I decided, being a free person who works with no specific schedule, to fly out to see my family this spring in Europe. Of course, when you are the child of immigrants going “back home” you tend to get gentle nudges asking you to take things as gifts, to make life easier for the fam you left behind. That’s all well and good, but sometimes that means fighting for luggage space.
I found myself feuding with my mom over her allotted extra bag. Here I was so gracious and generous with my muscles and patience to take one extra bag besides the checked bag you are allowed on most flights. My mom decided that was an invitation not only to get all the things she bought with the intention of packing it away in a box to be shipped when someone in the community would offer to split the cost of a barge, but also to go out a sale hunt.
She went to outlets and seasonal sales for clothes. She made lists and went to the Costco for candy (I’m still surprised the big bag of M&M’s she bought remained untouched before I made it off the tarmac.) Finally, she laid out the bag I was to carry and immediately filled it with goodies to spare.
But it’s such a nice gesture, Jessica! Why are you so selfish!?
I'm selfish because you’re only allowed a certain number of kilos and a certain number of bags on any given flight. Well, unless you’re the owner of a private jet, or if you’re really good friends with one.
Several guilt trips and some cancelled plans later and there I was, rolling, tucking and editing the goodies until we did the cliché sitting on the bag to fasten it shut. In Three days I was hauling three pieces of luggage (one carry on) towards a check-in desk.
CARRY-ONS
Now you’re going to want to really think and plan out what you’re taking with you in your carry-on. This space can hold the comforts of your cosiest dream. If you’re a minimalist/efficient packer, you might just have managed to fit a month’s worth of outfits and toiletries into your carry on. Good for you, especially on the toiletries! Everyone else is jealous of your skills and lifestyle.
Okay, so if you are packing most of your stuff into the checked baggage, make sure you consider packing enough to last you a week in case the worst happens, and the airline misplaces your bags. That way, you’re not stuck in the same underwear you travelled in, besides it might just be more comfortable to change undies while travelling on a long haul flight with a layover or two. Just tuck your uh… seasoned pair into a zip lock baggie or if you don’t give a fuck just wash ‘em in the sink and hope it dries fast.
I also like to pack all my electronics in one bag for ease of travel, also these items are expensive and should be easy to keep track of. I also throw in a facemask to put on if the mood strikes (you know the paper ones from Sephora) and a makeup wipe for the sweat and oil, I typically steer away from makeup on travel days. Who wants to deal with mascara crumbling down around your eyes? I also keep waterless toothbrushes (Crest makes a great little pack of four with toothpicks at the bottom.) Great for touch down, so your family isn’t grossed out by your breath when you hug them, or whatever.
I also keep a sleep mask, headphones and an aspirin or two in case a headache strikes. It’s instant privacy and instant access if you keep them all in a makeup bag on their own. It goes without saying that you need to carry your passport with you, so I keep that too, with my wallet in their own bag so I can easily see it and grab it.
What people don’t always tell you is to pack your jewellery with you. If you’re travelling with real jewels and precious metals (sentimental pieces included), you should always keep them with you. Like I said before, you never know if you’re going to find that your bags never even touched that luggage claim carousel. But by all means, pack those Forever 21 statement necklaces away in your checked baggage, you know they’ll have a cuter one in another colour in a month anyway.
CHECKED BAGGAGE
If I weren't doing the aforementioned extra bag of gifts, I’d probably take one checked bag filled with shoes and purses and it would probably be packed rather loosely since my bag is pretty big anyway. So you can never go wrong with socks and underwear, go ahead and pack several, tuck ‘em in your shoes and purses to save their shape.
Makeup, to some it’s armour but all makeup users know if you drop it just so and that pan is done. Always pack for what you would do on an average day. Fuck it; we’re creatures of habits. Do you wear falsies? Pack your trays. Do you wear a full contour that needs your beauty blender? Pack it up, bb. Etc. Just make sure they go in a sturdy bag that will keep your beauty safe and your other items safe from your cosmetics.
If you can’t help but pack a lot of things then by all means pack as much as you can with whatever space you have and keep your weight under the restrictions or else you’re going to be paying extra charges.
You can also organise yourself with packing cubes, tuck an outfit in or categorise items in the boxes. I prefer to use the rolling method. There are several videos on efficiently folding up and packing your stuff. I’ll let you look those up yourself. Oh also a note, you can’t roll everything, thick fabrics and blazers shouldn’t be rolled, instead, flip one sleeve into the other, pull through so it looks like you’ve fold it in half. Fold the halved blazer once again at the waist and lay as flat as you can.
Safe and happy travels! Thanks for visiting.
