Packing for Berlin | Fall Season

Hallo friends! If you've been following along on Insta, you may have seen a snippet of my Germany/Czech Republic trip and if you've been following along on Insta Story you may have seen those snippets come to life.

I've never been that far east in Europe so experiencing the culture (& Oktoberfest) was truly amazing, eye-opening, and tasty. I can only hope I do my experiences justice with the travel guides that are soon to follow. 

For this first one I figure it's better to start at the beginning - what I packed for my nine day trip & a few things we did on Day 1. Don't worry, I'll make sure to share my full itinery later.

What to Pack
Less is more when flying away. We'll be hitting 3 different cities via bus & train which means I'll be lugging my own luggage across those city lines. Finding a carry-on that is light, durable, and stylish (had to throw it in there) is key!

Lucky for me, I came across this Ricardo Yosemite Carry-On. Not only is it affordable (under $100) it also comes with a first year quality guarentee.

A few more things I loved about traveling with my Ricardo Luggage:
- It's super light! At under 7lbs., lifting my luggage into overhead storage and carrying it through tight spaces and over stairs were a breeze!
- There were a few instances of collision that left my suitcase scratch-free.
- The wheels! This is my first time having 360 degree wheels in my life and the difference felt amazing. It makes maneuvering crowded cobblestones, sidewalks & terminals so easy.
- There are pockets and compartments inside for smart packing. No more having to dump out everything little thing to find what you're looking for.
- I am a light packer but I did love how the case is expandable if I went overboard with souvenirs.
- Last but not least the finishing of the suitcase looked so sleek and streamlined; it made me feel like a bonafide traveler

Here's a Look Inside My Suitcase:

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Eastern Europe is in full fall mode and about 20 degrees chillier than New York City. Knowing how poorly I do in colder temps it meant packing layers to stay comfortable during our all-day excursions. I did a bit more digging on the street style scene to narrow down my color palette and realized Berliners love a good black.

I Ended Up Packing
striped bodysuit - white tee - white button-down - striped long sleeve tee - pink champion sweatshirt - black sweatshirt - turtleneck dress - black cotton dress - navy two-piece - black mini skirt - black high-rise jeans - black leggings - pink denim - heavy grey jacket - black moto boots- black vans - pink ballet flats

With an assortment of neutrals and a few pops of pinks, I never felt like I was wearing the same outfit twice.

Don't worry, there's more to follow!

Cute Travel Outfits for the Plane, Solved

After my breakup last year, I remember stating loudly and proudly how committed I was to exploring New York City and beyond. With my savings stacked high, I started to plan out my dream destinations per month. 

First up, was a long weekend to Nashville, Tennessee with a close friend. We remained under budget and had the time of our life eating anything and everything fried and 'cued. 

From there, Tulum, Mexico came up randomly and sporadically so away we went. Tacos, tequilas, and day trips filled our weeklong trip. And again, I somehow stayed under budget until...

The ATV accident.

And with that my travel plans for the year came to a screeching halt but picked right back up for this year. (The power of positivity and determination helped turn this into a reality.) So far, I've visited Philly, Cuba, Boston, Upstate New York and have Norway, Germany and Czech Republic, and Salem coming up. Not sure if I should include my Iceland stopovers but went there too! With all those travel plans I needed to ensure I stayed within budget, so it's always a good idea to check out different airfare deals and rates. Sometimes using flight reservation specialists can be very beneficial as they can do all of the research to find you a good deal on your plane tickets. You can also look online yourself and check out different comparison sites. It is always essential to check out prices first to help you come up with your budget and then stick to it. 

Finding myself in a car, bus, train, and plane I've reverted to my tried and true outfits that are resistant to wrinkles + creases, look polished and most importantly make me feel comfortable in tight spaces. 

Here are my go-to looks, I reach for over and over again:

See the original posts for these looks here: 
- Striped Red Shirt and Vans, click here
- Tweed Jacket and Pink Tote, click here
- Navy Culottes and Grey Turtleneck, click here
- Floral Pants and Green Jacket, click here
- Slip Dress, Jean Jacket and Reebok Sneakers, click here

Best Apps for Cheaper Airfare

My travel plans this year took a hit, but before my unexpected (and uninsured) surgery I was on a roll. My dream list of places to see, experience, and explore was getting crossed off quicker than I had anticipated. It was as if, I was meant to see the world. Actually, that's baloney.

If I was being completely honest, it was because I stuck to my budgets, gave up luxuries like weekly Sephora trips, and resolved to spend less to see more. At the same time, I knew from prior experiences that traveling on a budget was possible. If anything, the most costly piece of any trip would be the airline ticket.

Following that thought, I asked myself, can I fly even cheaper? Considering the offseasons, sales, and abundance of knowledge on the net - that answer was a resounding yes. Thank you technology.

Although my travels took a backseat last year, next year is looking a little more jetlagged thanks to my favorite flight price trackers:

Hopper
I found out about this app at the beginning of the year and am obsessed. This free app shares a calendar overview on flight prices with predictions for set dates. From there you have the option to set up an alert, essentially guiding you to the best bargain. So far, I've used it once (for my Oregon rendezvous) and saved close to $200 on my ticket. The app takes the guesswork out of sales, analyzing billions of flights each day and letting you know when to purchase before prices spike up.

Skyscanner
I first utilized this app to check on my ex-bae's arriving flights. It helped in determining just how much time I had to clean a messy apartment. Then I started to explore the app more. Each day they curate the best deals abroad and nationwide. Similar to Hopper, they also allow for price alerts and for airlines, airports, and dates to be compared. I consider it to be the grown up version of Hopper and one I'll be using for an upcoming spontaneous trip.

Google Flights
Before boarding the plane, even purchasing a ticket, comes the planning stage. This is where I excel the most. Instead of digging through travel sites, like tripadvisor.com, on when to fly you can instead plug in dates or look at their calendar which will list out fares. This is an awesome tool if your travel dates are flexible. You can click around on your desktop but I recommend downloading the app and turning the alerts on. There's also an explore tab for the spontaneous traveler.

Let me know if there are travel apps or hacks you use to cure wanderlust in the comments below.