07 February 2015

What's in My Bag: 9 Days, 2 Coasts Edition

I'm off on my travels again, this time on a work trip that will take me Washington, DC, for a few days before crossing the country to San Jose, California, for a conference.


Although the weather in DC has warmed up a little this week, it's still going to be pretty chilly — only a few degrees above 0 °C — while in California, it should reach the 20s. I'll have a couple of days of free time in DC, which means I needed to pack for work, play, snow and sunshine! I decided to bring my medium-sized case to allow room for a bit of shopping. Here is what I packed:


Tops
* Three cardigans in black, pink and teal
* Black 'Bien Fait' Madewell jumper (for plane journeys and casual days)
* Two long-sleeved thermal Uniqlo tops in black and grey (for chilly DC days)
* One short-sleeved black thermal top
* Two smart, lace-trimmed tops in royal blue and pink
* Two casual tops: one short-sleeved (for plane and PJs) and one long-sleeved with nautical stripes


Bottoms & Dresses
* American Eagle skinny jeans
* Two skirts: one black and one black-and-white marl
* Purple jersey TopShop dress
* Royal blue Madewell dress, with skinny leather belt


Sport, Sleep, Etc.
* Lululemon leggings and long-sleeved running top (for DC workouts)
* Lululemon skort and short-sleeved top (for CA jogs)
* Sports bra, running socks, headband and running gloves
* I need some new trainers so I plan to buy a pair in DC
* Bikini (just in case I get the chance to use the hotel pool)
* Leggings for sleeping
* Black thermal tights, sheer black tights, nine days' of underthings


Shoes, Outerwear & Accessories
* Winter-friendly black knee-high boots from La Canadienne
* Black ballet flats from Banana Republic
* Uniqlo black ultra-light down jacket
* Black jersey blazer
* Two scarves: one slate grey and one in teal, purple and green
* Teal woolly hat, leather touchscreen gloves, sunglasses and brolly
* Delicate gold necklace, statement collar necklace, sparkly J. Crew necklace
* Fossil leather tote (to fit my bulky work laptop)
* Purple Longchamp Le Pliage tote
* Rebecca Minkoff Mini Mac bag (for smarter work events)



Technology
* My DSLR and 20mm Canon lens (I wouldn't get enough use out of my zoom lens)
* Selfie stick (because of course)
* Work laptop, USB SD-card reader, BlackBerry charger, a couple of Apple cables and adapters

Plane Essentials
* Bose SoundTrue around-ear headphones (these pack down very well, have great sound quality and come in a purple-and-mint colourway — I love them!)
* iPad Mini (loaded with e-books, including Anita Diamant's The Boston Girl)
* DC guidebook
* Teal Moleskine notebook and pens (for writing and plotting)
* Inflatable neck pillow (this Brookstone one is compact but comfy)


Toiletries & Makeup
* As many toiletries as I can stuff into my Kate Spade pouch, including various GoToobs and sample sizes of moisturisers, shampoo and conditioner.
* I like to travel light on the makeup front, but my polka-dot makeup bag includes: Bobbi Brown eyebrow pencil; No 7 Lash Extend mascara; Naked2 Basics palette; liquid eyeliner from Japan; Laura Geller Spackle primer; Bare Minerals Ready Foundation; my Hermès perfume in a Travalo; and my favourite Chanel Rouge Allure lipstick in radieuse.

It's going to be a busy trip, but hopefully, I will have a little time for blogging, once I've sniffed out the best coffee, burgers and cocktails in DC.

2 comments:

  1. No Aeropress and hand-grinder?

    Happy travels!

    Brian.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I did manage to pack my V60 dripper and my favourite Guatemalan Monmouth coffee. I wasn't worried about finding decent coffee in DC but San Jose was definitely too much of a risk.

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