So. This was hard. Really hard. It’s still hard because just as much as I want some other items that I left at home, (i.e. perfume, Sperry shoes, long cotton blue and white dress, my straw beach hat,) I just as badly wish I had less to carry in my 80L backpack. It’s heavy! Just as the hotel front desk worker in India put it, “HOW do you CARRY that?!” I ask myself that everyday! haha Strong like bull.
So what made the cut:
- 3 pairs of shoes – 1 pair of sneakers, 1 pair of flip flops, 1 pair of cute sandals –flats of course – I call them my Jesus Sandals, some of you may remember these 😉
- 1 bathing suit
- 1 light jacket with removable hood (this has been clutch since we don’t have an umbrella)
- 1 long sleeved cotton t-shirt
- 1 pair of (skinny and stretchy) jeans and 1 pair of long, white cotton pants
- 2 pairs of Lululemon workout pants –1 capri type and 1 full length type
- 2 pairs of shorts–1 pair of Nike workout shorts and 1 pair of khaki type shorts
- 1 pair of light cotton pajama pants
- 2 pairs of bedtime/lounge around shorts
- 1 pair of khaki type capri pants (I wear these the most! wish I had another one!)
- 2 skirts — both cotton, 1 full length and 1 above the knee
- 1 beach cover up type dress
- 3 (cute) short sleeve t-shirts –not the kind that are big, baggy and only worn to sleep in
- about 7 or so tank tops, mostly wife-beater type
- 4 sports bras and 2 regular
- about 20 or so pairs of underwear (mine don’t take up much space so why skimp on that?)
- 6 pairs of socks
- 1 baseball hat (SF Giants)
- jewelry — 1 watch, 1 pair of earrings, 2 necklaces, 4 bracelets, and my FitBit (leaving out most of my jewelry was hard for me, but has given me an excuse to buy some along the way–hey, its a souvenir AND its something I can wear now!)
- 1 paperwhite Kindle (thanks Odios!)
- 1 iPod Nano and headphones, my iPhone, and 1 underwater, point-and-shoot camera (thanks dad!)
- 1 (infinity) scarf — doubles as a headscarf while visiting Mosques
- 1 makeup bag, 1 toiletries bag, and 1 medicine bag (I’m a nurse!)
What I’ve acquired along the way:
- 1 long sleeved flannel shirt
- 1 t-shirt from Istanbul that says “Hello Dear Ist” (Get it?! I love this! Sean said, “THAT’S what you bought?!” after I shopped in one store for about 1.5 hours, haha)
- 1 t-shirt that Turkish airlines gave me when they lost our bags (thanks guys!)
- 1 travel journal from New Zealand that says, “I haven’t been everywhere, but it’s on my list” on the front (Sean says, “Why don’t you just type it?!”)
- Christmas ornaments (or trinkets that we can transform into a Christmas ornament) from each country we visit, including from Saudi Arabia even though we never left the airport — but it’s my favorite one!
- 1 (engagement!) ring
- 1 makeshift burqa from India to wear while in Saudi airport for 4 hours
What I’ve ditched along the way:
- The makeshift burqa, cus let’s face it, it was cheap, ugly, and I was never gonna wear it again
- My Garmin, since it’s only capable of uploading U.S. maps on it (duh. Should have checked this before leaving the states. Wah-waaahhh).
I’ve done really well with the clothes that I have, and wish I had more if we go to a nice place, (like 1 time clubbing in Turkey, or a nice restaurant). In those instances I find myself wearing my “Donkey clothes” as I put it, but in reality, if I brought dressier stuff, I wouldn’t really wear them that much. Besides, I hate wearing heels anyway! 😛
Sean Shadmand 
