Me, one week from now
Next Tuesday, I leave for two weeks in Indonesia and Hong Kong with my father. It is now Thursday. Obviously this is the appropriate day to begin packing. (Can you tell I’m a little anxious about the trip? By Monday we’re going to have a steady Xanax drip going over here.)
In keeping with my newfound “capsule” approach to packing – in short, giving the process actual thought rather than just throwing a bunch of crap into a bag and hoping that it turns out to be the crap I actually need – I have decided to make All The Lists. And I am going to make them here. Isn’t that fun?
First, though, let’s talk luggage. I’ve been dying to try Away luggage foreverrrr, and this seemed like an opportune moment to upgrade my bag situation from the broken-handled monstrosity that I’ve been dragging around the country these past twelve years.
The theory behind Away: it’s a minimalist’s dream, with everything you need in a suitcase, and nothing you don’t – and it’s direct-to-consumer, so you’re paying for quality, rather than distributor markups. Oh AND. It charges your phone for you. Mmmmhmmm.
This is the bag I decided on, if you’re curious.
Next, shall we look at some style inspo? Oh, let’s.
I’m thinking this vibe for travel days and for wandering around Hong Kong…
…And then this for the dive boat.
With a little bit of this sprinkled in.
ASIA TRIP TRAVEL CAPSULE
Bags: Borrowed waterproof backpack + raffia crossbody. I did finally end up buying a backpack for travel…but not exactly for this type of travel. Suede Gucci has no business going anywhere near a dive boat, thank u. Solution: I borrowed a massive, waterproof rucksack from a friend for the plane and the boat…and am throwing in a little Cleobella bag I rented from Rent the Runway Unlimited for city adventuring, and because pom poms.
Shoes: Flat strappies + Emu Australia booties. It feels odd to go on a two-week-long trip with only flats at hand, but…I mean, I can’t really imagine wanting to wear anything else. Strappy J.Crew sandals and my sheepskin booties from heaven it is. (And maybe one more pair? …Sneakers? Something a little cuter? Help?)
Tops: 5 t-shirts + 1 sweatshirt + 2 floaty cover-ups. I’m feeling a little February body-ish at the moment, and am not suuuuuper psyched about parading all this paleness around in a string bikini, so the look I’m going for is more covered-up on top than usual. I found a brand called Surf Gypsy that makes gorgeous tasseled tunics, and picked up two; I figure that’s what I’ll be wearing 99% of the time.
Bottoms: 3 pairs of cutoffs + 1 pair white cropped stretch jeans. And this (rented), in case we go anywhere for dinner where cutoffs aren’t welcome.
Oh, and swimsuits. This one from Mary Grace Swim, and this one from Niyama Sol. Maybe also a Summersalt one-piece to wear under my wetsuit, to avoid onboard wardrobe malfunctions. I think that should do it.
If you have any travel tips (19-hour flight, omggggg) or more suggestions for what to do in Hong Kong, would absolutely love to hear them!
