Honeymoon countdown is ON! In just two days we’ll be leaving the states and heading off on our biggest adventure yet: first to Tanzania and then Dubai.

I only just started pulling together outfits for our trip this morning, but here you can see a few of them! Last week I ordered up a storm from Nordstrom.com. Some of the new arrivals were just too hard to resist! I snagged a few cute swimsuits (one pieces & bikinis) colorful flowy dresses, sandals, a new pair of comfy travel sneakers and jewelry– mostly statement earrings & dainty necklaces. Since the safari portion of our trip is going to be relatively casual and low-key, most of what you see here I’ll likely rock in Dubai! Can’t wait to share more

PS I included a Honeymoon Q&A at the bottom of the post! I explain more about where we’re heading and how we chose the destinations!

SHOE DETAILS // Blush Wedges | Platform Sandals | Nude Ankle Strap Sandals | Travel Sneakers

OUTFIT DETAILS // Ruffled Yellow Dress | Rainbow Crystal Hoop Earrings | Nude Ankle Strap Sandals

OUTFIT DETAILS // Sleeveless Maxi Dress | Statement Earrings | Gold Bar Necklace | Woven Tote | Nude Ankle Strap Sandals

OUTFIT DETAILS // White T-Shirt | Green Joggers | Gold Bar Necklace | Round Woven Tote | Platform Sandals

OUTFIT DETAILS // Lightweight Jumpsuit | Gold Bar Necklace | Woven Tote | Platform Sandals

OUTFIT DETAILS // Lightweight Midi Dress | Gold Bar Necklace | Woven Tote | Platform Sandals

OUTFIT DETAILS // White Buttoned Midi Dress | Gold Bar Necklace | Statement Earrings | Woven Tote | Platform Sandals

OUTFIT DETAILS // Ribbed One-Piece Swimsuit | Gold Bar Necklace

OUTFIT DETAILS // Reversible One-Piece Swimsuit | Gold Bar Necklace

OUTFIT DETAILS // Reversible Bandeau Top & Bottoms | Gold Bar Necklace

OUTFIT DETAILS //  Reversible One-Piece Swimsuit | Ribbed One-Piece Swimsuit | Reversible Bandeau Top & Bottoms | Leopard Headband | Statement Earrings

JEWELRY DETAILS // Gold Bar Necklace | Circle Necklace | Rainbow Crystal Hoop Earrings | Statement Earrings

So why Tanzania and Dubai? Well, a trip that combines an African safari with a visit to the Middle East has always been on both our bucket lists. Neither of us has ever done anything like what we have planned so it was an easy decision. This is also the first time Nick is taking two full weeks off from work for a trip, so we really wanted to take advantage of the extra time and go somewhere far away. This is the longest trip we’ll have ever taken together— nearly three full weeks!

Why the three month delay post-wedding? This is another question I’ve been getting a lot on Instagram. A few reasons!

1. We didn’t want to deal with the stress of having to pack and pay for a long trip directly after our wedding.
2. We wanted an excuse to escape the cold. January is probably my least favorite month of the year to be home. There isn’t a lot going on and the weather tends to be miserable.

But you went to Paris right after your wedding? We did and had the best time! Two days after our wedding we flew to Paris where we spent three nights in the city and two nights exploring the Loire Valley. It was a bit of an impulse trip and not something we’d originally intended to do when we started our wedding planning journey.

A few weeks before our wedding we remembered that Nick had an extra day off from work for Columbus Day, so we went ahead and booked it to extend the post-wedding excitement. We love Paris and had already been there twice so it was really easy for us to plan. Packing would be simple too since the weather would be the same as at home.

Traveling has been a huge priority for us the last three years and we’re very pro-spending on experiences over material things. While it may seem a bit extra to take essentially two honeymoons, to us these trips are something we’ve always had in mind and likely would’ve done anyways regardless of being newlyweds. We are both very grateful for our jobs and it’s not lost on us just how blessed we are to be able to afford and travel as much as we do.

I also absolutely plan on creating travel guides for both Tanzania and Dubai following our honeymoon! You’ll be able to read both here, however in the meantime definitely following me on Instagram for daily updates in real time!

Big thank you to Nordstrom for sponsoring this post!

The post Honeymoon Packing List + Trip Q&A appeared first on Katie's Bliss.

I can’t believe that we’ve been living Jersey City for over four months now. Almost half of a YEAR! Some days it seems like we only just moved and other days I feel like I’ve lived here for years.

A little refresher for those who are new or may have missed this post about why we were ready to leave New York and my moving to Jersey City announcement. After six years in Manhattan, Nick and I decided we were ready for a big change of pace and scenery in 2019. We had a blast living in the city, but over time we found ourselves craving the perks of living you can get in Jersey or one of the outer boroughs. Things like having a car, being able to park said car affordably, a sizable guest bedroom, an in-unit washer and dryer, high-end finishes, MORE SPACE– these are all much easier to obtain in an apartment outside of Manhattan, without having to spend a fortune.

Long story short. After many hours of research and lots of apartments tours, we finally found our dream place in Jersey City! We were so ready to leave Manhattan that we broke our lease so we could move a few months early (our original lease wasn’t until until July.)

Ever since becoming an official Jersey gal (I even switched my license!) I’ve received so many messages asking about my experience moving from Manhattan to Jersey City. It seems like a lot of folks are itching to say goodbye to city life, but are nervous about the transition and just don’t know enough about Jersey City or Hoboken to pull the trigger on a move. So today I’m going to answer some of the most popular questions I’ve been asked and hopefully shed some light on what life is like living across the Hudson

Everything You Need To Know About Moving From Manhattan To Jersey City

What do you like most about living in Jersey City?

So many things!

+ Having a bigger apartment with amenities i.e. 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, doorman, washer/dryer, parking garage, rooftop pool, views, nice finishes, etc.
+ Owning a car & not having to pay a fortune to park it
+ Living so close to NYC without the high prices
+ Easy ability to travel on weekends
+ No more New York City income tax
+ Large grocery stores and shops you can drive to!!!
+ Slower, laid back pace
+ 15 minutes from Newark Airport

How has your quality of life changed now that you live in Jersey City?

Since moving to Jersey City our quality of life has improved significantly. If you read my 2018 personal update post, then you already a few of the reasons why I was completely over living in Manhattan. The expensive cost of living, high taxes and lack of basic conveniences like a car and in-unit laundry became impossible to rationalize and ultimately prompted our decision to leave Manhattan in March of this year.

By hopping across the Hudson, we were able to get all the things we wanted when we lived in New York: a 2 bed 2 bath apartment, in-unit laundry, a car and easy access to suburban conveniences. Leaving town on the weekends is a breeze, the airport is only 15 minutes away and anytime I travel I don’t dread coming home to a cramped apartment with exploding closets. Sure, we could’ve found most of this in New York, but we would’ve been paying 3-4x more than we are now to get it.

The reality is that I was never a city girl. I’ve always known that my life as a New Yorker would be temporary and the time would come when I’d want to say goodbye to the fast pace. I’m also a total homebody. Nick and I both would choose dinner and a movie on the couch over going out in the city any day of the week. In my opinion Jersey City is the perfect middle ground between city life and the suburbs because you really can have the best of both worlds!

DINING ROOM DETAILS // Wood Dining Table | Dining Chairs | Dining Bench | Similar Carpet | Shearling Throw (draped on bench) | Wood Candle Holder Centerpiece | Table Runner

What were the biggest transitions you encountered moving from Manhattan to Jersey City?  

The biggest transition has been learning how to use the PATH train (basically a subway that connects NJ to Manhattan) and just wrapping our heads around the fact that the perks of the city are no longer just right outside our door. Since walking isn’t physically possible and Ubers are very expensive due to the tunnel tolls, getting into Manhattan does take more time and involves an extra layer of planning. I utilize the PATH train app everyday to check the train schedules and strategically plan my appointments, meetings, errands to fall back-to-back so I don’t have to go into the city more than once a day.

Stores and restaurants close much earlier in Jersey too! When you live in Manhattan there are multiple restaurants, nail salons, convenience stores, etc. on literally every block that stay open past 8PM every night. In Jersey City there may only be one or two options available and there’s no guarantee these places stay open late. If you’re moving from Manhattan to Jersey get ready to find all new go-to Seamless and food delivery spots because restaurants in the city won’t deliver across the Hudson. The lack of delivery options was honestly the biggest bummer for me at first!

Owning a CAR. In Jersey City and Hoboken it’s much easier and less expensive to park a vehicle. While it’s not necessary to have one (especially if you work in the city) a car can definitely come in handy for running errands (big stores actually have parking lots over here!) and traveling on weekends. Getting a car was a big reason we wanted to move and while its added some new responsibilities to our daily lives (car insurance, maintenance, gas, monthly parking fees, etc.) we absolutely LOVE having one.

How is the commute into the city? Is the PATH train difficult to use?

The PATH is honestly so easy to use. If I’d known how simple it was maybe we would’ve moved a year sooner! It’s essentially an underground subway that connects New Jersey with Manhattan. There are two lines: one that runs directly to the World Trade Center and another that makes multiple stops in the West Village, 14th Street, 23rd Street and 33rd Street/Herald Square. At these stops you can connect to nearly every major subway line in the city.

Riding the PATH is similar to the subway where you swipe to pay with a Metrocard. You can use the same card to pay for both the PATH and NYC subway, however you have to pay for each ride separately: $2.75 for the ride from NJ into NYC and another $2.75 if you decide to connect to a NYC subway.

The PATH runs regularly throughout the day. At rush hour trains come every 2-3 minutes, but during off-peak times the gaps between trains can be 10-15 minutes long. I won’t lie: the trains get PACKED at rush hour. Like sardine can packed. Crowded trains are never fun, but at least the PATH is sparkling clean (way nicer than any subway car I’ve ever been on) and pretty much everyone else around you is a working professional commuting to the city. Depending where you’re coming from and where you’re going the ride is never more than 10-30 minutes.

Does the PATH run all night or do you have to take Ubers home if you stay out late?

I haven’t tested this personally myself, but apparently beginning at midnight the PATH runs throughout the night on a limited schedule every 30 minutes.

Do you miss the city? What are the things you miss the most from life in Manhattan?

Of course, but I feel the benefits we’ve gained moving to Jersey City completely outweigh any cons of not living in Manhattan. That said, here are a few things I miss!

+ Being able to order food delivery from all my favorite restaurants
+ Nails salons/eyebrow threading studios (there sadly aren’t many options in Jersey City)
+ Walking/taking Ubers
+ Being able to impulsively go somewhere & not have to worry about checking the PATH schedule
+ Nick’s short 15 minute commute to work (it takes him 45 mins-1 hour from Jersey City)
+ The social scene and close proximity of all the city’s amazing bars/restaurants/attractions
+ The charm of the city and cute neighborhoods like the West Village, Upper East Side, etc.

OUTFIT DETAILS // Purple Midi Dress (now on sale for $35!) | Sandals | Saint Laurent Bag | Similar Aviators | Michele Watch

Would you recommend living in Jersey City if you’re in your early 20s and single?

I feel like this really depends on you as a person, where your friends live and where/how you like to spend your free time. I absolutely love living in Jersey City as a 28 year old, engaged woman with majorrrr homebody tendencies. I’m at a stage in my life where “going out” to bars and restaurants really isn’t a priority for me.

Do I think 21-year-old me would’ve enjoyed living here as much? Absolutely not. During my post-college years I had no qualms about making plans every night of the week out in the city. Nick and I would eat out at least 2-3x a week and I frequently went out with friends or attended blogger events after work.

Had I been living in New Jersey and reliant on the PATH to commute, I don’t think I would’ve had nearly as much motivation to network and meet new people. I think I would’ve suffered from major FOMO and felt very detached from my friends in the city had I made the move over here before age 25.

What are the people like in Jersey City?

I hesitate to answer a question like this because I can only speak to my own experience. Something I immediately noticed was how much more diverse Jersey City is than Manhattan. When we lived in Kips Bay I felt like I was always surrounded by white people between the ages of 21-35. From what I’ve observed in our new neighborhood there are folks of all races and ages. Residents in our new building seems to be mostly friends/couples in their 20s/30s and families with small children.

Unsurprisingly Jersey City is becoming an increasingly popular place to live for people who are looking to escape the high prices and fast pace of Manhattan. Anytime I walk outside I see moms with strollers everywhere and the PATH is primarily all working commuters under the age of 40.

Why did you move to Jersey City and not one of the outer boroughs like Brooklyn?

Not-So-Fun-Fact: all residents of Manhattan and the outer boroughs (Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten Island) have to pay an additional 3-4% income tax to the city, ON TOP of state and federal taxes. Given I’m self employed and can work from anywhere, the decision to move to New Jersey was a no brainer once we calculated how much money we could save by living in New Jersey.

To give you some perspective, over the last two years my New York City income tax payments totaled more than my first full time yearly salary. Talk about a punch to the gut. Nick also no longer has New York City taxes deducted from his paycheck now that his home address is in New Jersey. Yes, simply by moving across the Hudson River you can completely avoid city taxes.

As much as we probably would’ve liked the vibes over in Brooklyn or Astoria, at the end of the day living somewhere where we could get a bigger apartment, have a car and still save money was most important to us. When we weighed all the pros and cons of New Jersey vs an outer borough, Jersey easilyyyyyy won.

Where are the best areas to live in Jersey City?

Again, this is totally subjective and dependent on your living preferences. Jersey City has a variety of housing options similar to what you’d find in any Manhattan neighborhood. There’s a huge new development boom happening in Jersey City and there are luxury high-rise buildings popping up everywhere complete with 24 hour doormen and amenities. You can also find walk up-style apartments and townhouses too! Just like Manhattan these are some not-so-cute-areas that feel very industrial and run down, but then a block or two away you’ll find charming tree-lined streets with cute shops and restaurants.

Assuming you are going to be commuting into Manhattan via the PATH, you’ll likely want to look for an apartment that’s walking distance to one of the train stops. There are four in Jersey City: Newport, Exchange Place, Grove Street and Journal Square. There are a plethora of apartment buildings around all of these stops, so it’s really just a matter of finding the right apartment and deciding which area of Jersey City you like best.

+ Newport is essentially it’s own community of high rise apartment buildings, many of which are managed by the same leasing company. It’s nestled against the waterfront and is the closest stop to the city if you plan on riding in via the PATH on the 33rd street line. There are lots of restaurants, grocery stores and shops, plus you’re walking distance to the Newport Mall.

+ Exchange Place is the PATH stop directly before the World Trade Center. If you work in Fidi or anywhere downtown your commute would be literally five minutes. The surrounding neighborhood is on the quieter side with a mix of townhomes on tree-lined streets, a couple of apartment buildings and a handful of local restaurants. I’d imagine folks who live here likely have to drive anytime they want to grocery shop, go out to eat, etc.

+ Grove Street is located between Exchange Place and Newport, a few blocks in from the waterfront. It’s where you’ll find most of Jersey City’s restaurants and bars, plus familiar conveniences like Starbucks, Duane Reade, McDonald’s, dry cleaners, nail salons, etc. In my opinion it’s the most “lively” area of Jersey City and the vibes here remind me most of life living in Manhattan. Housing options of all varieties can be found nearby too.

+ Journal Square is a neighborhood located a bit deeper into Jersey City. I really haven’t explored it much, but I know from when we were researching apartments there are tons of new condo-style apartment buildings and a cute park. It’s the most suburban-feeling area of Jersey City.

What are some of your Jersey City restaurant and bar recommendations? 

I’m probably going to get some side eye for revealing this, but I really haven’t put a ton of effort into exploring Jersey City or Hoboken yet. Why? I honestly just love being home in my apartment. These last four months are the first time since my childhood I’ve lived somewhere with a sizable kitchen where it’s not a complete headache to cook a real meal from scratch. Nick and I have worked so hard to decorate our dining room and make our living space super cozy that it’s often hard to pull ourselves away from hanging at home.

It’s also the first time in seven years we’ve owned a car. Since moving to Jersey City, we’ve gone out of town or done a day trip nearly every single weekend. Our new building also has some incredible amenities. The few days that we have been home on a weekend we’ve spent our time laying out by pool on our rooftop.

That said, I promise I haven’t been a complete Jersey City hermit. There are a bunch of restaurants and bars I’ve been to that I really love! A few standouts are listed below.

+ Hudson Hall – Open air beer hall and bar with picnic tables and games. Awesome lively vibes and a fun casual night out spot. The food is great too!
+ Dullboy – Trendy cocktail bar and restaurant. Would be a good date spot!
+ Porta – Yummy multi-level pizza restaurant. It gets poppin’ at night and there’s a rooftop!

Do you need a car to live in Jersey City? How easy is it to get back and forth between Jersey City and Hoboken? 

No, absolutely not. We really only use our car on weekends for out of town trips and grocery shopping. Public transportation in Jersey City is very similar to Manhattan, but instead of the subway you ride the PATH. There is also an above ground light rail train that connects Jersey City, Hoboken and a few other areas in Hudson County, New Jersey. Ubers and Lyfts are abundant too. The times I’ve gone to Hoboken I’ve either driven myself or taken an Uber– super easy!

I’d imagine the reason so many people in Jersey City have cars is because the parking is cheaper. Right now we pay $200 for a monthly spot in the garage connected to our apartment building. To park in Manhattan it would’ve cost us $400+ a month and our car insurance would’ve been significantly more expensive. Yeahhhh hard pass.

Are you saving a lot of money by living in Jersey City?

Not yet because I have a wedding to pay for in two months LOL. But hopefully, yes! In addition to having no city taxes, Jersey City in general is much cheaper than Manhattan. You can get so much more for your money over here. More square footage, luxury amenities, parking and incredible views are all possible to have in Jersey City without spending a small fortune.

Before deciding to move to Jersey we considered moving to a 2 bedroom 1 bath apartment in our old building in Kips Bay. Want to know the rent? $6,000– and it didn’t even have an in-unit washer/dryer! I can tell ya that we don’t pay anywhere close to that for our 2 bed, 2 bath apartment in Jersey City. It’s actually scary to think that if our current place was located in a Manhattan building the rent would likely be $7k-$8k PER MONTH. Absolute insanity.

You also aren’t going to go out to a bar or restaurant here and see $15+ cocktails or $30+ entrees. Food and everyday services like dry cleaners, nail salons, coffee shop is priced a bit cheaper once you hop across the Hudson.

So to conclude… Nick and I love living in Jersey City and could not be happier that we decided to leave the city! We’re at a stage in life where our physical home is much more important than it’s location. Our new apartment checks all our boxes and having a car has been life-changing! Do we miss the city? Of course. But in our case, the pros of moving vastly outweighed any cons.

The post Moving From Manhattan To Jersey City | 4 Month Update appeared first on Katie's Bliss.

One of Nick and my’s biggest joys over the last few months has been getting to use our new car! We’ve gone out of town almost every single weekend since moving from Manhattan to Jersey City doing day trips or to visit family and friends. After having to rely on public transportation for over seven years, it’s the most refreshing feeling having the ability to just hop in our set of wheels and go wherever we choose. Living in a big city for so long really makes ya thankful for the conveniences that most folks who live in the ‘burbs treat as a given.

Since we spend so much time in our car, I thought it fitting to share some of the outdoor accessories and travel items we really on anytime we hit the road. We wanted to avoid spending a fortune so I immediately headed over to Walmart (we finally have one nearby we can drive to!!!) There I found everything we needed from Ozark Trail: a lightweight portable cooler, durable travel thermoses that won’t spill and compact foldable chairs. We had no use for or place to store items like these when we lived in the city, but when you’re in a car for hours every weekend– these can really come in clutch!

TRAVEL ESSENTIAL // Ozark Trail Folding Camp Chair

These Ozark Trail folding camp chairs are a great seating option whether you’re on the sand or grass. I love how quickly and easily these can be packed up and stored away– plus there’s a handy cupholder! Would you believe each chair was just $8.44?!

TRAVEL ESSENTIAL // Igloo 32-Can Cooler

Anytime we visit family we know we’re 100% going to leave with food. To keep perishable items cool and fresh we always have this portable cooler in our car. It’s also handy for keeping drinks cold on long drives, bringing to the beach or for storing groceries.

TRAVEL ESSENTIAL // Ozark Trail 30-Ounce Tumbler

Confession: I’m very prone to spills. Your girl here needs a heavy duty travel cup or else whatever I’m drinking is going to get everywhereeee. This durable stainless steel tumbler is vacuum sealed and rust-resistant. It keeps cold drinks really cold, and hot drinks super hot, plus it’s available in so many colors.

What are some of your in-car essentials? These are just some of the items we’ve found useful since getting ours, though I think it’s safe to say we’ll likely add a lot more as we continue to travel on weekends. I actually have my eye on this foldable wagon with all-terrain wheels— it would be PERFECT for the beach! Ozark Trail also has really affordable sun canopies and camping tents, along with so many other outdoor accessories and tools– you can see a selection of these things below. Just browsing Walmart.com made me want to plan an overnight trip to the mountains! Maybe we’ll have to step up our game next summer…

SHOP MORE OZARK TRAIL PRODUCTS

Big thank you to Walmart for sponsoring this post!

The post Road Trip Must-Haves + Travel Accessories We Don’t Leave Home Without appeared first on Katie's Bliss.

I have been compensated by QVC, but as always, all thoughts and opinions are my own!

Love going on trips, but hate packing? Yep me too. Deciding what to bring on a weekend trip is one thing, but pulling together 7+ days of necessities into 1-2 pieces of luggage can be incredibly overwhelming. When I first started traveling on a frequent basis, I had absolutely no strategy when it came to packing. I would spend hours the day before a trip feeling stressed about how I was going to fit everything in my suitcase and unsure of what should go in my carry on vs what could be checked. It was an agonizing process and I quickly realized that I needed to do some research and find out if there were any travel accessories and tools I could be using to make my life easier when preparing for a big trip.

I’ve personally found that if I put in the work to pack in a very organized way, I can avoid a lot of unnecessary stress when I’m actually on my trip. I’ll tell you now: it’s crazy how much time and space you can save with the help of a few inexpensive gadgets! I’m always getting asked about my travel must-haves (you guys already saw a few of them in my “How To Pack A Carry-On Bag” video demo), so I thought it would be fun to share 5 new accessories that have really made my life easier when I pack. All of these I found on QVC.com and were very reasonably priced!

PACKING CUBES

I’m obsessed with packing cubes. I love using these to keep all my clothing and accessories organized within my luggage. I usually will pack similar items together in one bag (i.e. underwear & socks, tops + tanks, etc.) but depending on the trip, sometimes I’ll organize these by city or even the day.

Peace Love World Signature Set of 4 Nesto Pouches

For example on our trip to Marrakech and Paris, I put together all my outfits in advance and packed the ones I knew I’d wear in Morocco in individual cubes and then the ones for Paris in another. It really helped me stay organize and I never felt like I had to rummage though my bag searching for something!

LUGGAGE SCALE

Nick and I often share one very large checked suitcase when we travel. It’s great because it keeps us from overpacking, but can get tricky with airline weight limits. Most airlines only allow individual checked luggage to be 50lbs or lighter and anything above that results in a hefty overweight luggage fee.

Escali Velo Digital Luggage Scale

As much as we try to test out the weight of our bags at home and evenly distribute heavier things to our checked bags, we’ve still encountered the dreaded words, “your bag is overweight,” more than a few times at the airport. Weighing your bags at home with a digital luggage scale is the best way to avoid this and I’m still wondering why we never got one sooner. I found this digital scale on QVC.com is just $20!

TRAVEL-FRIENDLY TOILETRY BAG

Not all toiletry bags are made equal. As much as I love a roomy zipped makeup bag, that just won’t cut it when you’re sharing counter space in a small hotel bathroom. My favorite style toiletry bags for traveling are ones that hang or can be stored in a compact way.

Lay/N/Go Storage and Travel Bag

How fun is this lay-n-go makeup bag? I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to get ready sitting on the floor in front of a mirror and have had to lay out all my products on top of a towel. This bag is genius because it open up completely flat, but then can pulled closed into a neat little pouch with a drawstring.

CLEAR STORAGE BAGS

Have you ever been in the airport security line and not been able to find your passport or ID because it’s somewhere buried deep in your purse? I’ve been there more times than I’d like to admit, which is why I now use these clear envelopes for storing important documents and items I frequently reach for. I can easily feel these within a large tote bag or backpack and the clear front makes it easy to see what’s inside.

Lug Set of 3 Clearview Envelopes

FOLDING LUGGAGE RACK

After years of doing all my packing on the floor of my bedroom, I finally got myself a folding luggage rack. Why did I think that these only existed for being used in hotel rooms? Being able to prop open my suitcase at waist height definitely beats having to constantly get up and down from the floor.

Honey-Can-Do Chrome Folding Luggage Rack

SOME FASHION & BEAUTY FINDS…

Sole Society Suede Block Sandals | Vince Camuto Cross Band Slides

You can’t shop QVC for just one thing, right? I know the point of today’s post was to chat travel essentials, but what fun would it be if I didn’t share a few fashion and beauty must-haves? QVC is one of those shopping destinations where you always up finding way more than what you originally had in mind. Case in point: me with these two pairs of sandals. Charleston got me in a spring frame of mind and now I can’t wait to pull on open toe heels and slides once New York finally decides to warm up.

Vince Camuto Ruffled Off-the-Shoulder Maxi Dress

Maxi dresses are one of my favorite things to wear when I travel because not only are these super breathable and comfortable, but you can find lots of styles in wrinkle-resistant fabric that double as swim coverups. This ruffled off the shoulder number would be perfect for a beach vacay or to wear for a day of exploring!

Another thing I always do before traveling to a warm destination is apply a self-tanner. I talked about a few of my favorites in my Best Of Bodycare round-up and while I love these using these tanners at-home, I would’n’t describe them as travel-friendly products. I’ve tried samples of these Kate Somerville Somerville360 Tanning Towels a few times over the last few years and always LOVED the results, so when I spotted a 3-box set on QVC I had to scoop them up. These are incredibly easy to use and the tanner dries fast so you can put your clothes right back on after applying! Each towel is individually wrapped so if you want to touch up your tan on vacation you can simply pack one of these in your bag.

The post 5 Travel Accessories That Save Space & Make Packing Easier appeared first on Katie's Bliss.

I can’t believe we leave for another European adventure TONIGHT! This is a trip I’ve been looking forward to for weeks, but honestly have been fantasizing about for most of my life.. Or at least since I could comprehend fairytales!

So you’re probably wondering where I’m going? A few places actually! Nick and I are first off to London (can’t wait to see my girl Mollie!) and from there we’re heading to Germany where the plan is to road trip through the Rhine River Valley exploring medieval castles and wineries before ending in the Alsace region of France.

Not familiar with where I’m talking about? Don’t worry, I didn’t really know the names of the places we’re going either until I actually sat down to plan everything. Before that all I had to go off of was the stories I’d heard from my grandparents about the three years they lived as a family with my mom and two aunts in Stuttgart, Germany. During the Vietnam War my Pop Pop served as a major in the U.S. Army Medical Core and was stationed in German where he treated injured soldiers and other U.S. military personnel.

(LEFT) My Pop Pop at the 5th General Army Hospital in Bad Cannstatt, Germany circa 1970
(RIGHT) My Mom, Aunt Jen, and Aunt Sue skiing in the Swiss Alps

Growing up my grandparents would always talk fondly about their time living abroad and how enriching it was for my mom and aunts to spend a portion of their childhood in another country. I always loved when my Pop would get out his old projector machine and show me all the photo slides he has from those years. It’s a big reason why Germany has always been on my bucket list! That and maybe because I’ve saved and screenshot way too many pictures of Game of Thrones-esque castles and colorful villages that looked straight out of Beauty & The Beast… Ahhh!

This trip is our most ambitious, creative itinerary yet and our first time renting a car to navigate around on our own abroad. On our previous trips to Europe when we’ve visited large cities or popular regions like the Amalfi Coast we’ve been able to reply just on public transpo, but since so many of the spots we’re going to in Germany and France are off the beaten path it made the most sense to get a car and explore on our own. So pumped!

Shop my garment rack HERE

As always, I’ll be doing a bunch of travel guides so lots more to come on that end. In the meantime though, let’s chat about packing! The weather looks like it’s going to be jacket temperatures so I’m planning on bringing lots of sweaters, wool-blend coats and light layers I can easily take on/off throughout the day. You can see some of the items I’m packing in the photos above and below.

Click through the widgets below for direct links to everything on my garment rack

COATS & VESTS

SWEATERS

PANTS & ACCESSORIES

I’m personally very relieved that we’ll get to leave our big down parkas and heavy boots at home. Traveling over the holidays last December was fun, but I can’t say I enjoyed having to deal with all that bulky clothing! If you want to see how I strategically pack my carry-on luggage make sure you check out this post here.

Grey Suede Booties | Adidas UltraBoost Sneakers (these are never in stock!!) | Brown Suede Slingback Mules | Brown Fringe Slides

In terms of my footwear, nothing should surprise you guys. I’m sure I’ll end up wearing my favorite holy grail sneakers 95% of the time (yes, I shamelessly wear them with cute outfits too!) along with my go-to over the knee boots and a couple pairs of recent purchases. We do have some nicer dinners planned so I’m going to pack a simple pair of black pumps as well.

Hunter Packable Rain Boots

Check this out. These Hunter boots are travel-friendly! Why? Well you can roll and fold them up! Gamechanger when it comes to packing.

The post What To Pack For A Fall Trip To Europe appeared first on Katie's Bliss.

After getting back from our trip to Italy and the Amalfi Coast, so many of you requested I put together a guide on how to plan a trip with multiple destinations. I couldn’t believe I even had people asking if I use a travel agent! I wont lie… I felt pretty cool replying it was all “me, myself & I”  to those messages

I used to find planning longer trips incredibly intimidating. Just thinking about having to book multiple flights and even deciding where to go would get me so flustered that for years we only did smaller getaways to resorts or single cities. 2017 was the year my travel confidence finally began to grow. I had the opportunity to attend two international group press trips, one to Finland and another to Serbia, where I was able to experience an extended itinerary with multiple stops. Then last December Nick and I finally pulled the trigger and planned our 10-day holiday trip to Paris, Bruges and Amsterdam.

OMG. We came back from that adventure with so many questions for ourselves. Why did we late so long? What were we so afraid of? Is getting from place to place abroad really that simple? I know it sounds cheesy, but for the longest time I had let my fear of what could go wrong hold me back from really getting out and exploring the world.

Now I’m by no means claiming to be a seasoned travel expert, but with a few multi-city trips under my belt (that were all pretty stinking awesome!) and another one coming up soon I feel confident in my planning process. It’s a team effort between Nick and I. We split responsibilities and try and plan as far in advance as possible. It’s not always easy and the need for getting blog content can make things a bit more complicated, but once you’re there and experiencing everything falling into place the stress and time spent planning feels totally worth it. Here’s how we do it!

How To Plan A Trip With Multiple Destinations

PHASE 1 RESEARCH

figure out the length of your trip

How long you can be away from home and what can feasibly be done in that timeframe are probably the first things you’ll have to ask yourself when planning a big trip. While I’m self-employed, Nick has a traditional day job (luckily with generous vacation time!) so we normally aim for a 10 day getaway, ideally when there’s a 3-day holiday weekend. We’ll take an overnight flight on Thursday or Friday after Nick gets out of work and then come back the following Sunday or Monday. This way he doesn’t have to take more than 5-6 days of vacation and gives us enough to hop to multiple destinations abroad.

choose a priority destination

We like to choose one place that we absolutely have to go (i.e. Paris or Positano) and then plan additional stops around it. Once you make up your mind about what destination is your top priority everything else will start coming together. I usually will just Google keywords looking for example itineraries and travel guides to give me ideas of what other stops would make sense. I’ll look into the time required to get to another destination, the transportation options, how much hotels cost in that area, what activities or attractions a spot can offer and then just start narrowing down from there.

research prices & adjust stops + trip length accordingly

Going along with my point above, usually our top priority destination is also the one where we know we’ll be spending the most money. For example I’d originally thought we’d go to Capri after Positano, but after discovering how insanely expensive the hotels are and knowing we’d have already spent the bulk of our budget in Positano, we decided to end our trip in affordable Ischia instead. Flight prices can be a deciding factor too. We chose to go to Amsterdam on our final stop in December because the flights coming back to the U.S. were so much cheaper than many other European cities at the time.

get a credit card that rewards you

Signing up for a credit card with a generous rewards program was a total game changer. I have the Chase Sapphire Reserve card and I’m absolutely obsessed with it. In less than six months I’ve been able to pay for multiple flights with just points thanks to this credit card and no, I didn’t need to spend a small fortune to do so. With this card you can earn 3x points on any travel or dining purchase worldwide. Even if you don’t travel extensively internationally it’s a great card because things like Uber and food delivery services like Seamless are eligible for earning 3x points.

Other benefits that come with the Chase Sapphire Reserve include a Priority Pass Lounge membership giving you access to 1000+ exclusive airport lounges. This means no longer having to wait at the gate for your flight. As a Priority Pass member you’ll find there’s an accessible lounge at pretty much every major airport which usually include free food, alcohol and wifi, comfortable seating and sometimes even showers and sleep pods. The lounge we waited in before our flight back from Rome was INSANE. Nick took a shower in the most amazing bathroom and we gorged ourselves on made-to-order pasta without paying a dime!

The $450 annual fee is a little scary, but trust me the money you’ll end up saving via the perks will completely outweigh the fee. Right off the bat Chase will give you a $300 travel rebate– basically $300 for free credited right to your statement when they see you’d made an eligible purchase like a flight, hotel booking, car rental, etc.. The $300 rebate is  something you’ll get every year at the time of when you signed up for the card. Chase will also reimburse you the $100 application fee required for TSA Precheck or Global Entry. When I applied for Global Entry I saw the $100 fee credited back to my statement a few days later.

When I add up the $300 travel rebate, the $100 global entry reimbursement and the $2000+ worth of flights I’ve booked using points– it’s obvious to me that this card is more than worth the $450 annual fee. FYI this is NOT sponsored nor am I working with/in touch with Chase. I would never recommend a credit card to you guys that I didn’t actually use

PHASE 2 BOOKING & PLANNING

create a detailed itinerary

Once we’ve booked the big things like flights and hotels, I’ll create a massive word document breaking down each day of the trip in a clear, organized outline. I love a good detailed itinerary (blame it on my PR days) so in this document I’ll include everything. I’m talking flight arrivals/departures, confirmation numbers, check out/check in times, hotel addresses/phone numbers, any planned excursions, dinner reservations, etc.

The last thing you want to do when you’re traveling is have to search through your email for a confirmation or look up museum hours so taking the time to put all that info in one place can be a lifesaver. I usually will make the itinerary in Google Docs and add Nick as a collaborator so he can access it and make changes. I’d also recommend bringing both a print copy and saving your itinerary as a PDF to the Books or Pages app on your phone so you can access it without wifi.

make a custom Google Map for every stop

I always get asked how we’re able to see and do so much in one day when we travel so here’s the secret. Before our trip to Europe in December, Nick came up with the idea of creating a custom digital map for each city we were visiting pinpointing our hotel, public transpo, attractions, restaurants, bars, bakeries, photo opps, etc. You can do that?

^ Here’s a peek at the map we created for when we went to Paris!

Yep using Google Maps you can specify a location and drop “pins” on any point of interest. It’s awesome because you can categorize your pins by color– GREEN for restaurants, PURPLE for museums, YELLOW for monuments, RED for cool spots we know we want to get a good photo, etc. We’ll not only include everything we know for sure we’re going to, but a bunch of backup activities and dining options. If something ends up being closed or we get somewhere and realize it’s not what we thought, we can just pull up the map and have multiple plan B ideas ready to go. Similar to Google Docs, you can share your map with other collaborators so Nick and I will work on these together in the weeks leading up to a trip

PRO TIP: Before your trip make sure you download your maps to the Google Maps app so you can access them on your phone without wifi. No internet = no problem.

how to find cool things to do + photo opps

Gathering content and taking photography is always a top priority when we travel. Even if you’re not a blogger, who doesn’t want to flex for the ‘gram when you’re on awesome trip?? Beyond just searching Google for travel guides and example itineraries, I’ll also go into detective mode on Instagram and Pinterest when planning a trip. I’ll search travel hashtags and see what people are posting in every location for ideas of what to do and interesting places to see. The spots that catch my eye I’ll screenshot so I can look up reviews and if I think it’s worth visiting I’ll add it to our map. If there’s an attraction or monument we are considering visiting, I’ll go to Instagram and see what photos have been posted from the exact location to get an idea of the best angles for photography.

^ Before any trip I’ll browse hashtags and specific locations on Instagram and Pinterest to get inspiration and see the best angles for photography

Before we went to Paris, Nick found an awesome list of the best non-touristy spots for photographing the eiffel tower on a forum for professional photographers. If I come across a photo of a really cool-looking street or somewhere that doesn’t have an exact address, usually I’m able to figure out where it is by doing a reverse Google Image search. If it’s a popular or often-photographed destination, the search will be able to tell you what is is or show you similar photos which likely will lead you to info on the exact location.

Doing all this takes some effort and requires getting a little scrappy, but putting in the work ahead of time will make getting good photos on your trip so much easier. I’ll even search “best time of day to visit EXAMPLE ATTRACTION” to plan out when we should to go to a museum or monument. If I hadn’t done research prior to visiting Rome, we never would’ve found this ivy-covered ice cream shop (that I originally discovered on Pinterest) or shot these amazing photos where it looks like we had the Trevi Fountain to ourselves.

book accomodations

My favorite website for finding and booking hotels is Booking.com. It’s incredibly easy to use and you can filter accommodations by really detailed parameters like budget range, location score, star rating, distance to popular attractions, property type aka hotel or bed&breakfast, amenities (wifi! parking!)– the list goes on. Once you put in your date, Booking.com will show every hotel with availability and the prices of every room option. You can also see all the reviews left by previous guests. I also really like how Booking.com clearly calls out if a room is non-refundable or if there’s a certain date by which you need to cancel– I can’t stand when sites try to hide cancellation policies or extra fees. Everything is just very user-friendly and no-fuss!

PHASE 3 BEFORE YOU LEAVE

print & save screenshots of all important documents

Save yourself the headache and avoid the desperate search for a coffeeshop with wifi by printing and saving all your important documents ahead of time. I like to take screenshots of my hotel confirmations and boarding passes so I have everything saved as a photo. For larger digital documents I’d suggest saving as PDFs and downloading to an offline app like PAGES of iBOOKS. This way you can access them without a wifi connection.

leave your itinerary with friends & family

I always send our finished itinerary with all the details on our hotels, flights, etc. to our family before any trip. It’s better to be safe than sorry and this way your loved ones know where you are every step of your trip.

call your credit card company & bank

If you don’t travel often, make sure you alert credit card and bank that you’re going to be out of the country. A lot of credit cards will automatically deny charges that seem out of the ordinary from your normal activity, so by letting them know ahead of time you can ensure that doesn’t happen.

pack appropriately & check for baggage limits

Before any trip make sure you look up the weather conditions and pack accordingly. To avoid overpacking, I like to bring items I can layer and mix and match. Going to be doing a lot of walking? Better bring a pair of comfortable shoes. Trust me, those cute boots that you thought were comfy won’t feel so great after 8 hours traipsing around a cobblestone-covered European city. For my favorite travel shoes make sure you check out my guide to the best comfortable footwear. Sidenote: these are THE BEST sneakers ever. I no joke wear these 75% of the time on every trip!

Also make sure you look up baggage limits for your airline! We made the mistake of not doing this before our trip to Italy and arrived at the airport only to find out our carry-on bags couldn’t be more than 25 pounds. If possible, I’d wear your clunkiest shoes and heaviest coat on the plane so these don’t take up weight in either of your bags! If you want to see how I pack my carry-on bag I explain in this post here. head on over to this handy how-to post.

PHASE 4 YOU’VE ARRIVED!

allow for the unexpected + manage expectations

As much as I wish I could map out every minute of a trip and have it all go according to plan, it’s just not realistic. When you’re in a new place for a very limited time sometimes you just gotta be accepting of the things that are out of your control and roll with any itinerary changes. Seeing rain in the forecast the day of your boat tour or arriving at an attraction only to find it’s closed for a private event totally sucks, but that’s why it’s important to have a backup ideas so you don’t have to scramble to figure out alternate plans.

On every trip we’ve taken I would say we’ve only stuck to the originally planned itinerary for 40% off the time. Once you’re somewhere new I can guarantee you’ll decide there are things you want to do differently. The weather could change, you’ll get suggestions from other travelers, you might decide you’re not in the mood for the cuisine of the restaurant where you have a reservation– so many factors could impact your plans.

If you hate the unexpected or are prone to anxiety like me, I would suggest keeping your itinerary open-ended with blocks of free time where you can decide what you want to do on the spot. Of course plan for the things that require reservations or can only be done at certain times, but if you try to map out every minute of a trip you’re going to end up incredibly disappointed. Trust me, I know from experience. I find that I always have a better experience on a trip when I allow myself to be impulsive, versus trying to hold myself accountable to an unrealistic schedule.

Looking for more travel inspo? Then check out these posts!

HOW TO PACK THE PERFECT CARRY-ON SUITCASE

GUIDE TO THE BEST COMFORTABLE FOOTWEAR FOR TRAVELING

7 DAY AMALFI COAST ITINERARY & TRAVEL GUIDE

WHERE TO STAY IF YOU’RE VISITING THE AMALFI COAST

POSITANO RESTAURANT RECOMMENDATIONS

THE BEST PLACES TO GET DRINKS IN POSITANO

ROME ITINERARY

ISCHIA, ITALY ITINERARY

PARIS ITINERARY

AMSTERDAM ITINERARY

BRUGES, BELGIUM ITINERARY

The post Travel Planning Guide | How To Plan A Trip With Multiple Destinations appeared first on Katie's Bliss.

If you would’ve told me three years ago that in 2018 I’d regularly be blogging about travel I would not have believed you. Growing up my family was never the type to do big exotic trips where flights were required. A vacation for us meant going to the Jersey Shore or my grandparent’s lake house in the Pocono Mountains. The first time I ever traveled overseas was my senior year of high school on a class trip to Spain. My family gave me half the money for the trip and the rest was paid for with earnings from my hostess (& sometimes bird suit-wearing) duties at Red Robin Burgers. It’s still crazy to think that ever since taking the leap to full time blogging, I’ve traveled to more places in two years compared to if you added up everywhere I went my entire life up to age 25.

Items Pictured // Rolling Luggage | Camo T-Shirt | Grey Shorts | Sneakers | Packing Cube Set

Now I’m by no means some advanced travel pro, but I have picked up a few tips and tricks that I’ve found incredibly helpful and make the packing process much smoother. Having a great trip involves not only a lot of time spent planning, but also your hard earned money. The last thing you want to deal with when you’re far from home is realizing you forgot a necessity or not having any extra clothing in your carry-on when you find out your checked luggage didn’t make its connection. The latter is personally one of my worst fears, which is why I am meticulously strategic when packing my carry-on suitcase.

Wanna see how I do it? Well just click PLAY on the video above to see me pack from start to finish! I also explain a few of my go-to packing hacks, plus my favorite space-saving items and international travel necessities. Please enjoy the video and don’t forget to subscribe to my YouTube Channel if you haven’t already

LUGGAGE & PACKING ESSENTIALS

Rolling Luggage | Packing Cube Set | Compression Bags | Hanging Toiletry Bag | 

TRAVEL-FRIENDLY TECH GEAR

Dual Voltage Travel Steamer | External Battery Charger | Pocket-Sized Camera | International Plug Adapter Set | Dual Voltage Travel Curling Iron

The post Video | How To Pack The Perfect Carry-On Suitcase appeared first on Katie's Bliss.

I can’t believe we leave for Italy tonight! We’re making a quick 2-day stop in Rome, however most of our trip will be spent exploring the beautiful Amalfi Coast. I’m basically feeling jump up and down, pee in my pants excited (not literally…) but you get what I mean! For those of you who have asked me to share our itinerary: don’t worry! I’ll 100% be recapping everything in a travel guide and of course posting lots of photos and videos on my Instagram Story while we are there. Whenever I travel I always save everything to my Highlights on my Instagram profile, so you can always look back there if you aren’t able to watch my story within 24 hours.

So why Italy? A better question would be… WHY NOT?! To be honest we planned this trip on a whim back in March. Despite it being spring, New York had consecutively awful winter weather for what felt like a month straight. I think it’s normal for many people to get the “Winter Blues,” but for some reason this year it hit me much harder. Between January and April, there were more than a few moments where I felt depressingly down in the dumps, completely uninspired and asking myself why again do I live in the northeast.

I remember waking up early one morning to another blizzard and just thinking to myself: WE NEED TO GET OUT OF HERE. Luckily Nick was on the same page, so we began looking into what it would cost to fly to a few different destinations on our bucket list. We always like to plan a trip towards the end of May to take advantage of Nick having off for the Memorial Day holiday and after some initial research it became clear that Rome and the Amalfi Coast was going to be our winner. Within a day we booked the flights and I’d confirmed the hotels!

Anddddd now the day of our departure is finally here! Woohoo! Packing for this trip was a lot of fun and way easier than our last big adventure to Europe in December. Believe it or not, Nick and I are actually sharing just one checked bag. We didn’t have a choice last time because our clunky boots and coats took up so much space, but this time we were able to fit everything we needed in our individual carry-on luggage and then our one big extended trip suitcase. If you’re curious about how I pack for long trips, keep a lookout for a post and YouTube video with my tips coming (hopefully!) next week or the following.

Okay enough of me being a chatterbox. Here’s a little peek at some of the necessities on my Summer Eurotrip packing list. PS if you’re looking for specific details on comfortable travel shoes, make sure you check out the footwear guide I posted earlier this week!

Summer Eurotrip Packing List

The post Summer Eurotrip Packing List | Clothes, Shoes, Accessories & More appeared first on Katie's Bliss.

A few of you have asked for my advice on the best travel shoes, so I wanted to put together a little guide to my favorite pairs of comfortable sneakers, flats and heels. Living in a city where my primary mode of transportation is my own feet, I have a bit of an advantage when it comes to testing footwear. Since I walk everywhere, almost right away I can tell if a shoe can be trusted for hours of pavement-pounding or just makes sense to pull out for special occasions.

I’ll also admit. I’m a big baby when it comes to shoes and have absolutely no issues sacrificing style for comfort. Literally by the end of our last trip to Europe I only was wearing these sneakers, despite the fact I’d packed a ton of cute boots and heels. I know, not very “fashion blogger” of me, but hey I’d rather look goofy then be in pain! We leave for Italy on Friday and while I’m still trying to figure out ten days of outfits (wish me luck…) I pretty much already know what shoes I’ll be bringing with me. Gotta start somewhere!

SNEAKERS | I’m not exaggerating when I say that Adidas UltraBoost sneakers are the most comfortable pairs of shoes I’ve ever put on my feet. I know I’ve gone on and on about them before, but truly these sneakers are worth the investment. Not only do I wear them to the gym and for running, but on any trip these are my go-to airport and walking shoe. Every step is like walking on a cloud! They aren’t clunky either– super lightweight and easy to pack. After falling in love with my black pair on our last trip to Europe, I got a second pair in pink

Adidas Superstar Sneakers | Adidas Gazelle Sneakers

If you’re truly against the idea of wearing an athletic-style shoe with all your cute vacation outfits, then consider a low top sneaker. Here are two of my go-to pairs that have never failed me. I wear these all the time for errands and also have packed them for a number of trips! Espadrilles are also a great comfortable non-sneaker option.

Alright, now let’s talk sandals!

FLIP FLOPS | I’ve been a big fan of Havaianas flip flops since I was teen! Havaianas come in almost every color of the rainbow and are made from the most comfortable squishy rubber that’s super durable. If you’re heading on a beach vacay or plan to be on boat, make sure you bring a pair. They make them in mens and kids sizes too!

JACK ROGERS | Okay, so I actually find Jack Rogers to be really comfortable and have worn my flip slop-style sandals for hours when walking on trips. That said, I have friends who think these are the most uncomfortable sandals in the world! My best advice would be to test a pair out at home before deciding to rely on them as your go-to flat travel sandal.

GLADIATOR SANDALS | I really like gladiator-style sandals for traveling. These are great because they stay secure on the foot either with a zipper or buckle. I’m definitely bringing this strappy pair with me to Italy! The brown leather will match with everything and the padded footbed is soooo comfortable.

SLIDES | I didn’t expect to like this pair of studded slides as much as I do, but all spring they’ve been my #1 throw-on-and-go sandal. Surprisingly comfortable!

 Ankle Strap Sandals (under $100) | Espadrille Platform Wedges

HEELS | Now I can’t end this guide without touching on heels. I 100% always stick to sneakers or sandals during the daytime when I travel, but if we have a nice dinner planned usually that means a shower and outfit change into something nicer back at the hotel. I’d personally recommend leaving stilettos or anything patent leather at home (the last thing you wanna do is step in a crack or get scuffs) and opt for wedges or something with a chunky heel. I like these platform espadrilles— very comfortable, easy to walk in and available in a ton of colors! You guys are also no stranger to these under $100 strappy sandals. I’ve worn them a ton here on the blog over the last few months– definitely a pair you could walk to dinner and back in with no discomfort.

The post The Best Travel Shoes | My Go-To Comfortable Sneakers, Flats & Heels appeared first on Katie's Bliss.

I wouldn’t have believed you if you told me six months ago I would travel to Finland to see the Northern Lights, all over the beautifully remote eastern European country of Serbia, the Bahamas for a fun-filled girls’ trip, Aruba for a beach vacay with my boo and to Mexico (twice!) This blog has brought me so many wonderful opportunities, but none that I value more than traveling. I never thought in my 20s I would be hopping on a plane as often as I do now. When I was still in school and would envision my future, I imagined I’d always be working in an office and I’d be lucky to get two weeks of vacation time. It goes to show just how much your life and career path can change with something as simple as starting a blog. I wouldn’t have it any other way!

I absolutely love sharing my experiences traveling. Honestly nothing makes me happier than seeing your feedback when I post about a new destination. It’s so motivating and only makes me want to continue visiting new places. While I love sharing the fun and beautiful aspects of traveling, I wanted to open up today about something much more personal: travel anxiety.

I get it pretty bad and honestly I’m still surprised how much traveling I did over the last few months. I’ve told you guys before about my struggled with chronic anxiety. I was able to stop taking a daily medication in college and to this day use my own methods to cope. It’s very easy for me to manage when I’m home and in a routine, but that kinda all goes out the window when you hop on a plane to a new place in a different timezone with a packed schedule.

Anthropologie Dress | Similar Sandals | Aviators | Kendra Scott Cuff | David Yurman Bracelets

Anxiety can be crippling, but it shouldn’t prevent you from checking things of your bucket list. Here are some of my tactics and tips for overcoming travel anxiety.

TIPS FOR OVERCOMING TRAVEL ANXIETY

Apply for TSA PreCheck & Global Entry to get through security & customs faster. Getting TSA PreCheck was life changing since my anxiety is always at a high on the way to the airport. Now everytime I fly I get to go through a shorter expedited security line where I don’t need to remove my shoes or take out my toiletries and laptop. I applied online (the fee is $85 for a 5 year membership) and then had to go to an in-person background check at a nearby TSA office. It was a relatively painless process and so so worth the effort. Next up I plan on applying for Global Entry so I don’t have to go through the customs process when returning from international travel.

Make sure your friends and family have your itinerary & the contact info for the people you’re traveling with. It always gives me peace of mind knowing that my family has all the details of my travel. Before any trip I make sure to send them my flight information, itinerary, hotel info and the contact info for anyone that will be with me on my trip.

Pack 2 days worth of necessities in your carry-on bag or opt to not check any luggage. My worst travel fear is losing my luggage, so if I’m going on a longer trip I always make sure to pack enough clothing and necessities for two full days in my carry-on bag. If possible, I try to avoid checking a bag at all. Usually I can do this by following my tips for packing light, which you can read here.

Create a very detailed packing list & don’t wait until the last minute to pack. There’s nothing worse than getting to a destination and realizing you forgot something important or having to scramble and purchase a replacement. To avoid this I like to take the time and write out a meticulous packing list of literally everything including clothing, toiletries, medication, camera equipment, chargers, snacks, etc.

Don’t over-plan your itinerary by working in blocks of free time. This might sound odd, but I recommend not overplanning your itinerary and making sure to work in some free time to your schedule. I’ve found that I actually get more stressed and anxious when I have a structured itinerary with literally every minute of my trip planned. No day is ever going to go exactly according to a timeline. Shit happens– tours get cancelled due to weather, you realize a restaurant isn’t what you thought, exhaustion takes over and you need a nap, etc. By keeping my itinerary low-key and amenable to unexpected changes, I protect myself from getting upset when things don’t go according to plan.

Wear your coziest outfit while in transit. I could honestly care less about looking cute when I travel. Feeling comfortable is a security blanket for me so I always wear my softest sweatpants, a t-shirt and sneakers when I’m in transit. If I get anxious, it’s a relief to at least physically be wearing clothing that puts me at ease. I also always bring a sweater or wrap in my carry-on in case I get chilly.

Pack any prescriptions and emergency medication just in case. While I no longer take something daily for my anxiety, I always make sure to bring a prescription medication for short-term relief just in case of an emergency. I also always add tylenol, pepto bismol, tums and melatonin to my toiletry bag so I can avoid unexpected shopping trips to a foreign drugstore.

Bring along an external battery & extra chargers. I always pack at least one external battery pack in case I don’t have access to an outlet to charge my phone. I also bring an extra camera battery, USB cord and international adapter so I can charge more than one item at a time.

Screenshot or print out all important documents in case you don’t have Internet access. Before any trip I screenshot my itinerary, all my boarding passes and any confirmations for hotels, tours, and car pickups and save them to my iPhone camera roll. This way I don’t need to worry about having Internet to access any important information. I’m also old school and like to print out my schedule so I don’t have to constantly be looking at small text on my phone.

Leave important items at home and remember that everything can be replaced. Word to the wise. Leave precious jewelry or anything sentimental that you deem irreplaceable at home. Just don’t even take the chance. I was really nervous leading up to my trip to Finland about bringing my camera and lenses, but Nick sat me down for a big pep talk and reinforced that everything is replaceable. While of course it would suck to lose or break something I invested so much money in, it wouldn’t be the end of the world. Things are just things and the fear of something happening to a belonging shouldn’t hold you back from traveling.

Don’t let stress triggers get the best of you by envisioning everything you’re going to get out of your trip. Try to ignore your intuition and any negative thoughts. Those of us who suffer from anxiety, we naturally have a tendency to think that something terrible is going to to happen. I almost didn’t go to Serbia because I kept envisioning everything that could go wrong and was so fearful of the unknown. It’s important to take a step back and think about how much you can gain from taking a leap of faith, versus just staying home in your safe routine.

Always remember that every experience is what you make of it and sometimes you can learn the most from things that seem a little intimidating. I’ve found that traveling (especially without Nick or a close friend) has actually increased my confidence and self-assurance. Being forced to figure things out on my own while traveling can be scary, but the feeling of accomplishment is worth the struggle. It’s very easy to live in a bubble and rely on the security of close family and friends, but I challenge you that if a crazy out-of-the-box opportunity comes your way don’t let your anxiety win and T A K E  I T.

The post Tips For Overcoming Travel Anxiety appeared first on Katie's Bliss.