The looks on people’s faces when I told them I was traveling to Ukraine was about what you’d expect. So why was I going to a country in the midst of political upheaval? Well I had set a personal goal to travel internationally this year and my good friend and coworker Sara said, Well Hey my sister and brother-in-law are living in Kyiv this year, how about we go check out where they live and then hop around Europe? I of course said Hell Yes. So we bought airfare in to and out of Kyiv, and then figured we’d fill in the blanks. It wasn’t until the Friday before we left that we finally filled in those blanks: Athens, Santorini, and Belgrade! Which means lots and lots of flying. I coined this trip the “trip of many flights.”
All that flying convinced me that I needed to attempt to pack all my stuff in carry on baggage only, no checked bags! And much to my surprise, I pulled it off. It was sooooooooo nice that I might never check a bag again. It’s a new way of life ya’ll. Packing just a carry on roller bag and a backpack forced me to be choosy and purposeful in my packing which means I didn’t have anything go unused and much to my surprise I was able to bring everything that I needed:
Clothes: light jacket, hoodie, two jeans, two linen pants, dress, lots of socks & underwear, sneakers, sandals, flip flops, two swim suits, swim cover-up, pajama pants, two sleep shirts, shorts, scarf, yoga pants, lots of tops in a mix of sleeveless, short sleeve, and a light sweater.
The rest: passport, reservation papers, travel size toiletries, meds, makeup, face wipes, anti-bacterial gel, clippers, phone & charger, eye mask, book, umbrella, pens, crossbody bag, sunglasses, snacks, playing cards, and beach towel.
But before I could leave, I had to get Shelby to my parents, so I drove to Dauphin Island, Alabama the weekend prior to spend the night with the fam and leave Shelby behind. I drove back Monday and rushed to pack and get to bed.
Greece and More 2016 