Prepping and Packing For My First Cruise

I have been lucky enough to travel the world and see some pretty amazing sites, but never form the deck of a cruise ship! This weekend I am so excited to be headed to the Bahamas with my sisters and best friend! All that's left to do is pack!

I may or may not be stalling just a little by writing this blog post, but I'm mostly packed anyway - here's what I'm bringing!

Clothing - I'm bringing a combination of sun dresses, bikinis and comfy clothes! I'll be sporting my usual airport attire - yoga pants and a hoodie (which can double as workout clothes). Then the rest of the time I plan to be in a bikini or a fun, bright and colorful dress. I'll probably also throw in one or two nicer dress to wear if we decide to go to a fancy dinner or clubbing while on board. That's the fun part about cruises! You get to spend your time being super comfortable and relaxing by the pool. My kind of attire.

Shoes - I'm only bringing 3 pairs of shoes - sandals, flip flops and running shoes. Keeping it simple so I can fit everything in a carry-on.

Toiletries - I'll be bringing the my usual line-up. Plenty of mini products and of course, my trusty shampoo bar. I absolutely love my lush shampoo bar for travel because a) they work great b) it's one less liquid I have to bring!

Accessories - I'll be rocking some top-notch Target sunglasses and floppy hat. Total I think I spent like $15 on the pair so if I lose one or both, no big deal! Other than that, I'll be keeping things pretty simple - my usual stud earrings, my class ring and of course, my engagement ring!  I might throw in a baseball hat in case it gets windy and my sunhat isn't cutting it.

Extras - I'm bringing ALL the sunscreen! AKA my giant bottle of SPF 70. My entire goal is to just not come home burnt to a crisp. Other than that, I've made sure to bring all of my chargers, my kindle, plenty of books, my camera, my GoPro, my boarding documents and most importantly my passport!! 

I'm so excited for this trip! It's a new experience for me - I'm letting someone else plan for once! Ordinarily, I'm the one who coordinates everything, and I'd love to help you out on your next trip. Check out my travel company at MilesIntoMemoriesTravel.com.

My Favorite Hostel in Florence

I've stayed in hostels all over the world, but the one that sticks out the most is the Hostel David Inn Florence in Florence, Italy. Florence itself was beautiful and my experience was made even better by staying at this particular hostel. Nadia greeted me by name with cookies at the ready. She was very welcoming, the beds were clean, the people were nice and there was a kitchen available for my use. I personally like to have a kitsch available so I can save some money and cook my own dinner

I really connected with the other guests and actually wound up going out to eat with people from Canada, Japan and Korea too! It was a really amazing experience. It almost felt more like staying at grandma's house than a hostel.

Here I am (right) with Nadia (center) and a new Canadian friend!

The hostel was much smaller and intimate than most hostels I've stayed at. I actually found that I liked it! The only downside was there weren't any lockers available and I tend to like to lock up my bag before heading out for the day. Other than that, it was great! It definitely helped that I was staying with a great group of travelers, but Nadia (the host) was very sweet and even offered to do my laundry at no charge because it rained and I got soaked! I ended up just line drying my clothes, but it was a very genuine and kind gesture.

The hostel was also remarkably close to several must-see sights! It was a short walk away from the legendary Duomo and it was literal steps away from the museum where the Statue of David was housed. Nadia was always ready to offer advice on where to go, what to see and of course, help us find the best gelato!

All in all, Florence was a wonderful experience, and I'm lucky to have found such a welcoming and affordable place to stay. If you'd like to plan your own adventure to Florence (hostels or hotels) I'd be happy to help! MilesIntoMemoriesTravel.com.

How To Pack Carry-On Only

With airlines charging more and more for checked-baggage, many travelers, myself included, have opted to just pack in carry-on luggage whenever possible. I've had years of practice and have legitimately packed for a month-long trip doing carry-on only. Here are my top tips for avoiding those baggage fees and packing light!

1) Try to minimize the number of shoes you bring. I know it's tempting to bring a different shoe for every outfit, but instead try to pick just a few shoes that are more versatile. My go-to shoe packing tends to be one pair of running shoes, my Sperrys and a pair of flip flops that can get wet - for the shower, pool, walking in the rain. etc I also shy away from boots or other bulky shoes as they take up quite a bit of space in your luggage. If you do need to bring a pair of boots, I recommend wearing them on the plane. They may be a bit of a hassle going through security, but they will save you weight and space in your luggage.

2) Wear bulkier layers on the plane. Planes tend to be cold anyway, so if you are bringing a big sweater and a puffy jacket, wear them! Packing them will take up valuable space. Not to mention, they'll keep you nice and warm during the flight and can even double as a pillow. You can always take them off and stuff them in the overhead bins if you get hot.

3) Bring re-wearable items go together. I highly recommend packing a pair of durable jeans and a favorite hoodie or sweater. These items can be worn multiple times and re-worn with different outfits. By color-coordinating majority of your clothing items, you'll be able to mix and match and save yourself quite a bit of space as a result! Same goes with accessories - I recommend picking jewelry that goes well together and that you don't mind wearing multiple times.

4) Bring "small" items of clothing. By bringing items such as dresses (which are an outfit all by themselves), leggings and t-shirts, you'll save room! If you bring several pairs of pants and a sweater for each day, you'll run out of space quite quickly.

5) Pack travel-size toiletries. You'll be limited on space an
d will have to keep your liquids to a minimum. I recommend little things like using a powder foundation and bringing a shampoo bar, because those things will add up and save you quite a bit of space!

It may not be the most luxurious way to travel, but I personally prefer packing light. I like knowing that my luggage is going to make it to my destination and that I won't have to wait at baggage claim. It also makes me really think through my packing. I tend to forget less things and have more coordinated outfits than when I just throw things into a bag.

Here I am on my backpacking trip through Holland and Germany. It was amazing to be able to just pick up my things and move on to the next town so easily. All in all, I highly recommend packing light!

If you're up for some adventure  I'd love to help you plan - MilesIntoMemoriesTravel.com