in the process of packing to leave st thomas, i realized just how badly i packed before moving. i normally pride myself in my pro packing abilities (since i move and travel so much), but this packjob is not one i'm proud of...
i moved down with only two suitcases and a backpack, so i tried really hard to pack smart. buuut i way overpacked. i overestimated the island's fashion scene (ha!), and i knew i'd be living there for a while so i wanted to have options. but that was pretty dumb of me.
last week i opened the cabinets i've had closed for months and found all the clothing i figured i'd somehow maybe need on an island--button down shirts, fancy pants, and way too many dressy dresses to count. oh and a heap of jewelry that i never touched.
it turns out, people living on islands don't give a shit what you wear. st thomas, in particular, is a tiny island with a huge boating community, a few dive bars, and one not-so-cool night club. folks in the islands practically live in bathing suits anyways, but when they DO wear clothes, they more or less wear whatever is practical.
no button down shirts, no high waisted shorts, hardly ever any dresses, and certainly NO heels. i only saw a handful of women wear heels on st thomas and i immediately knew they were a trying-too-hard tourist dressed for pictures.
i didn't bring heels to the caribbean, but i did bring a plethora of useless clothing. i want to learn from that experience and make sure to pack MUCH smarter when i travel abroad.
so for those of you traveling to an island in the near future, here are the basics--all you'll need to have a good time and not stick out like a sore thumb ;)
--a baseball cap to shade your face
--sunglasses, always.
--backpacks are a huge must. everyone wears one on the island, because it's not insanely easy to get around, so you want to have anything you might need on your back. and backpacks are much easier to carry than purses.
--a tiny wallet to fit in your tiny backpack. nothing too bulky that'll add to the weight. also, to always have cash on hand for cabs or safaris or splitting checks.
--a bathing suit, whether you work on the water or not. because you never know when you'll feel like jumping in!
--a waterproof watch. i needed one to time my snorkel tours, but i think they're pretty useful all around. and nixon watches are the prettiest.
--short shorts, because pants are dumb. even when we first moved to the island and the mosquitos thirsted for our new blood, pants were always just way too hot. plus, your legs have never been so tan. show them off ;)
--a good read, for the beach or the boat or the bar. and because "island time" is a real thing. you never know when you'll need to pass some time.
*friends who have traveled abroad a lot or friends who live in europe!! what would you recommend packing or leaving behind? i'll be repacking soon for europe and could really use your advice! :)
3 comments:
So much depends on what season you're going, how long you're going to be there and how much moving around you're doing. I lived in Spain for three months, traveled thru western Europe for another month and then came back to Eastern Europe for another eighteen months.
1. Europeans love their scarves! If you're going in fall/winter bring a few with you (but you will probably collect 25 more while there since they are so cheap!)
2. Definitely a fun dress, especially in the summer to help stay cool.
3. Non-jeans shorts/slacks. Europeans don't wear jeans nearly as much as Americans do. (But still bring a pair of jeans with you!)
4. 1 pair of high quality sandals and 1 pair of high quality comfy, cute flats. Most of what is awesome to do in Europe requires a lot of walking! You need good shoes that won't fall apart after just one week of heavy walking.
Honestly, if you like shopping, the fashion there IS so awesome that you will probably collect some pretty fab pieces while there and want to wear those all the time.
Oh and pack light!! When I spent a month just traveling to various countries I only packed one small backpack and a carry-on size suitcase. This made life so much easier navigating trains and budget airlines.
I don't know if European fashion is different from America, never been to States.
I would recommend to first check the temperatures during the season you travel by countries, if it's summer time you should take dresses, skirts and shorts and something to cover for evenings. We have in south of France a lot of tiny mosquitos at night time...
It gets warm and humid down here, I can't stand the summers at all. It's been colder here lately, still wearing wool cardigans and jeans. I must be differet european since jeans are my absolutely favorites!
For shoes it again depends of the places, in Avignon no one should wear heels since it's bebble stone streets everywhere and lacking walking streets in general (flats,sandals and sneakers!)
my essentials would consist of triple the stuff...americans lol
-s.
serioussarahblog
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