The Evolution of Schtuff

I traveled internationally for 4 months wearing a 45 liter pack on my back and a smaller backpack in the front through 15 countries. I had to be prepared for all climates – the nauseating heat of summer in Australia, the bitter cold of dead winter in Poland and Germany and the downpours of spring in Italy. I sent my ex-boyfriend back from Italy with a few extra items in his luggage and shipped a small package from Madrid a month before returning. I had posted a list of what I carried when I departed in January so I figured it was only appropriate to show what I returned with. Items in red were lost, broken or sent back to the states. Items in green were purchased along the way.

in 45 liter pack:
-1 pair of stylish boots – these got tossed in late April into a trash can in Leiden, Holland after quite literally being worn until disintegration
-1 pair of sneakers
-1 pair of black sandals purchased in a size too small (apparently they don’t have big footed women in Western Europe) in Lisbon to wear to the Moulin Rouge
-1 pair of black flip flops – these were tossed in the beginning of my trip in Australia to save space knowing I was headed into the winter months of Germany and Poland
-2 dresses (1 casual & 1 fancy) – I ended up with a different formal dress purchased in Lisbon for the Moulin Rouge after sending my ‘fancy’ dress back with Jon
-1 thin, stylish hoodie
-1 nice, outerwear jacket – this jacket ended up not being warm enough nor as waterproof as I thought and was replaced with a purple Northface in Rome
-1 cute cardigan sweater
-1 fashion scarf
-1 pair of jeans these jeans grew too big and were sent back with Jon – I bought a new pair of denim and a grey pair of pants in Florence – a pair bought in Berlin was shipped back from Madrid
-1 pair of jeggings – sent back with Jon
-1 pair of shorts – sent back with Jon
-1 pair of capri pants – shipped back from Madrid
-1 pair of pajama pants purchased in Berlin
-1 Paddington Bear pajama set purchased in London
-1 fancy tank top – ruined during a laundry incident in Prague
-2 tanks tops / under shirts – shipped back from Madrid – replaced with 2 tank top bras from Lisbon
-1 long sleeve shirt – ruined in Prague – new one purchased in Lisbon
-2 blouses
-3 cotton blouses – 2 shirts ruined in Prague – replaced in Lisbon
-2 cotton t-shirts – 1 shirt ruined in Prague
-1 workout tank top
-1 sports bra
-1 tan bra
-1 bathing suit
-1 camping towel – sent back with Jon
-21 pairs of underwear – ended with 16 pairs of underwear
-14 pairs of socks
-1 reusable shopping bag for dirty laundry
-1 toiletry bag containing: deodorant, a razor with extra blades, shampoo, facewash, lotion, toothpaste, toothbrush, floss, QTips, tampons, nail file, prescribed anti-anxiety medication, comb, extra hair elastics, a headband, bobby pins, makeup and some jewelry
-1 blue hat haggled for in Rome – sent back with Jon
-2 pairs of earrings purchased in Seville
-1 bracelet gifted by a co-worker in Paris
-1 ring purchased in Florence
-1 trinket bracelet gifted to me in Galway
-1 new claddaugh ring purchased in Cork at Blarney Castle

in backpack:
-purse (containing ID, passport, hand sanitizer, sunglasses + wallet) – purse was destroyed – new one purchased in Seville – new sunglasses were also purchase in Florence and then again in London to replace lost pairs + 1 leather sunglass case purchased in Florence
-computer + charger for work
-iPad for work-phone + charger
-mobile phone charger purchased in Australia
-wall outlet adapter
-headphones
-sweet leather fanny pack – sent back with Jon
-leather journal – shipped back from Madrid
-hello / goodbye book for memories + notes from people I meet along my journey
-blank watercolor postcard – shipped back from Madrid
-watercolor travel kit – shipped back from Madrid
-1 reusable plastic water bottle – broke in Germany
-travel pillow purchased during layover in London on the way to Australia
-2 books from Amsterdam, 1 was purchased and 1 was gifted
-1 beautiful hand crocheted ping gifted to me in Germany – lost in Prague
– 1 book gifted to me in Poland  – sent back with Jon
-1 book gifted to me in Augsburg – re-gifted to a friend in Frankfurt
-1 small Astronomical table clock gifted to me in Prague – sent back with Jon
-artwork purchased on the streets of Prague and Venice – sent back with Jon
-stainless steel Italian espresso maker purchased in Venice – sent back with Jon
-personalized wax seal kit with gold wax given to me in Venice – sent back with Jon
-small trinkets and presents purchased through traveling (some stayed with me) – most sent back with Jon or shipped from Madrid
-4 chocolate bars purchased in Belgium
-37 pins purchased from each city visited in Australia and Europe
-1 of each coin in the 7 currencies I paid with
-1 CD purchased from a band playing in a park in Barcelona
-1 spoon – stolen in Germany – used to take selfies throughout Europe

Before
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After
packing after trip
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Confessions of an over packer

I tend to be an over packer. I like to bring every amenity I might like to use while traveling and an outfit for every occasion. I left San Francisco with a giant red suitcase almost at weight capacity, a stuffed 45 liter pack and a backpack. Determined to be able to truthfully state that I ‘backpacked through Europe’ I had to figure out a way to downsize my life and my work (mobile office) into 2 carry-ons. Oy! I began by placing everything I wanted to take on the bed and what I knew could be left behind in the red suitcase at my mom’s house. I painstakingly mulled over the pile a few times… making several passes at what was strewn before me… hmming and hawing then bringing in a good friend for a second opinion to really draw the line between was wanted and what was neededThe main criteria was for each item to have a multipurpose or be super necessary. I packed my life into my 45 liter pack from Costco and my work into a school size back pack. Surprisingly, only each pack is 1/2 full which leaves plenty of room for the trinkets and presents I’ll pick up along the way. Not bad at all for an over-packer (and over-thinker!)!

in 45 liter pack:
-1 pair of stylish boots (for daily wear)
-1 pair of sneakers (for exercise & walking around)
-1 pair of black flip flops (for dresses, warmer weather & showers)
-2 dresses (1 casual & 1 fancy)
-1 thin, stylish hoodie
-1 nice, outerwear jacket
-1 cute cardigan sweater
-1 fashion scarf
-1 pair of jeans
-1 pair of jeggings (for traveling + sleeping)
-1 pair of shorts (for hot weather or running)
-1 pair of capri pants (for running or sleeping)
-1 fancy tank top
-2 tanks tops / under shirts
-1 long sleeve shirt
-2 blouses (for evening)
-3 cotton blouses (for day)
-2 cotton t-shirts (for relaxing, sleeping or exercising)
-1 workout tank top
-1 sports bra
-1 tan bra
-1 bathing suit
-1 camping towel (for the beach and showering)
-21 pairs of underwear
-14 pairs of socks
-1 reusable shopping bag for dirty laundry
-1 toiletry bag containing: deodorant, a razor with extra blades, shampoo, facewash, lotion, toothpaste, toothbrush, floss, QTips, tampons, nail file, prescribed anti-anxiety medication, comb, extra hair elastics, a headbands, bobby pins, makeup and some jewelry

in backpack (also to use in smaller day trips while traveling):
-purse (containing ID, passport, hand sanitizer, sunglasses + wallet)
-computer + charger
-iPad
-phone + charger
-wall outlet adapter
-headphones
-sweet leather fanny pack (to make touring easier)
-leather journal
-hello / goodbye book for memories + notes from people I meet along my journey
-blank watercolor postcard
-watercolor travel kit
-1 reusable plastic water bottle

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Working in the future

Many people are curious as to how I can afford 6 months of traveling. The truth is… I can’t. BUT I am fortunate to work for a company that is ‘cloud based’, meaning I can technically work from anywhere so long as I have internet access. We have no central office, but the majority of my co-workers are based in the Bay Area. So, I will be working while I am traveling. Luckily, I am a bit of a work-a-holic and haven’t taken a full vacation in almost two years so I have about a month of time saved up. I will only be staying in hostels or places that have WiFi and will be taking long weekends or early days here and there (definitely planning to take a week off in Italy!). I had to create a REALLY thorough travel plan (a google doc actually, being the OCD Virgo that I am) detailing timezones and schedules to ensure I am as available as possible to my co-workers and clients in Pacific time. Even though Australia is almost a full day ahead, I’ll actually be able to work a somewhat normal schedule there (8am – 5pm). I had to take a vacation day on every Friday that I am ‘down under’ since Friday in California would actually be Saturday in Australia (and “I don’t roll on Shabbos!”). Europe will prove to be a bit more difficult as it’s 8-9 hours ahead depending on the country. This means I’ll need to work from 1pm to 10pm. On the bright side, I will have the morning free and I know most of the nightlife doesn’t begin until late anyway.

I’ll be honest, it’s a difficult mindset to be working in a separate timezone. Since December 7th, I’ve been working in the Eastern time and just the three hour difference has proven interesting! I’ve worked late nights before, but doing so on a consistent basis so that I am available in the Pacific work day is going to certainly require some shifting in my brain and routine. I’m grateful to have co-workers who have not only been supportive and encouraging but are also being flexible in their schedules so that I won’t have to attend any 4am conference calls!  It will probably be the craziest four months of my life (and most of the time I will probably forget where I am in time and space), but I already know it will be worth the hectic and sometimes maddening moments or exhausting days!

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Game on

My epic preparation to do list is complete! All of my ducks are in a row for my departure on January 27th and I’m ready to begin to the travel planning for Europe. Any and all recommendations or words of advice are welcome!

Travel tip for fellow work-cationers (those with mobile offices that are traveling): I also switched from Verizon to TMobile because they offer free data and texting while traveling internationally. Calling is free when connected to Wifi or $0.20 / minute otherwise. I am thrilled to have discovered this in my research as it will be great to keep my current phone number for work accessibility to my clients and co-workers.

It seems as if the stars just keep aligning on this journey! There are two weeks left before departure and I can breathe a bit knowing that I am as ready as I’ll ever be.

I am leaving my heart in San Francisco

Being the over-achieving OCD Virgo that I am, I naturally crossed off about 70% of my moving and traveling to do list within one week of being back from my SoCal trip. I have packed as much as I can possibly pack that’s not in use (mind you, we don’t move until the end of the month). I sat in my living room on Thursday night, surrounded by boxes and totes, and thought… a lot. I’ve been so excited about going traveling that I hadn’t realized that it meant leaving my life as it is now – a life that is full of love, fun and amazing people. I have been so wrapped up in the romance of my travels that I failed to realize that I was giving up the first apartment I have felt at home in, missing out on a life in San Francisco that I cherish each day and risking change (for better or worse) in my relationships as they are now. People have been saying how ‘brave’ I am for making this decision, but I have realized – it is not the going that is courageous, it is the leaving. It’s easier to make bold decisions when you are unhappy, like I did when I decided to leave Providence for San Francisco… but when you are happy with your life? Oh man… to leave it behind, even if it is to chase my dreams of traveling… Well, I am just beginning to realize how hard that really is. I suppose I should consider how blessed I am to have people who make saying ‘goodbye’ (or even ‘see you later’) so difficult. And while intellectually I know that if it is meant to be, I will find a way to reclaim my life in San Francisco, my heart can’t help but feel a bit torn (cue Tony Bennett’s I left my Heart in San Francisco). San Francisco, I leave you my heart… but I’m taking my curious nature, thirst for adventure and generous spirit with me.

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Preparing for 6 months of travel: the ever-growing to do list

I’m freakishly organized. As in, I actually enjoy making lists and creating organizational systems. Since the day I bought my tickets, I have been updating a list of all the things I need to do in temporarily wrapping up my life in San Francisco before embarking on this crazy journey. The list just keeps on growing… any volunteers to be my personal assistant for the next month?

-cancel gym membership
-email landlord with 30 days notice
-figure out what to do with my car
-have oil changed and scheduled maintenance done on car
-figure out where to forward my mail
-change mailing address in all accounts and make request to forward with USPS
-check up with doctor
-teeth cleaning
-see if health insurance covers my internationally
-cancel cell phone
-cancel Comcast & utilities
-purchase travel case for computer
-contact credit cards to alert them of travel
-purchase wall adapter for chargers
-find storage unit
-change renter’s insurance to cover storage unit instead of apartment
-schedule movers
-sell furniture and items I will not be packing
-research international calling plans
-review time zones and figure out work schedule
-plan awesomest going away party ever