As I sit on my suitcase trying to get it to zip, I realize I may have overpacked a taddddd bit, but I can’t help it, I love to be prepared! After another hour of downsizing my bag, I think I now have the perfect amount of stuff and tips to share with fellow over packers! So, let me guide you through how to pack everything you need without overpacking!
Number one and everyone’s favorite: Clothes! The biggest thing to look at is your locations weather. I will be in Florence in the month of May where it could be as cold as 54 degrees or as high as 76 degrees. So with a staple pair of both jeans and shorts, I have also added a cardigan incase the days are chilly. When it comes to shoes, pack more comfortable than cute. I recommend getting any sort of New Balance, they are great quality and will go with just about everything. Lastly, lots of neutral colors that you can mix and match!
Number two: Toiletries! A piece of advice I read online was to buy everything there, as far as shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, and things like that. So, I started downsizing bye getting rid of my shampoo and conditioner bottles, which cleared up a lot of room in my bag! As far as medication goes, make sure you bring anything prescribed in your original pharmacy bottle! Lastly, I still decided to pack my own bottle of Advil for a piece of mind, as I am unsure how accessible it is in Italy! Another thing I packed was a cheap towel, one that would be beneficial to have over there but I can also leave once I come back to create more room in my bag for things I may buy while I am in Italy.
Number three: safety! When thinking of how to make my three weeks safe and smooth, I did some deep searching on amazon where my favorite and in my opinion, most effective purchase is what is called “Zipper Clips Anti-theft.” These have given me such a piece of mind as I can clip my zippers together on my normal school backpack as well as purses and feel extra safe about it! I also made sure to buy a crossbody purse over a tote so I can have it across my body for extra security. Lastly, I bought air tags to put in both my carry on, checked bag, and my passport holder!
One thing I have learned is you can never be over prepared but also you will be able to find a lot of stuff in Italy as you can find here!