China, Vietnam: Springtime
Tops
I wore a 2016 blue/green and a grey version of the Lululemon Swiftly Relaxed T nearly the entire time we were visiting. It was perfect for handling the heat and also not looking too athleisure-like. I also packed a previous season’s version of this striped J.Crew shirt in black-and-white, which was able to be dressed up for nicer activities.
Shoes
I had a pair of black Tory Burch flats I knew were on their last leg, so I brought those for nicer museums and dinners. I wouldn’t recommend bringing a brand new pair as they’ll get quite dirty in the streets. I also wore the hell out of these Nisolo sandals and still have them today. These J.Crew wedges SAVED ME during this trip, and throughout grad school. I’m pretty sure I could run a 5k in them, they’re that comfortable.
Bottoms
I packed a lot of leggings, and while I wore quite a few while going on runs or walking around in China, Vietnam was way too hot for these, so I mostly opted for the skirts/dresses. I wore these Paige black Skyline jeans quite a bit during our time in China. They look more like slacks then jeans but kept me cool in the heat.
Extras
Because I was traveling for longer than 10-days, I brought liquid Tide detergent packets and washed my work-out clothes in the hotel bathtub. Having your items laundered at the hotel is a (very expensive) option. I also made sure to have color copies of my passport in the hotel safe and with me at all times.
Apps
Download a VPN to your phone BEFORE you go to Asia, especially China. I use ExpressVPN. Pocket Earth, What’s App and We Chat are also helpful.
Dresses/Skirts
I had an older version of a t-shirt dress from Lululemon, made with sweat wicking fabric, pockets, and a back vent. It was a life saver. For something nicer, I wore this James Perse cotton dress and skirt. They aren’t currently available except for on Poshmark. The fabric was perfect for keeping me cool, and easy to wash in the hotel room. I got a lot of wear out of this Calvin Klein sheath dress with a cardigan. It looks nice, but it simple and hides dirt.
Denmark, Germany, Sweden: Fall
My two-week trip to Europe took place near the end of September, beginning of October. I was able to fit all my needs into a carry-on (I have this one in the dark green, so I can always spot it in a sea of black luggage) with only one laundry day throughout the travels.
NOTE: The liquids rules in Europe are a little different than they are in the US. All of your liquids must fit into a rectangular zip lock back they have at the airport if you are carrying-on the plane. I think it’s always nice to have the option to check your bag or carry on when traveling, so you’re not constantly at the mercy of the baggage claim. I generally start with the carry-on, and then check my bag on the final flight home.
For Flying: I have a rule to never (ever) eat on board an airplane, no matter the length of the flight. For me, this has a 100% success rate for avoiding tummy issues when flying. For longer flights, I may bring herbal tea to sip on, and every once in awhile some melatonin to get me on the sleeping schedule of my destination, but I don’t use melatonin often. As a rule, I always set my watch/phone to the time zone I’ll be arriving in when I get on the plane and use the length of the flight to acclimate to that schedule. If it’s 2pm Central Time, but 2am at my destination, that’s a good time for melatonin and I’ll try to go right to sleep as soon as I’m on the plane. Then I wake up at 7am local time and read or watch a movie instead of continuing to sleep. I usually spend the first day upon arrival walking around and tiring myself out, so I can go right to sleep at the normal time and be set up for success the rest of the visit.
Tops
Layering was key here, as it usually is when traveling. I mostly wore a lot of James Perse t-shirts, a Madewell chambray button up, and a nicer but sweat wicking Lululemon tank top underneath.
Outerwear
I wear my moto jacket all the time when traveling. It’s great to dress up leggings/skinny black jeans + a t shirt and scarf, or to add to a dress when going to dinner. Also love the mia melon rain jacket when only packing a carry-on, because it’s more of a trench coat when you need it to be, but a nice walking around/casual jacket as well. For a pricer version, I’ve upgraded to the Mackage Katie 3-in-1 jacket, which I love for it’s warmth, versatility and weather proof attributes. If you have space, the Patagonia Nano Puffer is always nice to have. I buy most of my clothes in black so I can mix and match and not worry about repeating things, so all of the above I own in black.
Bottoms
I wore a mixture of distressed black skinny jeans, dark denim skinny jeans and spanx faux leather leggings and Lululemon Wunder Under 7/8ths crops.
Accessories
I never fly without my vinyasa scarf. It functions as a blanket, neck pillow and eye-mask when necessary, and doesn’t take up space other times since you can wear it as was intended, as a scarf. This is important to have when going to more religious areas or in case a museum or restaurant ends up being cold. I’ve learned you can never have too many socks or undies, and always bring a bathing suit! I wore this Lauren Ralph Lauren crossbody bag from TJ Maxx everywhere I traveled between 2016-2018 until the strap finally broke during Oktoberfest (I was climbing underneath a table in a hurry, it wasn’t a quality issue ;-) ) but would buy it again in a heartbeat. Also, a bit pricier, but this M2Malletier Annabelle bag (in black) has been a life saver when traveling!
Shoes
I love these nicer tennis shoes in black for walking around the city and not feeling like a slob. Don’t wear bright white sneakers when you travel unless you want to stand out as a tourist. These are also versatile and able to be dressed up or down.
Misc.
Make sure you pack a power converter, I used this one. I also made sure to bring along copies of my passport and downloaded maps of the city with saved spots you’d like to go while you’re on WiFi. Also, download the times places may close and purchase tickets ahead of time if you can. I usually pack travel/sample sized toiletries instead of bringing the full-sized item.