I’m definitely an overpacker for everything. Going to a friend’s house for a night to do nothing but sit, sleep, and then go home? I have five outfits, a bathing suit, three pairs of pajamas, all my school stuff, four activities, and two cameras. Going to my brother’s hockey game? I have three layers, two blankets, a bag of every charger I’ve ever used, all my makeup, and my computer. For winter break, my carry-on was literally busting at the seams, and I had to slam the overhead bin shut to get it to stay. With my dramatic circumstances, here are a few reasonable things I always have on me.
First, a small bag of some sort. This could mean anything from a belt bag to a small Lululemon-sized bag. If I’m going to be out walking around and don’t have a place to keep it, I’ll usually opt for the belt bag. This is obviously to store anything that I need in a contained and easily movable spot.
Now, to start the actual items, I always have four small, basic care items. First, hand sanitizer. This is just a sanitary basic, to use at a restaurant, in the car, whenever necessary. Next, a mini hairbrush. This is sometimes taken out depending on what I’m doing, but I always need to brush my hair, and I will use it thousands of times. It’s also helpful because not many people think about bringing a hairbrush out until they need it. Finally, I always have a lip gloss or Aquaphor and mascara nearby. I’m not a huge makeup person, but I do feel like I need mascara and something on my lips to be put together, which means a reapply is pretty common wherever I am.
Next are the basic items and miscellaneous items. Obviously, I’m not going to be caught anywhere without my phone or my wallet with at least a little money and my ID. Depending on the situation, I will also bring a charger or portable charger with me. I always realize my phone is dying at the most inconvenient times, and having one of these almost always comes in handy, as long as the portable charger is charged. A pen or pencil is the one thing I don’t have and always seem to need, so I’ve begun making sure that there is one with me, whether I leave it in a car or bring it with me. Finally, I always keep ponytail holders and bobby pins with me. Usually, the bobby pins are just a personal choice for putting my hair up for dance, but ponytail holders are so helpful if it’s hot, windy, rainy, or really anything.
Now, depending on the situation, there are different things I’ll always have one me, so here are a few necessities based on activity.
If I’m traveling anywhere or going to spend the night somewhere not at my house, I will always bring a blanket. Most airlines let you carry them on and don’t count them as a personal item, I’ve found in my experience, which can be really helpful in plane travel. But, even in a long car ride, a blanket helps me relax and stay comfortable really anywhere I go, and it’s helpful so that I don’t need to bother a friend for an extra blanket if I’m staying over somewhere.
If I’m going anywhere for a sort of active activity, I’ll bring a water bottle, but sometimes I’ll bring an additional plastic one as well. No, it is not always the most environmentally friendly, but one of the worst feelings is when you run out of water and have no way of getting more, or the water available tastes awful, which is the case at my dance studio. So, I usually have some personal way of having a backup, and, if I don’t make use of it, it’s available for a friend if they run out or didn’t bring one to begin with. I also usually have some sort of small snack like a granola bar in case I need a pick-me-up or start feeling sick.
If I’m going out with friends, to dinner, the beach, the mall, a concert, anywhere, I always bring a camera with me. I’ll usually slide a small camera into my belt bag or in a friend’s, because some of my favorite moments are usually unexpected when I’m relaxing with friends, and we are, for the most part, all very into pictures and photoshoots. It comes in handy to get cute, candid, and clear shots that have a unique look besides using a phone, and freeing up some iCloud storage. It also helps with the flash to get good pictures if it’s later at night, or in a dark space or room.
Lastly, if I’m going somewhere to study or be productive in some way, I need to have my AirPods. I’ve learned the hard way from the other day when I went to Starbucks to try and get some schoolwork done spontaneously, and instead of being productive and focused, I got distracted with surrounding conversations, people walking in and out, and so much more. My AirPods help drown out some of the distracting factors and increase my overall productivity.
When I say I wish I could add so many more things, I really wish I could, but they wouldn’t really be necessities then. Instead, this would simply be a list of all the things I wish I could bring with me to different places. So, trying to think through the simple, everyday items that may be integral to going somewhere can help point out the necessities to bring along.
