Anticipation (and Shopping) is Half the Fun

Many women I know would go shopping for new clothes and shoes for a big holiday. I go shopping for gadgets and accessories! Planning international travel for the first time, right around Black Friday sales, what more motivation do I need!

New luggage - my set of suitcases was bought for me when I was 14. It's still in good shape, but they are from and era before wheels and handles. We decided to pack only carry-on because we will be moving cities every 3-4 days. Between multiple planes and trains, I don't want a bunch of unwieldy baggage to tote through airports and train stations. I also needed a personal item bag. With the allowable dimensions being 13x16x6 inches, we didn't own an appropriate sized bag.

Security purse, backpack, collapsible water bottle, air pressure ear plugs,
regular ear plugs, sleep mask and sanity saving notebook

Sleep Aids - We have some long flights and train journeys. Some are overnight. Plus, we are sharing close quarters for 3 weeks. Noise cancelling ear plugs and sleep masks will hopefully ensure we arrive bright eyed & bushy tailed, and maintain our friendship! Janis found earplugs for us that are supposed to help with air pressure changes. I will let you know if they work,

Italian plug adapter and universal (almost!) plug adapter

Power Adapters - It seems like no two countries have the same shape outlet. I found a universal block that has most types, except Italian. I also invested in a mini travel flat iron that can be plugged into 110 or 220 power outlets.

Coat - When packing light, every choice matters. I invested in a windbreaker/rain coat with a hood that will fit over my favourite hoodie. It's long enough to protect me from a wet seat and, when layered together, passed the weather test at -15 C. It folds up into a nice little pouch like a windbreaker should. 

My camera bag holds all my camera gear, power adapters, charging cords, and the Trolls. It fits like a glove in the bottom of my backpack, with room for my security purse on top. A security purse has several features to foil snatchers and pickpockets. Cables in the strap and mesh in the lining to prevent knives from slashing it. The zippers clip closed and you can buckle it to your chair. It also prevents scanners from stealing your card information. I also have a passport holder to wear around my neck, under my sweater.

The backpack also holds my borrowed tablet (thanks Della!) for blogging, the all-important purple notebook and all my other bits and pieces.

I've been working on this camera strap since Christmas. I wanted a strap long enough to carry my camera across my body. I find that it gets heavy carrying it around my neck. For those of you who are interested, it was made on an inkle loom and the method is called tablet weaving. This pattern was based on a piece worn by Roger II of Sicily from the 12th Century. It seemed appropriate for a trip to Italy!

Even with all my research and list making, I still have some paranoia about things going wrong. I've double checked my passport three times to make sure it's not expired. Yesterday, the first thing I did when I woke up was to re-measure my carry-on suitcase to make sure it fits the regulations. I also double checked that it really is safe to charge my phone with just the plug adapter.