last trip, still fresh in my mind, was my longest yet: 2 weeks in mid September. Somehow my hub snuck that by me when I wasn’t paying attention. But I did a good job packing for it, so I thought I’d share. (Oh, and you can see everything I packed here.)
Where we went
4 days in Rome and the rest in Sorrento with day trips. We stayed in two very different hotels and I loved both: The G-Rough in Rome (killer location, sweetest and most low-key staff, the perfect mix of modern furnishings and old world surfaces and light, guests with rock edge, a lobby bar frequented by cool people speaking all languages) and Bellevue Serene in Sorrento (the. view. OMG. but also: lovely attentive service, lobby drinks at virtually all hours, spa services I still dream about, a hotel cat, gorgeous nooks and crannies at every turn.)
What worked, the non-fashion part
having my husband plan it: allowed me to work up til the end and feel surprised and grateful, and he enjoys this part
mixing the “fancy” restaurants with the local unassuming ones (which I prefer) — my top restaurants of the trip: Piatto Romano (and surprisingly, purslane with anchovy vinaigrette is the dish I dream about); Trattoria Da Cesare; and L’Arca on the island of Ischia, Lo Scoglio (yes the one that makes Stanley Tucci fall in love with zucchini pasta on Searching for Italy) — more of the food deets + photos on hub insta, here.
food and neighborhood tours and guides all arranged by @casamiatours, including a tour of a family lemon grove where we added dinner in their amazing restaurant that night
the MAXXI museum in Rome, and more broadly, searching out the modernism I love vs. sticking to only classical things
even better, at the MAXXI I discovered Lina Malfona, a modernist Italian architect I loved and enlisted a taxi driver to take me in search of homes she designed and got a spontaneous private tour from the most generous woman; one of my favorite trip moments — I think the bigger thing here is to plan, yes, but also follow things that speak to you, and split up for the day when you each want to pursue something different
going in September. We timed it because we spend the summer in New England with family, but going later really helps with heat + crowds.
holding hands: maybe it sounds dumb but holding hands helped us walk at the same pace and feel good too
What worked, the fashion part
packing cubes … I don’t get the math of how they work and create more space, but they do and they’re a game changer so go with me here
Sticking to a palette. It’s a tip I got from Maria Gangemi, leader of M.Gemi and frequent traveler. I did neutrals plus neon accents and only needed one pair of sandals and one pair of dress shoes and one slide for the whole trip, one handbag.
my soft trusty Lemaire smushy jacket: you want a single breasted, unlined jacket that’s kind of floppy; this one is from @shopcastanet — I also have a Dries Van Noten men’s one (Be on the lookout. So great to comfortably smarten things up without feeling weird in a coastal town.)
Also — my Trinny-inspired Dries long jacket (this one; it’s gotta turn up somewhere). Thin enough to smush the sleeves up, a very useful day-to-night layer
Thin sweaters. It was colder than I imagined and I needed to use layers, taking things on and off. Thin sweaters are an Amy Smilovic-lesson, easy to put around your waist, chest (tie in front, under one arm), use as a scarf, etc.
My walking shoes stayed comfy and I didn’t regret skipping bulky sneakers. I think you want to walk on a trip not spend time in a gym, no?
My Tibi nylons (it’s how they reference their nylon pants) were heroes. Repelling rain, dressing up and down, making comfy hotel morning companions etc etc.
Socks: I’m used to socks now with flats and sandals, and it really helps with cold
Using half my suitcase — and the rest open for purchases
Taking my tote inside an extra, cheaper tote. So I had a tote to travel with but so many magazines I might have broken the handles. So I put just a cheap, open tote around it, which was great to use later at the airport when I thought I might have to show what I’d bought to customs (I didn’t)
Using a crossbody at the airport to make it easy to find passport etc. and then having that be my primary trip bag too
Dressing for mood: Yeah the neons were a bit repetitive but I had enough neutrals to toggle to all neutral looks when I wasn’t feeling a “brights mood”
And here is every outfit I made, start to finish.
“Opportunities,” the fashion part *ok let’s call them what they are, fails
I needed a few more warming me up things: socks, tights, a layerable long sleeve top and bottoms
A couple pieces got little wear because they got stained early on — I could have been smarter about choosing all darker bottoms
Surprisingly ran out of underwear and had to buy a Woolite product and wash. I think I always have so many extra pairs I underpacked them somehow. I also could have used more sleepwear. Cotton leggings pack so tiny and would have been great to sleep in.
I could have 2 dresses not 3, 1 bathing suit not two.
And about next time…
Since my husband loves the travel and I missed work at the end, we’re thinking about going for a month next time. That may sound counterintuitive but it would mean
more of those “everyday living” moments
renting and staying in a home
he could do lots of stuff and I could nest, work, start to have “my” coffee shop and other rituals
choosing a place with a synagogue and celebrating Jewish holidays abroad
more of those everyday simple meals and less of that “have to try every acclaimed place” stuff
But hopefully all of it without a bigger suitcase.