I learned this from my Grandma early in life -- when you travel bring only what you can carry. This advise I carried in my heart because my Grandma practices this up to this day. When I travel, I only carry 2 bags -- a hand carry bag and one check-in bag. Because I usually travel by boat or bus, these two bags are the only things I can manage to bring.
In my hand carry bag you would find my laptop, which I always bring with me (meaning I always bring my work with me), a camera (because I cannot bear not to document anything even though I've been to the destination a thousand times), my cellular phone (because even though I don't do text a lot while traveling, I enjoy Instagram and Instagramming), my passport (or IDs if traveling domestic), my wallet (containing money, IDs, and tickets), a pen and paper (because ideas just seem to run through my brain when I'm traveling), and a scarf (for when I'm cold, having a bad hair day, or when my outfit needs sprucing up).
My check-in bag would contain my clothes. I bring clothes I can mix and match and wear in any occasion. Usually, I bring one basic, such as this striped dress, but most of the time, I bring clothes that are whimsy because they add a fun factor to traveling. I also always bring one swimwear because, while I don't particularly love swimming, I don't want to miss the opportunity that calls for a swimwear. I also bring a set of pajamas or comfortable sleepwear. While most of my clothes are on the whimsy side, I make sure I bring clothes that are conservative because I find it better to err on the conservative side (especially when traveling abroad).
The rest of the items in my check-in bag would be shoes, toiletries and accessories. For shoes, I've recently just started exercising and wearing rubber shoes. I've also made sure to bring a pair with me because hiking and running also give me another perspective into another place. I also bring with me slip-ons that are fun but formal enough so I can enjoy high tea or cocktails, and flats for when feet are needed to be covered (Buddhist temples!). For accessories, I always bring with me a hat. It doesn't just add flair to any outfit, it also protects me from the heat of the sun. I've not been wearing sunnies too much the past year but I still bring a pair with me for those days when I need to have a shut-eye while traveling.
My toiletries and cosmetics are minimal. I only make sure I bring with me my favorite facial wash because a day of skipping it would send me breaking out and it would take weeks to treat. I also bring dual-purpose cosmetics, such as lip and cheek tint, eye brow pencil that I can also use as eye liner, and lip balm. For undies, I bring twice the number of days I would be traveling so that I won't end up washing undies each day. A sports bra is also important to me because I need the extra cushion when running or exercising.
My grandparents were frequent travelers and I learned a lot from them as they have only seemed to carry with them one carry on bag all the time. They did not just instil in me values essential in life, they also instilled in me how to edit my belongings such that I carry only what's essential wherever I go in the world.
Having listed all my travel essentials, there is one thing missing. ME! I've noticed how I always seem to be missing in my travel photos because I become so absorbed in my surroundings that I fail to include myself in the photos. The OPPO F1s, designed to take great selfies and landscapes, is the perfect travel essential because it will allow me to get included in the photographs of the places I am in. Remembering a memory through a photograph is priceless and bringing OPPO F1s with me when I travel would not just give me good photos, but also good memories.
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