Earlier in the year, I decided to take advantage of the May bank holiday andtravellingling for a few weeks. My parents bought me an Interrail pass for my 25th birthday, and I spent my lunch breaks pouring over maps of Europe trying to plan out my route.
Inevitably, my plans changed and I decided that I wasn't enjoying my job and instead wanted to travel for a lot longer. Leaving at the end of my 3-month probationary period, I packed up my desk on the 13th and was on a plane to Berlin in less than 24 hours.
When planning my trip, I spend an obscene amount of time glued to YouTube, researching packing videos from channels such as Hey Nadine, One Girl One Suitcase and the vagabrothers trying to decide what I needed to bring with me, whilst wondering how on earth I would be able to carry my life around on my back for the next 4 weeks without causing irreparable damage to my already questionable spine.
What I didn't realise at the time was that I wasn't packing for my own needs, but instead those of the people I watched online. Whilst I thought I needed to go out and by a pashmina specifically to use as a towel/sarong (despite having no plans to step foot anywhere near a beach) what I really needed were things to enable me to enjoy my trip, without wanting for anything whilst I travelled around. I wasn't packing what I needed, I was packing what they needed, which ended up being a total waste.
Throughout my trip, the amount I travelled around with decreased dramatically. Here are a few packing tips and tricks I picked up as I went along.
Shoes, shoes, shoes
Whilst I love me a 6-inch heel, I'd already ascertained that I'd have absolutely no need for a stiletto whilst backpacking. I rarely go out nights out and have a tendency to end up in agonising pain the morning after a night of dancing and drinking.
Scoliosis, hypermobility, sciatica and heels do not mix.
What I didn't realise that I'd hardly need any spare shoes at all. I started off with around 5 pairs, and this quickly decreased to 3 (including a pair of my trusty Primark flip-flops). Shoes are heavy, bulky and can take up far to much room in a backpack. If you're happy to wander around in one or two comfortable pairs then I highly recommend not taking any more. It hurt having to let my favourite boots and flats go, but it was nothing compared to the benefit I felt lightening my bulging bag.
Makeup
Since learning to accept my scarred, lumpy and acne prone skin, I've dramatically decreased the amount of make up I wear and own. I used to spend millennia in front of my mirror trying to conceal my pockmarks and dark circles, but at 25 years old I've finally come to terms with the fact that my skin isn't changing anytime soon.
Because of this, the amount of makeup I took on my trip was already pretty small. Nothing overly adventurous, just a few bits to brighten myself up if I ever fancied it. I'm hardly a Maybelline rep after all.
During the course of my trip, however, my attitudes towards my skin changed even more.
I realised that, instead of increasing my confidence, slathering my face in an array of chemical concoctions each day only served to make me feel worse. Everything I drank would end up covered in lipstick, forcing me to check my appearance every 30 seconds to check I hadn't turned into the clown from American Horror Story: Freak Show. I'd end the day with charcoal dark smudges circling my pupils, and anything I applied to the rest of my face completely dissappeared by lunch. I was wasting my time.
Makeup was another thing I ditched from my pack, leaving it in hostels with a friendly 'free to a good home' label stuck on the front. Another tiny bit of weight taken from my bag, and a little treat for someone else.
Want verses. need.
Whilst I found myself travelling around with a load of crap I didn't need, I also ended up missing a few things as well.
Early on I decided not to take my geriatric laptop away with me. It's being held together my prayer and wishful thinking at this point, loads slower than a 7am Monday morning Starbucks queue and ways 5lbs. I didn't want to risk losing it, and I knew it would hurt to carry around.
In the end, regular access to a computer was what I ended up missing the most. I find it very difficult to type on my iPad and therfore my plans to document my travels on my blog fell by the wayside. When packing your bags for travel it's important to include not only the things that you need, but a few things that you want as well.
xXx
Interrail and Eurail passes (for non-EU citizens) can be purchased from www.interail.eu and www.eurail.com. Prices start at 38 GBP for a one country pass and 180 GBH for a global pass.
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