Eurotrip Packing List: The Dumbest Things I Packed 13

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I think most people can agree that unpacking is the worst. Unpacking sucks whether it’s after moving into a new house, coming home from a trip, or shoving your bagged groceries in the fridge so you can take a nap before putting them away properly (don’t judge me). Packing can be just as torturous.

I’m the kind of person who packs an hour before leaving to go to the airport which is funny, because I’m also the kind of person who goes to the airport six hours before a domestic flight. I may be unprepared but I will always be on time.

There’s a lot of packing lists out there to help you out before you take off on your next adventure. If you think you don’t need any suggestions on what to pack, you’re probably just as stubborn as me! Yay us! If, like me, you don’t seek out advice from travelers who have been there and done that and if, like me, you pack by yourself in 20 minutes for a month long trip, then you might, like me, end up packing like an idiot. Yay us!

If you aren’t going to accept any help or listen to any advice on what to pack, at least take a look at the things I packed so you know what not to do.

Here are the stupidest things I brought with me on my three month summer trip to Europe.

A Broken Suitcase

We’ll just start off with the most embarrassingly dumb thing I planned on lugging around to 9 different countries over 3 months. A broken suitcase. My suitcase made it to England and France. Once it was beyond the point of using, I got rid of half my stuff and carried everything around in a tiny little bag. That sounds very minimalist and cool of me but I had very little to wear. Priorities.

If you don’t already have a good suitcase, I highly recommend buying one. Another idea is to get a backpack big enough to fit all of your things which is what I did for my trip to Australia. See? Sometimes I get it right!

Where my suitcase is now: Since it was torn down the side and the zipper was detached, I threw it out while in France. I don’t miss it but, that being said, my parents might since it was theirs.

Rubber Boots

Rubber boots aren’t the worst thing you could pack if you are traveling to Europe during a different season. Turns out, they were pretty unnecessary. And warm. The only way to get them from one place to another was to wear them on my feet. In July. On a plane.

Berlin in July. Cheap champagne is always the answer to sweaty travel.

Where my boots are now: I left my boots at a friends’ place in Berlin. I’m guessing she didn’t take them back to Canada with her so I don’t really know where they are. I miss them.

Only One Pair Of Contacts

Don’t tell my optometrist.

A Hair Straightener and Curling Wand

Sometimes, in my head, I’m much more sleek and pretty and put together than I am in real life. Mostly, I just embraced my naturally frizzy, half curly, half straight, always tangley mop and pretended I left it that way on purpose.

Where my hair stuff is now: In my apartment in Canada. I think I broke the curling wand by kicking it into my bag. I wouldn’t know because I still never use it.

A Ridiculous Amount Of Jewellery (and nail polish?)

I don’t even wear jewellery. Did I think I’d just show up in Paris and all of a sudden enjoy diamond rings and pearl necklaces? Actually… I’m way too poor to own diamond anything meaning I carted around cheap jewellery for three months.

I won’t even attempt to explain the nail polish.

A CD

Photo submitted buy Corey Doucette. Album: Introducing Corey Doucette Band

A friend of mine gave me his CD and I thought it was a fantastic idea to bring it with me as if I could just, you know, pop it into my disc-man on a long flight or bus ride. It’s 2016, Trish.

When I flew home to Canada, my friends and I finally listened to it on the car ride home. Next time, I’ll get him to send it to me so I can listen and enjoy on my phone, like a true millennial.

By the way… thanks, Corey!  I broke the case but the CD itself made it home in one piece! Priorities.

Too Many Books

See this bag? That’s where aaallll my stuff was. For 3 months.

I’m not an e-reader fan. I’m one of those book lovers who smells the pages of old books, refuses to bunny ear the page, and buys cute bookmarks and reading socks. Also, if I hate the book, I tend to throw it across the room and that doesn’t end well with electronics.

If you are going to take books with you, make sure you don’t take books that you want to keep. Take books you can part with. I was able to leave behind or give away some of my books but I also had to carry five around with me.

Are you realizing how full my backpack was?

My next Eurotrip is in December/January and I’m really hoping I don’t show up with flip flops, 14 pairs of sunglasses, a beach towel, and… nail polish?

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