A couple of weeks ago, I spent the morning with my good friend, Ellen.  She invited me to join her in attending a master class at Berklee College of Music in Boston with one of my favorite artists, Bruce Hornsby.  Later that evening, we attended a concert he performed at The Umbrella Community Arts Center in our town.  The day and evening were pretty spectacular in my book.  It even inspired me to sit down at the piano the following morning and attempt to reacquaint myself with the instrument I spent eleven years mastering as a child, only to lose touch with in my adult life.  Sigh.

In any case, I’ve mentioned Ellen before as one of the people who inspired me to create a blog and together we were brainstorming some ideas for future posts during our car rides in and out of the city.  We tossed around lots of thoughts, some of which led to this week’s post.  It is a little bit out of my comfort zone, but one I hope you’ll find is a whimsical diversion from the usual recipe or restaurant review.

This post is about some of the things I have brought along on our trip to Europe this past week. We are combining some couple time in Budapest and Vienna, and a visit with our older daughter who is studying for the semester in Prague, Czech Republic where we are right now.  I am hoping to include pictures from our trip in future posts (so much inspiration here!), but for now, here are just some of my thoughts.  Would you be willing to share the items you like to have when traveling in the comments below?  I’d love to hear from you.  Enjoy.

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From the time I started traveling on my own (junior year of college), I have kept pretty extensive travel logs.  They are a source of reference, and reading through them helps to recapture our trip through our activities, the meals we enjoyed and many of the people we meet along the way.  Some of these logs are dedicated notebooks while others are notes in my regular planners.  In any case, if you want to know where we stayed or what we ate on our honeymoon 23 years ago or the name of the woman my friends and I stayed with on a stay in Salzburg 30 years ago, I can tell you!

This is an example of the kind of notebook I took with me on this trip.  Easy to fit in my bag or even in a coat pocket…

Moleskine Small Ruled Notebook

My carry-on bag is the one below.  I’ve long been a fan of Longchamp Le Pliage backpacks and totes. They come in lots of colors and are easy to squish into an overhead compartment or a seat in front of you on a plane.  I’ve even thrown them in the washing machine, no lie.  The style of bag below is one I saw sported in the Paris airport a few years ago when we were traveling with my Mom.  I wanted one for myself and after I purchased it, I sent a text to my Mom to let her know.  She asked me what color I chose and answered, the grey thinking it was practical and timeless.  Her response was neutral is best. I am glad I kept that text…

Longchamp Extra Large Travel Bag

Here are some of the items that went into my carry on bag, including 4 books, most of which are light reads.  First up, this one that was recommended to me by my friend, Helen Coates of Copper Kettle Bakery that I wrote about here. I enjoyed it, a quick read with an interesting twist.  Evidently it has been optioned for a miniseries by the Downton Abbey people…

Next up is the book, stir, that I read for book group.  It’s a moving story about a young woman who sustains an aneurysm and finds her way back to a new normal through the kitchen.  It is not a cookbook, but there are many recipes included inside, some of which I hope to make…

This book that was on some “must read” list that came over my news feed and that I happily found in my daughter’s bedroom.  I am reading it now…

Lastly, I brought along this one that I will read if there is time.  I think I found it on Katie Lee’s Instagram!

Also in my bag were all of these items.  Unsalted mixed nuts, dark chocolate, green tea bags and some pretzels with almond butter.  Oatmeal in a cup in case we were hungry for a decent breakfast before we landed (we opted for the yogurt offered).  Vitamin C packets and Purell.  Since planes can be so drying, I bring Evian spray mister to keep my skin hydrated, YES cucumber towelettes for freshening up and a tube of moisturizer.  Lip gloss and balm and a back up power source just in case.  Lastly, disposable tooth brushes that don’t need water!  I also brought a pashmina on board which serves as a wrap or a blanket…

I also made a batch of my Quinoa Spinach and Feta Bites to bring on board.  If you haven’t tried them, they are really easy to make and a great, healthy snack to have around…

I have historically been guilty of overpacking.  When I was a student studying abroad, before there were weight limits for baggage, I had the most incredible expanding suitcase that never seemed to lose its ability to add more and more items (very convenient, but ultimately very heavy!).  It was the best bag in the world.  Now, I like to keep things pretty simple, comfortable but still put together for daytime, especially since we are big walkers.  I found these pants at Athleta right before we left.  I hate the name – the slouch – but they are named that because they are not super tight yoga pants!  They are comfortable, casual and come in four colors…

Athletic Metro Slouch Pant

These shirts are my favorite for layering.  They fall flat under blazers and look good on their own. They have a stretch quality that makes them really feel so great next to the skin.  There are lots of styles and most of the colors are neutrals, great for mixing and matching and can be dressed up or down.  Lightweight and easy to pack…

Majestic Long Sleeve Crewneck Top

A couple of scarves and I am good to go.

Nighttime is a little different, but I still bring just two pairs of dress pants, two blouses, two dresses, one skirt and mix it up as best I can.  This poncho has lent itself to lots of occasions so far and can quickly change up an outfit…

J. McLaughlin Rale Cashmere Poncho

And finally, this hat has come in very handy on the cool and windy days we have had.  It will serve me well all winter too!

Lululemon Run and Done Toque

So there is what’s In My Bag!  I will never be a lifestyle blogger, but this was a fun post to put together in the end.  If you are inclined, please let me know what you think and consider sharing the must-haves for your travel bag in the comments!!!

In the meanwhile, if you missed it last year, here’s a link to the recipe for Fettuccine with Lamb Ragu that I cooked up with my friend, Sue!  Happy Halloween!

One Year Ago:  Fettuccine with Lamb Ragu