WHAT TO PACK?

People are often surprised to learn that I carry only 1 carry-on when I travel. It didn't always used to be this way. I used to pack a lot of items, check them in, and bring more home. After I began to travel more frequently, this became pretty tedious. For all my long-time travelers, you understand how much of a pain it can be to wait in airport lines to check-in your luggage even before security, to pay extra for check-in, to wait ages at luggage carousels, only to discover the luggage is lost, missing, or on another plane, and simply to carry that gigantic piece of luggage around with you, especially if you're traveling alone.

With that said, I have adapted over the years to manage what I take with me on trips - call it survival for necessity. This is how I manage to fit everything into one carry-on suitcase:

1. Do not bring shampoo, conditioner, lotion, face-wash, make-up remover. If you must, bring one tiny travel sized portion of each.

2. Shoes take up the most room. Wear your sneakers to the airport. Inside your carry-on, keep a pair of sandals and ballerina flats for going out. I never bring clunky heels.

3. Depending on the length of your stay, 2 pairs of bottoms. You can re-wear them a few times, and wash as needed.

4. Similarly, the kinds of tops you bring depends on the length of your stay and the climate there. Generally, consider 3-5 light tops, and one medium jacket - again, depending on the weather. Wear the heaviest one to the airport.

5. Do not bring actual books - kindles are okay.

6. Consider bringing a vacuum seal storage bag for your clothes. You can purchase them on Amazon. They remove the air and allow you to compress more things into a tight space. Keep in mind that when you remove the clothing they will be wrinkled.

7. Finally, don't forget that you will need to leave a little bit of space for anything you fall in love with and purchase! I usually bring an empty foldable tote that I can take out and fill as needed if the carry-on is not enough.