Travel essentials - part 1

I know that there are so many people that always wanted to travel, but never had an opportunity. Trust me, I was there - the first time I saw a sea I was 14 years old, and I've never left Europe until I was 28.

But the wonderful thing about traveling is that it doesn't have to include three plane flights and different continents, and it's okay to start small. A trip to another town can be a great experience and bring you a lot of positive emotions, meetings and a better understanding of your own country.  

When I lived in Chiang Mai, any trip I wanted to take, be it to Vientiane, Bangkok or Siem Reap, always came with quite a bit of preparations. All of them came with at least 6 hours bus ride, so my travel necessities always included a travel backpack, packed for at least 2 days, some food, a travel pillow, a pair of socks, a hoodie for overly conditioned buses/trains and a lot of other things. 

Since I came to Sicily, I cannot stop saying thank you to the universe – I can take so many of my “One -Day Trips Around Sicily” it’s mind-blowing. In 3-4 hours I can get to another side of the island, even if I need to change trains. As Sicily has so much to offer, it takes me basically no time to reach Greek temples and amphitheaters, ghost cities, volcanoes, salt ponds of Marsala, hot springs of Segesta, beautiful beaches, ski resorts and hiking routes. And I gladly take any opportunity to see new places.

I usually travel with the small studded backpack you already saw in many of my posts, as it is one of the honorary citizens of my “Trusted WEARdrobe”. Its size is absolutely perfect for a day of travel – not too big, but fits all of my necessities.

Asos backpack - my travel mug (bought in Lidl) - a pair of sunglasses - my Kindl Fire tablet in the Angkor Recycled cover (I bought on a night market in Cambodia when I lived in Asia three years ago and had to bargain for it like crazy) - my phone and a pair of headphones - my one and only bomber jacket (DIYed from a men's sweatshirt - let me know if you are interested in a tutorial) - the small notebook I bought in Budapest (my friend Racha and I have matching ones - what a great project it was!) and the pen - the only lip balm I can use (Nivea/Labello Pearl shine) and the smart lipstick from Kiko  

  

Here is what I normally put there to discover Sicily: 

- My camera. As I’m a photographer I almost never travel without it. In the perfect world I’d bring my camera bag with me, but as I want to travel as light as possible, I chose to protect my camera with a neoprene case I bought on ebay for about 6 euro.

- A water bottle or a tumbler. I’m one of those people that don’t have to make any effort to drink 2 liters of water a day. In fact, I guess I drink even more without even noticing it. So water is an absolute necessity.

- Some fruit. I don’t believe in snacking, but most of the times we take very early trains or buses, and not having any breakfast can make me really grumpy.

- A book. Mostly it’s my Kindle, as for now I really enjoy not having that many possessions in general (I already had to move houses twice in the last 2-3 month and will have to move again very soon), but I never ever go anywhere without having something to read.

- A notepad and a pen. I cannot count how many times I had to run into a store to buy something to write on (and with) just minutes before the departure (last time being last Monday, when I took a trip to Alcamo to visit my friend). I don’t know what is it all about, but the moment I sit by the window and prepare myself for a trip, I get such a bust of inspiration. So it’s absolutely crucial for me to have an opportunity to write it all down. And it’s so much better to take a notepad from home, than run around the station and check all the shops.

 - A lip balm, my wallet, phone, headphones, a pack of tissues and keys. Pretty self-explanatory, as these are the things I never live my house without.

- A cardigan, in case AC will be strong. I’d prefer to have a hoodie again – it’s my absolute travel necessity. But my trusty black one looked so beaten after traveling with me around Asia and Europe, that I decided to leave it in Kyiv. So now I’m on a hunt for a new one.

Everything else depends on where I’m going and what am I planning to do there. Of course, if I’m going to a nice town by the sea, I’ll also bring a swimming suit and a microfiber towel. If I’m going to do a hike, I’ll bring something to eat and my huge scarf that can also be used as a picnic blanket. 

And what are your necessities and life hacks for traveling light? What do you bring with you everywhere to make your trip more pleasurable? Let’s speak about that!