packing.

i’ve gotten much better over the years as far as packing is concerned. if you looked back 10 years at how i’d pack for a trip to Bonnaroo, i’d get by with the Holy Trinity for the week; water, toilet paper & sunscreen. anything else, the Bonnaroo Gods provided. I even forgot a tent one year. someone gave me one. another year, remembered the tent! but no poles or stakes. our immediate neighbors happened to have extra. of course a diet of illegal substances, Uncrustables, and unparalleled music performances with your best friends left much else to be desired for those trips… i just needed a place to rest my head for a few hours each day. but Bonnaroo is not reality, and traveling internationally requires a bit more preparation.

the aforementioned Trifecta is the great foundation on which i have since expanded my packing wheelhouse. sunscreen- incredibly necessary for-- shit, your daily life. Tim is allergic to sunscreen, so we get him hypoallergenic with Zinc, and stay strapped with this in advance to avoid worrying about scavenging when we’re out.

you can sub toilet paper with baby wipes here; flushable wipes. the toilet situation can obviously vary while traveling overseas. i’ve read that Vietnam toilets come equipped with what they call a water gun. i personally can’t wait to see what that’s all about hahaha. i’ll be bringing flushable wipes either way. (additionally, i've read it can be difficult to find feminine/sanitary products, so i will be bringing extra.) i'll also be bringing my refillable water bottle that i'll replenish with bottled water. i had a cholecystectomy last October and am not sure how Vietnamese street food will affect me…

i made the mistake of not bringing any stomach medication with me to Iceland back in 2017. this, back when i was still drinking heavily, and experienced the entire pepto bismol commercial of symptoms variably the fortnight i spent there. and i’ve noticed over the years that while i’m not my typical anxious self while traveling, i experience some kind of tummy trouble during even domestic trips. all this to say, i’ve learned to be prepared with antacids and imodium. famotidine works better for me than any other antacid i’ve tried. and your general OTC pain relievers, too. just make sure you carefully check the legality of any and all medications you are bringing into your destination country. and it might have just been my experience but it wasn’t immediately understood when i went to the pharmacy in Iceland trying to explain my horrible heartburn to them, using helpless hand gestures. the medication they gave me for it? it may have helped a little, i’m not sure as i was drunk most of that time.

clothes! the fun part.

this trip is marks my first international trip somewhere when it's hot. i quickly realized my hot weather festival wear might not be overly appropriate to wear in Vietnam, where women dress a little more modest than fishnet asses out. Plus, visiting temples and holy sites requires covering legs and shoulders. now, a pashmina is actually perfect for this! great, of course i have those. but anything else? time to shop.

August falls in the summer monsoon season in Vietnam, because of course it does. I'll be bringing my new swimsuits, button up shirts, a sarong and skirts i bought. besides maybe a thin rain jacket, i'll bring shorts and tanks, a few linen/resort sets, and several dresses, including a nice dress for my birthday. as shoes go you can wear slippers the whole trip--that's sandals, or flip flops. we're both bringing our Tevas, and a pair of trail runners; the idea is breathable footwear that dries quickly. comfort is also key! break in your shoes before your trip, that's festival 101. i'll bring a pair of cute sandals too, and probably a pair of vans... hey, what can i say. i love my vans.

i ordered compression socks to help my legs for the long plane rides. then your typical hat sunglasses belts bags jewelry accessories-- i got a brown checkered crochet beach bag to use. overall i was going for kind of a boho vaca-grungey vibe. lots of earth tones.

i'm aiming to pack light, with a mindset of how hot it will be. we'll also be traversing all up and down the S shaped country, and opted for few clothing for slightly chillier northern stops. it'll be about 3 weeks, so outfits we can rotate, some nicer for dinners / nights out. shoes that dry quickly. a towel. airport outfit. (with your sunscreen and wipes!) socks and underwear and you'll be golden.

>did i mention how stoked i am for the beaches? upstate New York is mostly grey and cloudy. it's been a long time.<

onto the necessary stuff. you need a travel visa to enter Vietnam and it’s best to do this in advance or you will not be allowed to enter at the airport. you can take a picture with your phone in front of a white background, without glasses, or get it done like a passport photo at cvs. it's $25 for a 30 day single entry E-visa. here is the official government website for the travel visa. it takes a handful of days and they may contact you with anything you need to correct on your application, allowing you to do so. we received emails that we forgot to include our middle names, in the given name section. sent it back and after only a few more days we were good to go. print your e-visa out!

we’re also making paper copies of our IDs and passports just in case.

bug spray! definitely bringing. Tim always gets eaten alive even here at home. and anti-itch cream. a mini first aid kid wouldn’t hurt. regular toiletries like shower products, lotion, perfume, makeup. hairbrush toothbrush. i’ve made a checklist to aid in any packing anxieties that may arise for others, if you find yourself traveling anytime in the future.

sleep aid. whatever this may entail to you. for some, it's a bottle of ambien, to others a security blanket. sleep is so vital in travel, you want energy--not ornery. ear plugs, headphones... for me a bluetooth sleep mask, a travel pillow and some Ativan should suffice to get me through these lengthy plane rides. and mean to encourage rest through the duration as well, no matter how noisy a place we end up. (thank you 10 hour box fan YouTube video playing at full blast through my sleep mask, i love you.)

let’s see, what else. backpack, phone charger, small bluetooth speaker, headphones, neck pillow. extra socks and underwear are generally a good idea. i’m going to get a poncho and umbrella there.

electronics- were bringing our digital camera, some film cameras, disposable cameras, gopros, extra camera batteries, film, chargers, handheld tripod and full tripod. if needed, you can get SIM cards at the airport, or just get an E SIM if your phone is compatible. an outlet adapter. it has multiple plugs for different locations, i got it on Amazon. Ziploc bags come in handy for rainy days and beach days for your precious electronics. finally a small lock for your possessions is clutch.

i mean, everyone travels most comfortably in their own way. some can’t leave home without the Declaration of Independence and the blood of their first born to stave off panic attacks resulting from their Obsessive Compulsive Disordered brains- and that’s perfectly okay. my boyfriend so happens to have OCD and his comfort and ease while traveling is a priority for me. if you're somewhere between the needing the Louisiana Purchase and forgetting your underwear of packing for trips, then maybe this post & checklist will be helpful for you.

i’d say in general, it’s a good idea to research the place you’re going. how does the general public dress there? is it more modestly? are there holy locations you plan on visiting? you don’t want to be that offensive jackass tourist. are you bringing vital medications? check the legality of them far in advance, some meds require prior approval, some aren't allowed at all and you may need to come up with a plan B. think of anything you use on a daily basis for the length of your trip, and try to scale it back to just the true necessities that you either can’t or don’t want to purchase there. you can do laundry where you go, to save on packing space. we plan on traveling all over the country, north and south, so i really want to try to pack as light as possible. and how you pack is also a reflection on how you travel. are you spending the entire time in clubs, fist pumping Jersey Shore style? boujee in high end restaurants and in luxury resorts? hiking in the jungle? just be prepared to do your thing. everything will work out. don’t stress it too much.