Packing for an overseas trip and trying to go carry-on only? That’s a smart strategy for many reasons, including ease of travel and improved likelihood of not losing your luggage. But carry-on only also presents us with some challenges, especially if you’re traveling to multiple locations and doing a variety of activities. Never fear; it can be done! And one of the most crucial steps is choosing and packing your personal bag, the one you can easily slide under the seat in front of you on the plane. Here are the carry-on only personal bag essentials I have in my Away Everywhere bag for overseas travel.
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My Essential Personal Bag for Overseas Travel
I choose to travel overseas with my Away Everywhere bag because it looks polished and presentable, but it also has multiple compartments, several of them spacious and a few of them with zippers. This mid-size zippered tote works beautifully as a personal bag when flying because I can pack it with all of the essentials and then I can slip in my crossbody bag before boarding the plane. That’s key! If you’re flying carry-on only you must be able to condense your luggage, including your shoulder bag, down to just two items when getting on the plane.
The Everywhere bag is constructed in water-resistant nylon with leather trim. It’s 16.3″ x 10.2″ x 7.3″ and is approved for personal bag size. It also has a removable shoulder strap, which I rarely use. I use the trolley sleeve to attach it to the handle of my Away Bigger Carry-On Flex suitcase as I maneuver through the airport. I agree with reviews on the website that the bag is not especially light. But I actually prefer the sturdiness of it, along with the structure. I know some women like to travel with quilted bag, but I find they “grow” too much as I pack and I end up taking more than I should (and struggling to fit them under the seat in front of me).
My Personal Bag Essentials for Overseas Travel
I’ve created a graphic below with a few of my more interesting carry-on only personal bag essentials for overseas travel. But I’ve collected everything I have in my bag in the shopping widget below. And since the widget is “live,” I can keep it current.
I carry my silk and cashmere scarf to wear with dresses on the trip, but it works on the airplane as a “blanket” or a pillow. Once you use a travel sleep mask during a nighttime flight, you won’t travel without one. Since I like to arrive at my destination in the morning, it’s important to sleep on the plane.
That said, I don’t leave home without my Kindle. I’ll need it to help me get a little drowsy. And it’s much easier to pack than a book. I wear compression socks even as I work at my desk some days, so I definitely travel with them. I appreciate that these look more like hosiery than compression socks. But they truly help keep my ankles and feet from swelling as I travel.
And finally, I put little essentials such as hair clips, individually packed lens cleaning wipes and tissues wherever I can find space in my bag. I don’t always travel with a water bottle, but I took this Lifestraw filtered water bottle with me to England since I would need it for hiking. And because I try to eat gluten free these days as much as possible, I packed a few of my favorite snacks for just in case. They’re yummy and filling.
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Blessed for My Day
How are you finishing? Let’s face it, most of us who gather here at Dressed for My Day are in the second half of our lives. We’re on the home stretch. I’m not trying to depress you, but I do want us to think about how we’re living the final years of our lives on earth. Are we finishing well, staying the course? Or are we resting on our laurels and slacking up?
Tucked into the annals of 1 Kings is a small but powerful verse that reminds us that we cannot just coast on in and expect to finish well. Wise King Solomon let up his guard and allowed his devotion to drift away from the Lord and on to lesser things “when {he} was old.” Yeah, it’s not just young folks who mess up. Let’s think on this sobering thought today and ask the Lord to show us if there is anything we’ve allowed into our lives that could turn our hearts after lesser things.
When Solomon was old, his wives turned his heart away after other gods; and his heart was not wholly devoted to the Lord. ~ 1 Kings 11:4