When I first moved to Frankfurt, Germany, I wanted to see everything in Europe on a budget! The best way to travel is by train. There are the local trams, the Regional trains, and the ICE or Inter City Express high-speed trains. Each train has a very well-organized process and it helps to have it quickly explained. For instance, once you purchase your ICE ticket, how do you know where to get on the train to find your seat?
This short video below shows you how to quickly find out!
Managing time apart from my husband, partner, best-friend is work. Emotional work. Slogging through the day, remembering to build in those activities and behaviors that feed into a positive aloneness takes effort. I have to think about how I am taking care of myself. Hence the hashtag #hyggetaughtme, see Instagram for my attempts at self-hygge.
However, once the airline ticket is purchased, the emotional work seems to lighten! It’s easier, knowing that travel adventures are just around the corner! My best friend and hubby-boy is absolutely the best travel companion–he was a History major–and loves to do research. As we visit each place, he talks about historical events and figures, as well as cultural interests while I scout out local food, art, and museums. So, now to the style factor and…Let the packing anxiety/excitement begin! (Breathe in, breathe out!)
Let’s start with a list of activities in Frankfurt, Germany:
Walking on cobblestones
Having kaffee und kuchen with friends (everyday)
Shopping
Walking through the park, riding the U-bahn
Eating out in the evening
Palmengarten
Museum (Natural History, Modern Art)
Walking by the river
List activities in Johannesburg, South Africa:
Visit wild animal parks
Pet animals
Go to markets
Photograph everything
Find reasonably safe food to eat and still feel like we belong on the Food Network
Next list the weather:
Frankfurt in June = Seattle in June
Mild 74/54
Johannesburg in June/July
63/37
Now how to pack one suitcase for two cities for over one month…Hmmmm….first attempt. Here’s the bullet list:
African wax print skirt (authentic African Wax Print produced in Holland)
Yellow vintage polo
Yellow cardigan
Yellow/Gray/White/Black print knit skirt
Camouflage pants (doesn’t really camouflage hips like I hoped)
Cargo pocket pants (for animals to destroy)
Jeans
White cotton men’s s/s shirt
White rain shell
Charcoal wool sweater
Heather gray cotton v-neck sweater
Aviator jacket
Green felt hat
Rain coat, leopard print
Fishing vest
3 T-shirts
Chambray tunic/dress
Linen Blazer, cream, black trim
Cotton shawl
Lace scarf
Purple/Mauve/Pink Ikat Print (not authentic, I can assure you)
Being over 50 has some new guidelines for what is necessary to take on a long weekend for beauty & Rx medicine categories. Here is a bullet wardrobe reminder of what I “need” to be comfortable on a long weekend–that still comfortably fits into my one small suitcase. I rely on travel sized items, beauty samples, and premiums–those nice little extras that come with a cosmetic purchase. I also rely on my favorite brands and their special travel-sized, age/skin-type related items–I usually purchase some as I see the kits available, as well as ask for some as a gift idea every year! My go to is Clinique–the comfort of knowing how it smells (or doesn’t smell) as well as how my skin feels when I use it makes it part of my travel routine. You will see that I use many other brands for other “must-have” items, but I always come back to Clinique for the foundation of my skin care routine.
Here’s the bullet wardrobe reminder list:
Cleanser
Eye makeup remover
Toner
Serum (only the small format bottle, the larger serum stays at home)
Eye cream
Moisturizer
Moisturizer with Sunscreen for daytime
Sunscreen, sensitive skin
Eye primer (Urban Decay)
Concealer
Eye shadow set (usually just one, but sometimes two–I will use any brand with the right combination)
Eye liner
Eyebrow pencil (found a great version for salt and pepper haircolor–Bobby Brown!)
Urban Decay 24 hour makeup setting spray (only brand I use and it is a lifesaver, since I use layers of moisturizer around my eyes)
Mascara
Blush, cream stick in perfect neutral for me
Zambeezi lip Balm (favorite brand)
Lip color, gloss, stick in my wear everywear neutral (find your perfect neutral–don’t use someone else’s–because then it’s not perfect on You!)
Brushes, cotton balls, cotton swabs (Q-tips, because I wouldn’t know what a cotton swab was)
Extra washcloth or two (I can’t tell you how many times I wanted an extra washcloth and couldn’t seem to get one from housekeeping at midnight, or in a pensione sometimes they are really rough)
Hairspray (I only like Dove right now)
Small travel size shampoo & conditioner (just in case they provide a pump of all-in-one gel in the shower)
Spare bobby pins, hair comb (just in case need to put hair up and look a little more “evening”)
Aloe Vera gel, with lidocaine (good for more than the occasional sunburn!)
Disposable wipes for whatever needs wiping (door knobs, toilet seats, hands) or many times, if I don’t need the antiseptic element, I use wet paper towels in a zip lock bag–better for the environment, your health, etc.
Black Electrical Tape– This is my best secret essential! For people with light sensitivity–inevitably, I am kept awake by the blinking smoke detector light positioned right over “my side” of the bed, or other LED lights that unfortunately, cause migraines
It all fits nice and neat in the usual bags. This is not for carry on bags! We have been traveling by train and car to our destinations, and I have had to check my bag when I fly, due to the small size of the airplanes. So there has been little to no need to do the extra work of a carry-on plan here in Europe. I will do a break down and show a carry-on Beauty & Rx in a later blog post.