With one of us jetting off almost every month, Archeo has packing down to a science. An informal tally has us visiting Norway, France, Iceland, India, Jamaica, and Ecuador sometime in 2018.
We share a few, unanimous necessities–like scarves from our sister store, Grace on Frances. Gretchen and Margit nestle in cocoons of Himalayan cashmere to keep warm at 28,000 feet, while Ashley (a notoriously light packer) adds style and color to her practical, but decidedly neutral, wardrobe with a Moroccan pompom scarf. Allise taps a similar versatility from Jessica Wertz jewelry and signature Grace earrings. Big readers, we all carry a book along from Books & Books
Little, pampering luxuries while traveling can have big impact. Margit perks up with Jao Refresher and miniature Hauschka products from Besame Mucho, while Allise saves space with double-duty, moisturizing cleanser by Annemarie Gianni from Date & Thyme. Gretchen swears that Kiehl’s lip balm and Clinique’s All About Eyes combat dry, airplane air.
In addition to healthy snacks (from local health food stores, Date & Thyme and The Sugar Apple), we foster wellness with portable water bottles that cut down on wasteful plastic and keep us hydrated; noise-cancelling headphones, and customized vitamin packs from Care/Of . We even bring our own tea, like Margit’s favorite: Paris from Harney & Sons. For a sense of home, Gretchen burns a travel-sized, Henri Bendel candle in Mandarin.
Packing well entails practical decisions as well, like adding extra underwear (you go, Allise) and minimizing shoes (so hard). India advises stashing an emergency contact list, penned in Sharpie, in your wallet, and color copies of the first two pages of your passport. She also brings a pocket-size flashlight, extra Ziplock bags, and an all-in-one adapter plug. Which leads the rest of us to wonder, why not just pack India?
Speaking of packing, we all strive for carry-on only whenever possible, and The Bigger Carry-On by Away Travel wins the best-bag-ever award. Bon Voyage!