i. past

i've been using this plum-colored rollerbag with a cracked wheel as my carry-on suitcase for 15+ years. i bought it for myself at ROSS back in florida, with the money i made selling a complete luggage set (floral, beige and mauve--beauve? mauge?) that had been a graduation present (was it high school? or college?) from my grandparents. i could re-remember the gift as giving me as keys to freedom or to embrace wanderlust; i could re-remember it as being something i asked for. more likely, it was a practical gift, like all of ours were. when you grow up lower-middle class, everything you purchase or receive must serve a purpose.

luggage was a strange choice, considering the only traveling my family did was together in a mini-van, sleeping at rest stops or alternating drivers until arriving at a relative's. i would be the first to travel extensively; the first to travel out of the country (not counting a grandfather who was in WWII). my mother has flown on only one occasion: her honeymoon. elvis presley died the same day as one of her flights.

in the end, i sold the luggage my grandparents bought me because i was at an ungrateful and insecure age. i was mortified by this garish floral tapestry that was entirely too feminine for how i was presenting at that time. mortified, mind you, and also too poor to be traveling anywhere i couldn't drive to (sidenote: remember when gasoline was 89 cents/gallon?). but tinyrhienna did alright in picking one sturdy suitcase instead of a whole set. it probably cost me $49; that's $3.20/year and still kicking.

i boarded my first flight at age 20. i didn't leave the USA until i was 27. fast forward 12 years and i've visited 19 countries in the last 15 months.

prior to this past spring, i've hardly ever checked baggage. i'm a super low-key and minimalist traveler, so i pack light. mostly, i don't like the added time of checking in, dropping bags, and waiting at baggage claim. i'm also really cheap, rarely even purchasing in flight entertainment or snacks, because I Brought Plenty In My Bag, Thank You.

ii. present

i just began packing bags for three different occasions. first, my steady rollerbag for an upcoming week in lisbon, portugal. then: a small totebag full of the clean clothes i'll swap out the night we get back, since we turn around the next morning and fly to portoroz, slovenia. the third bag remains a work in progress--things i want to bring back on my AMS>SEA>PDX journey in june.

getting ready for a trip is, for me, a bit of a ritual. i do it in stages, to make sure i don't forget daily necessities, which i often remember by going about my day. i make small piles, then merge piles, then roll clothing up and strategically start packing soft tetris. regardless of the length of my trip or the climate, i'm usually able to fit everything into 1 (carry-on sized) suitcase + 1 personal bag.

this past year i've gotten Really Good at packing. i've distilled traveling to a science that works for me and all the varied places i've found myself going. i made these little zine illustrations a couple months ago, but i figured that what i really needed to do is get it down in list form.

so it goes.

Rhienna's Distilled Travel Essentials

• i bring a ziplock full of tea every time i travel. mostly, i bring an assortment of breakfast/black teas with a few various caffeine-free herbal teas. i do this mostly to save money on beverages (i am drinking something, if not multiple things, constantly), but also to not have to rely on hotel or airbnb amenities to have something i like. with 80% of my caffeine needs addressed, i'm then free to splurge on diet cokes, occasional espressos, and alcohol.

• i always pack an empty ziplock. it comes in handy often.

• water bottle. i travel religiously with one of my sundance™ nalgene™ bottles dangling via caribeener. i arrive at the airport with it empty, and fill it after security. it holds 1.5 liters, which is a perfect amount of water for a travel day. 1.5L is also most of a bottle of wine (don't ask me how i know).

• i still carry an ipod; how Gen X-y of me. but here me out. my preference is having music that comes from an offline source--on a stand-alone device. for starters, i don't want notifications to intercept my experience as a traveler (they do so enough). secondly, it means my smartphone is out of view, which improves my safety. finally, using an ipod means less smartphone battery drainage. when you're traveling, taking videos, and walking for hours on end, every % counts. personally, i prefer to have the music playing freely (my preference is listening on shuffle, though i make themed playlists too) and only pull out my phone when i need directions or an address or for taking photos.

• wetnaps. these were everywhere in asia, and i pocketed a few extras from places where i'd already washed my hands. now i travel with a couple in my bag at all times and, while it's notthegreatest in terms of environmental impact, it definitely helps feel less germ-y and weird about all the places your hands go while traveling.

• snacks. i bring food with me everywhere. long travel days can be the worst, especially if you have dietary restrictions. i basically trust no one; i always have at least the day's worth of snacks in case i'm stuck without a veg option or am just really hungry. since grocery shopping is a huge tenant of travel, i usually have plenty of snacks to bring with me on multi-city itineraries, but i won't leave home without a few things to nibble on basically ever.

• because i have a few medical issues, including allergies, asthma, and a compromised immune system, i always travel with a small arsenal of medications. most of these are daily meds and supplements, some are preventative, and a few are "in case of emergency." a few learnings: first, always bring more than you need; you never know when your trip will extend, or a container gets spilled. second, pharmacies worldwide vary greatly from in the US (from separate stores to costs to limited business hours), saying nothing of the language barrier. i have spent a few international trips very ill, and as a result now travel with 3 things: dayquil/nyquil tablets, cranberry pills, and extra-strength ibuprofen. also, fun fact, america does cold/flu medication better than anywhere in the world. next time you're at the pharmacy, just roll your pretty little eyes over Alka-Selzer Cold & Flu, Vicks ZZZQuil, and the like.

• never just bring one pair of shoes on a trip of any kind (not even an overnight). i usually travel with two+ pairs of shoes, both that are versatile for activity, weather, and outfit coordination. personally, i don't bring heels at all anymore, because the chance is high they'll fuck my feet up and limit my ability to sightsee. good footwear is basically the make-or-break foundation for travel.

• i'm a sucker for analog media when i'm traveling, especially for those little minutes in between (taxi'ing to the gate, or waiting to board are good examples). i tend to get severe motion sickness on buses and in cars, but reading books on trains and planes seems to be alright. always pack at least one thing to read in print. bonus if it's a sorta trashy paperback you can leave in a tiny library or at an airbnb after you finish it.

• a sketchpad. i'm not regular about this, but when i do remember, i always end up doodling.

• a scarf. i bring these even in summer, and anytime i forget one i regret it. a scarf can be a pillow, a makeshift hat or shawl (#summergoth), or a way to tie loose items together. i have two super-soft lightweight scarves that i've had forever that are perfect for this.

• a bandana. same as above, only smaller. i sometimes use a bandana to port all my jewelry instead of letting things get lost in the bottom of a bag. i also have a lot of respiratory issues, so a bandana can often be the difference between me being able to leave the hotel on bad air quality days.

• a cloth tote (or two). i use these constantly for all the little errands--grocery runs, especially--and will often use it to pack up snacks together in a bigger bag for a long, active day. i have a couple that i like a lot and will sometimes authentically "expand out" if needed on the return flight. (one of these ends up being my day bag when i don't feel like carrying a backpack).

--

i know there's this Thing on social media where people write a caption that has sort of a false, trite CTA like "what inspires YOU?" and like, mostly that's barf when you're talking to 1.4 million followers. the thing is, this tinyletter list is smol and i really like you all and am authentically curious what's on your travel essential lists, especially to hear about things maybe i haven't considered or have a trashy workaround for (see nalgene-full-of-wine). so tell me: what do you always bring with you when you travel? what's tried-and-true? and of course, where are you off to next?

xoxo,
rhienna