• overall
  • next time: going fully joan didion with the packing, i had way too much unnecessary nonsense i didn't use and could have obtained easily and cheaply. "what if i need _____" girl you are staying downtown in a city with 150 times the population of your little suburb, what do you think you can't get
• bags
  • carrying stuff was annoying and the belt bag sucked. next time: one large suitcase with four wheels (checked), personal item sized carry-on (with a foldable shopping bag inside for airport snacks or whatever)
  • tiny purse was A++ for bag checks at shows, on short walks, etc
    • BUT also jacket pockets do the same and i don't lose track of that
• tech
  • i am so tired of my phone specifically and phones in general
    • i do not actually get lost in toronto on my own but google maps added an extra kilometre to an already ~16km walk from inaccuracies
  • next time: literally just a flip phone for emergencies/making reservations/etc. and a camera.
    • maybe a tablet for downtime in the hotel -- or just rely on books and magazines, writing, music, hotel amenities, conversations...
      • am i ever actually bored during travel? no. so why do i think i need to travel like i am a toddler who needs entertaining?
      • and ESPECIALLY why do i think i'm a toddler who needs entertaining on a plane? 'i'd better bring a bunch of hobbies in case i am bored at the airport' meanwhile i just sleep or zone out looking out the window or listen to music, and so needlessly carry around a ton of stuff in my carry-on
      • if i did dial it back more, i could take my SLR with ease. or, in spending less for all the toiletries etc i HAVE to have (and then don't use), i could probably even buy a mirrorless camera
• clothes
  • ugh
    • my issues here were symptomatic of my wider wardrobe problems but more annoying because i was travelling
  • compression leggings/crop were great; further compression investments to come
  • the thermal shirt was an absolute game-changer, it was fantastic to just be able to add a single lightweight item to my bag and not have to plan a wardrobe that fit warm days and 0 degree nights
  • i wore just that under my blazer to watch the sunrise from sugar beach and didn't even have to button the blazer despite sitting in the dark at the harbourfront
  • really regretted not having a light sweatshirt, and my comfort did improve immediately when i thrifted one
  • my blazer was sooooo good until i started hating it like. day three. it was fine, i was just tired of the look. the big pockets were great though. i don't think i'm cut out for a truly minimalist/capsule wardrobe, i need variety
  • slides were unnecessary and took up a lot of room
  • scarf was unnecessary. so were hat and gloves (didn't even end up using them) but obviously were good to have if i needed them
  • compression crop + nylon/spandex shorts worked just fine as a swimsuit but i would definitely prefer an actual one (since it left the crop out of commission)
  • tencel nightdress remains the GOAT, i even wore it with a sweatshirt/leggings as a dress on the flight home and it looked great
  • my sneakers (sorel ona drifts) were absolutely amazing, zero blisters or pain
• makeup/skincare/toiletries
  • skin care needs to be absolutely minimal, my rosacea got so bad on day 1 from airplane dryness + pool salt/chlorine that i couldn't use anything but moisturizer for the rest of the trip, so i hauled all that around for nothing
  • next time: literally just a small piece of amber soap, mini moisturizer, sunscreen, and mini MCT oil
  • makeup... well i was glad i had it when my rosacea flared so much i needed to use green eyeshadow as powder foundation to counter it... but next time, literally just lipstick and one eyeshadow + mascara
  • regular toothbrush + cover is fine, folding one would have been the same surface area when folded so why bother spending that money
  • leg cooling patches from japan were SO good, literally saved me. pricey, though
  • used and would bring again: emery board, deodorant, sunscreen, moisturizer, amber soap, MCT oil, perfume (this time: zoologist harvest mouse, plus i bought olm, rabbit, and squid while there)
  • used and would not bring again: rosemary salt hair spray (hotel toiletries + toronto weather meant my hair was tangly, this made it worse), body moisturizer, eyeshadow, primer, face brush, matte powder, centella serum (normally soothing but burns when rosacea is flaring this bad), lip mask
  • did not use but would bring again: tweezers, nail clippers, tampons/pads, cotton rounds, exfoliator glove,
  • why the fuck did i bring this: mini hairbrush (in addition to full-size), disposable razor, korean washcloth, vaseline AND aquaphor AND hand cream, foot cream, qtips, scar serum, various sephora samples (just because it's small does not mean it works for travel!), eye cream, plumping serum, two lipsticks, two eyeliners, bronzer
  • would bring next time: sensodyne mini toothpaste instead of leftover minis from the dentist
• meds:
  • pill organizer was fine but a smaller one would have been equally fine. also could just use the containers themselves and bring just enough and toss them when i'm done
    • also obviously only worked because it was a domestic flight, pretty stupid to bring unlabelled pills across international borders
  • gamechanger: the powdered tylenol! and electrolyte packets
  • i thought i was gonna get away with not needing polysporin and bandaids but once again, flying dehydrates me so bad the skin around my nails cracks and bleeds
  • didn't actually need the kalaya spray but would obviously bring it again
• misc
  • great: mini box cutter (couldn't open the tylenol or electrolyte packets with just hands!), lint roller, black surgical masks (for flights/crowds)
  • did not actually need presto card since the transit there has tap enabled, only necessary if i need to have payment records for getting reimbursed
  • thermos water bottle was annoying as fuck, plus hotel room had to-go cups for coffee + free bottles of water, so i just took those on the go daily

so joan didion's list as translated to my specific needs (and in 2026):

• 1 pair black jeans or pants, 1 skirt
• 2 shirts
• 1 pullover sweater
• 2 pair shoes
• socks, tights/leggings
• underwear
• nightgown, slippers
• perfume
• shampoo
• toothbrush and paste
• amber soap, razor
• deodorant
• tylenol, prescriptions, and pain cream
• pads, tampons
• moisturizer
• sunscreen
• face oil
• lipstick/balm
• throw/shawl
• phone, camera, earbuds/MP3 player
• notebook, pens
• house key
• is it still a romanticized list if i put the box cutter on it...