I went to NYC earlier this month and tried to pack like a minimalist. I knew that I would be buying a lot on my trip and didn’t want to pay extra for baggage, in the case that I brought home an extra bag. A girl has got to plan, you know.
But even with my desire to pack very little, there are a few things that, when travelling, are necessary to bring along. These are things that, when I forget them, I definitely regret it. I’ve learned the hard way to never forget the following things:
Face Cream
Even the most progressive, boutique-esque hotels rarely have facial moisturizer stocked in the room, and they rarely have it behind the counter, either.
The times that I’ve forgotten face cream are the times that my skin looks and feels like crap by the time I get back from my trip.
Conditioner
I don’t know what it is about hotels and their love of horrible hair conditioner, but for some reason, they stock the worst conditioner of all time. If they even provide it. If you are not staying in an upscale hotel, you are unlikely to even get conditioner; it’s usually “conditioning shampoo”, which in reality conditions your hair to look like a frizz ball instead of making it look semi-normal.
Don’t forget your conditioner. Your hair will not react well if you do.
Bringing conditioner is especially important if you are going to a climate that you are not used to. The one time the hotel provided conditioner that I went to was in Mexico. They have Biosilk so I didn’t really use the conditioner I brought because it was so nice. But that was a five star hotel. So traveller beware.
Razor
You may not think you’ll have to shave your legs on your trip, but Murphy’s law – if you forget it, you will.
Hotels typically will provide razors to guests that forget them, but they are usually the worst possible razors. They are cheap and harmful to your skin.
You don’t want to go exploring with your legs looking and feeling like they’ve been through the Texas chainsaw massacre, so bring your own razor.
What are a few things that you’ve forgot before when travelling?
Such good points. I would add to the list a good facial cleanser. I’ve found myself stuck at hotels without one and having to use the ultra-drying bar soap! Great blog by the way.