“If adventures do not befall a lady in her own village, she must seek them abroad” -Jane Austen
Travel will always be a part of my lifestyle, whether by plane, train or automobile, I love to travel to destinations anywhere from close to home to across the ocean. Travel provides a way for us experience new things, to see beautiful places, to try local and interesting cuisine, and it provides inspiration to bring back home into our daily lives in a way that no experience does.
By the time you read this I will be in Charleston, SC enjoying the beautiful sites of a historic town rich in charm and history (as well as their world-renowned culinary scene). But no matter where I travel in the world, I find that I have five favorite travel essentials that I pack with me every time. While there are some things that change depending on the location such as outfits, shoes, beauty products, etc., these five essentials are a constant when I am packing up to visit a new destination.
easy slip-on black flats
While I am very mindful about what shoes to pack when I am traveling, I find that a pair of easy slip-on black flats always makes the list and is a part of my travel essentials. In the past I have purchased a pair from DSW which were the Katie & Kelly, Jayden black flats which are very similar to Rothy’s, but I think they discontinued them so after this pair is ready to be replaced I will transition to the Rothy’s brand of black flats. What I love about these is that they breathe well and are very comfortable to walk in as well as they go with nearly any outfit. A pair of black flats is a must-have for any travel.
j crew cashmere wrap
I bought this J. Crew cashmere-wool wrap in 2023 before flying to London. I bought it for the purpose of having an elegant piece to fly with to use as an extra layer of warmth as well as a cover to tuck into for international flights, but I have found that I use it so much more while traveling than just for flights. While I do pack this and use it for flying still, I find that I will also wear it as a light coverup for the evenings, or to a nice dinner, while walking around, just about anywhere. This piece was by far worth the investment and I highly recommend it if you too like to travel and are looking for a light piece to wear in cooler weather that is not as bulky as a coat.
headphones
I basically have two types of headphones, I have my air pods which are small and fit easily in my purse, and I also have my Sony noise cancelling headphones. Whenever I am utilizing air travel, I will pack both as I use my noise canceling headphones for when I am in the airport lounge as well as on the plane. Flying has become a whole different experience due to using the noise cancelling headphones. I am no longer inundated with the loud sounds of crowds or the loud humming of the plane. Now I can put on my headphones with some calming music and enjoy the experience more. The air pods are nice to have as a quick way to enjoy music anywhere like while in the hotel room, while shopping, sitting in a cafe or a park. Their compact size makes it easy to pack them along for any trip.
caudalie face cream
I love using the Caudalie cashmere face cream and I find that even while traveling I do not want to substitute it for another face cream. I appreciate the high quality of this face cream that applies so silky smooth onto my skin as well as the delicate scent of the cream. While they do not sale this particular cream in a travel size, I have been lucky to select a travel size as a sample gift with purchase and even when I use up the sample, I simply clean the mini jar and refill for the next trip.
a small cross body bag
While I own and use a few different bags in my everyday life, I have one bag in particular that I use specifically for travel. It’s a small brown leather bag that I purchased from Anthropologie back in 2018 when I bought it on a good sale. It’s very lightweight and has more space than it looks on the outside. This small bag is a travel essential for walking around because it is so light and easy to carry. It can easily hold my phone, air pods, card case, and sunglasses and even my husband’s sunglasses too. When traveling I want to be out exploring the city that I am in, so a heavy or bulky bag would not be ideal for walking around for hours. Something small, neutral and stylish was what I was looking for and found in this round cross body bag that has become one of my travel essentials.
I used to buy Rothys, but have become Vivaia convert. Like Rothys, they are very comfortable, and a lot of them can be machine washed, which I really appreciate. Not affiliated with them in any way, just wanted to share!!
Thank you for sharing Sarah 🙂 I’ll look into Vivaia too. You can never have too many good recommendations!