Tips for Packing

So over on my YouTube channel I posted a video about weird stuff I do while packing for trips. I will admit I am not the best packer in the world. But I have picked up a few tips and tricks along the way to help me make it through the packing process semi-gracefully. If I have learned anything from my various travel adventures in the past two years it is that THERE IS NO PERFECT PACKING LIST. I don't care how vigorously you search through the bottomless pit that is pinterest (although it is a brilliant place to get all sorts of information on everything travel), you will never find a packing list that is perfect for you, your style, and every climate you could potentially encounter. With that being said there is a rough outline that you can follow in order to make sure you have everything that you need without overpacking. You just have to remember to ask yourself these important questions.

So here it is:

First: What is your luggage situation?
- Small carry on, a duffel bag, backpack, garbage bag? Once you have figured that out you can then pack accordingly.

Second: What is the forecasted weather at your destination?
- Arid desert, impending monsoon season, are you heading into a blizzard or that perfect 75 and sunny San Fransico weather? (PS screw you San Fran, we can't all be so awesome)

Third: How long is this trip going to last?
- Is it just a quick weekend trip, month long hiatus, or a year long adventure?

Fourth: What kind of activities will you be participating in?
- Will you be chillaxing on a beach, hiking everest, or drinking and dancing your way through any and every club that will allow your sloppy, drunk ass into?

*The devil is in the details people!*

Once you have answered these important questions, you should have a pretty decent idea of what you need to pack. Now for the hard part... not over packing. You should always leave room in your suitcase whether you are travelling for 2 weeks or a year. That way you will have plenty of room for souviners and any extra clothes you might pick up along the way. If you are looking for an exact estimate of how many: shirts, pants, skirts, dresses you should pack you have come to the wrong place. You are just going to have to sort that out for yourself (which is made a lot easier if you answer the four previously listed questions). Here is a list of random items that I have forgotten over the years or found to be useful in many situations.

Items Not to Forget:

• Underwear/bras/socks (This might seem obvious, but I have often overlooked all three before in my hasty attempt to pack.)
• Power cords (There is nothing worse than trying to explore a foreign city for a week with a dead cellphone.)
• Fabric softener sheets (They help keep your clothes smelling fresh if you strategically place them throughout your suitcase AND you can use them on your hair to get the static out.)
• A combination lock (This is pretty self explanatory)
• Plastic Bags (Anti-spillage, dirty/stinky clothes, keeps important stuff dry)

Other Random Tips/Tricks for packing:

• Pack clothes that are versatile (The more clothes you can mix and match, the longer you can go without doing laundry )
• Layer up (pack less bulky clothes and instead, if you are cold, wear layers)
• Accessorizing is a MUST (pack your jewlery in pill bottles or bead boxes so they wont get tangled or broken)
• Finally, don't be like me and procrastinate packing until the last minute. Make sure all your clothes are washed and you are packed and ready to go the night before you leave. That way you are not scrambling around hours before your flight, stressing about what you might have forgotten to pack.

If you really need a break down of what to pack for any location in the world, there is no site better than: http://travelfashiongirl.com/packing-lists/ ... Seriously you will never need to read another packing blog again. Not even mine.

Nola Bound!

Today I am leaving the bitter cold in Cincinnati, Ohio and heading to New Orleans, Louisiana. I will be meeting up with my friend Kourtney who lives in Mississippi. I somewhat spontaneously booked this flight because it was only $150 round trip through Allegiant! What a steal! Of course, you have to be careful because they will nickle and dime you on the small things like costs of carry on baggage and drinks in flight. Also, don't be shocked when you finally sit down in your seat and instantly feel like you are packed in like some sardines in a tin can on their way to a Caesar salad. It's ridiculous, my elbows are tucked into my gut right now trying to type because my surface is as wide as my seat and with the keyboard attached it has to be turned sideways on my lap to fit. But hey, you get what you pay for and all the flight attendants seem super friendly. Hat off to you Alligiant, I appreciate the super cheap flight, and the $50 rebate. Two thumbs up!

We will be spending a week in New Orleans exploring anything and everything that is free (because we are broke, just out of college kids, with student debt up to our eyeballs). Obviously there will be lots of drinking, eating, an dancing involved as well, because there is no way I am flying all the way down there and not experiencing bourbon street and all it has to offer. Lets not even get started on how excited I am to try authentic Cajun and creole food. Let the good times begin!

This flight smells like feet... and no it's not me, I left my shoes on.

Time to Answer all the 'Whys?'

Why is your blog name Red Velvet To Go? It’s really not an interesting story but it all began back when I was in college. My roommate and I went out to the bars for some casual drinks on a Tuesday night. For obvious reasons, the bar was pretty dead so we started chatting up the bartender and taking one too many shots. We were feeling frisky and decided to come up with drunk alter egos.  The bartender dubbed me Red Velvet and it has become my drunk alter ego ever since. Most recently my new hobby at work is to convince my colleagues and bosses, with elaborate stories, that I had to strip through college in order to pay the bills and Red Velvet was actually my stripper name. I can tell that some of them actually believe me, I don’t know whether that makes me a good story teller or someone who looks like they stripped through college. Either way I will take it as a win. So to make this explanation even longer, I decided Red Velvet was the name to use for my blog/vlog because not only is my drunk alter ego sassy and eccentric, but I am also such a foodie when I travel. That pretty much sums up what my blog is going to be about as well.

Why do you think you are interesting enough to write a blog? Really this blog is not my main focus. I am actually going to focus on vlogging but use this page to write additional information if necessary and to share my videos. Either way I am not really doing this because I think I am interesting and have all this amazing information to share. Really it just looks like fun and an easy way to keep in touch with my massive family while I travel. This brings me to the topics I will be covering in both my blog and vlog. I promise it won’t always be me rambling as I have in this post (learning curve people). Since graduating college I have developed a passion for traveling. It really doesn't matter where I go as long as it is somewhere new.  My plan is to share my limited knowledge, yet outside the box perspective, on everything travel. Topics from how I pack a week’s worth of clothes in a carry on to annoying things people do on airplanes. Also, I plan on moving to Australia in June so I’m sure I can come up with some exciting and helpful things to talk about while preparing for that adventure.

Why Should you continue to check out my posts? Honestly, I don’t have a great answer for you yet, but hey even if this was the worst blog you have ever read, it can only go up from here. So give me a second, third, maybe even a fourth chance to win you over with my sparkling personality and stupid sense of humor.

If you have actually made it through this entire post and want to watch my first ever vlog here’s the link below! (I promise I will do my best to improve my blogging/vlogging skills!)