GUIDE | a packing list

Packing is always the most stressful part before a long trip. Usually I have no problem as long as the trip is under 2 weeks but when it starts going over a month that's when things get a bit tricky. I'm currently prepping for long-term travel in Europe. I'll be there from August until December and I'll be bouncing around many different countries, which means I have to prepare for all climates.

I've been lucky enough be able to travel a lot in the last few years and therefore have some experience with packing bags. On my first major trip around Europe I was moving one hostel to another every 3 or 4 days and I've learned through trial and error that the key to stress free days on the road is simplicity. I'm still learning how to be a light packer and here's kind of my basic packing list I always follow:

Shirts
3-4 t-shirts in black, white, grey and/or other neutrals. 1-2 long sleeve shirts. I tend to stick to basics like breton or chambray. This way I have a good range of shirts I can wear again and again.

Jacket/Coat
1 light jacket. Preferably something that can withstand a bit of rain

*1 Coat for colder climates

Jeans & Shorts
1 pair of jeans and 1 pair of shorts

Sweater
1 sweater/sweatshirt to layer when it gets a bit chilly. I usually go with the basic grey sweatshirt or a cashmere sweater.

Shoes
1 pair of sneakers (black or white), 1 pair of boots, and 1 pair of flats for dressier occasions, 1 pair of rubber flip flops for showers/beach

Dress
1-2 dresses

Wide Brim Fedora
Leave the beanies at home! They don't keep you warm and they give you bad hat hair. Instead, invest in a wool fedora (even cheap ones at h&m will work). They insulate heat much better, keeping you warmer for a longer period of time, and they look more fashionable ;)

edit: ok so I did buy a beanie while abroad and they do work to a certain extent. But make sure its a tight knit one

Pajamas
1 top & 1 pair of comfy pants

Card Case
One of the most important items on this list!!! So many times I've heard stories of friends getting their belongs stolen while on a trip. Therefore, keeping my wallet hidden away is always my first priority. There are many cities where you have to rely on a metro to train to get around. I keep all my metro passes, a bit of cash, and my student id in my card case so I don't have to take out my wallet as often

Lock
Many hostels have lockers but many don't provide locks so you'll have to bring your own. I usually bring a laptop and camera with me on my trips so it's important to have a good, sturdy lock to keep every thing safe. I prefer combination locks so I don't have to worry about losing a key.

Muji Travel Bag
These little packing bags help you save so much room, and makes it easier to fit everything in your suitcase. Buy 1 for shirts & 1 for trousers

Bag
1 backpack, 1 cotton tote, 1 cross body bag

Pouch/Envelope
To hold all important travel documents so they're all in one convenient location. Nothing worse than digging through your bags at a crowded station looking for bus tickets.

Toiletries & Makeup
Basic makeup (foundation, eyeliner, 1 lipstick etc.), 1 bottle of Dr Bronners soap, lotion, face cleansing towelettes. The trick with toiletries is: the less liquid you bring the better.

Quick Dry Towel
Most hostels will have towels available for hire, but usually at a price of 2-3 euros/pounds. I traveled towel free my first time in Europe but quickly realized the money I spend hiring towels could have bought me a quick dry towel (which costs around $15). I would recommend investing in a XL size. They're pretty compact as well so they don't take up much room in your suitcase

Misc Items
Earplugs, eye masks, vitamins, photocopy of travel documents, sketchbook, chargers, camera(s), external hard drive, laptop, sunglasses, scarf, umbrella, (optional) extra wallet, book

This list is still a work-in-progress and I'll be adding more to it as I go along. I hope this will be useful to someone in the future.

Happy travels everyone!

TRAVEL | tokyo misc ii

Ironic that I'm thinking about my next trip as I'm editing and posting photos of Tokyo. I've still got a bit of work to do in terms of my personal project before I leave. I'm hoping to get it done in two weeks so I can sort out the kinks from the printing process during the last.

In the meantime I've been taking a break from photography. I realised I put aside illustrating and painting for so long, my skills have gotten weak. So along with the photography personal project the next few weeks are strictly dedicated to brushing up my drawing skills again!

In the meantime, here are the last of the photographs from Tokyo I plan to post online. I really liked these miscellaneous moments.

TRAVEL | tsukiji 築地市場

Tsukiji market is just one of those places you have to visit when you're in Tokyo. You don't really have to go to Tokyo Tower, don't really have to visit all the temples..but Tsukiji is definitely worth the trip. The market is famously known for its tuna auctions, which take place in the early hours of the morning (5-6am). It's a once in a lifetime sort of experience–once you've seen it, there is no need to go again. I've visited the tuna auctions the first time I visited Tokyo. Here's the original post from tumblr (2013) & I've included a few pictures (5, 6, & 7) I took from last time.

"Woke up at 3am to catch the tuna auctions at Tsukiji Fish Market. We decided the previous day to group up with a fellow hostel roommate since Kelly and I were still quite unfamiliar with the city. Turns out, waking up at 3am was still considered late, and we ended up being put in group B. This means we didn’t get to see the tuna auction until 5:50-6 in the morning. Tip for any future Tokyo travelers: [1] Go early in your trip (so you’re still jet lagged), [2] bring a book & snackfoods (you will be waiting)."

This time my sole mission was to find awesome sushi at Tsukiji. According to yelp and many other travel guides Sushi Dai and Daiwa Sushi are the ones to visit. However, both restaurants had 3-4 hour minimum waits–even at 9am!!! I wasn't about to spend so much time waiting for sushi so I went for the 3rd best option: { Sushi Sei }. No lines at all, and the sushi was amazing. I couldn't be happier about my decision. And the price was justified for such a tourist spot. I even had enough yen to buy myself an equally delicious green tea soft serve in a random stall inside the market.

I was a really good morning, to say the least.

TRAVEL | tokyo photo diary

Tokyo in 2015 seems so different from Tokyo in { 2013 }.

It was an unpopular opinion, but I wasn't that impressed the capitol of Japan on my last visit to the city. Hm, maybe 'impressed' isn't the right word, but I just didn't like it as much as I had expected to? Maybe it was because the first time I spent so much of my energy jumping from one end of the city to the other searching for those famous Tokyo landmarks. And from what I learned from my trip to { Rome } : tourist attractions are never fun.

This time I took on Tokyo with a whole other mindset: plan nothing. I still had my bookmarks from my previous trip saved in my google maps with some new locations added in throughout the years, but that was about it. No schedule, no sights, and guess what?

I love Tokyo now.

Not to say a schedule of sorts was the root of all my problems. And while I did enjoy my free time wandering about the city I think the thing that really topped off this fantastic weeks were the people I spent my days with in Tokyo. Not only did I get to catch up with old friends from the states, but I also discovered that two of my classmates from middle school were living and working in Tokyo. There were also fellow SCAD folks in the city as well.

The most miraculous part was that none of the meetings were pre-planned—I had no idea they were all going to be there, and vice versa. I guess these are the perks of being an international kid.

This time I stayed in Asakusa again. I couldn't find a hostel I liked more than Khaosan Kabuki on Hostelworld and jumped at the chance to stay there again. Even though I'm not a morning person, my favorite time of day in Asakusa is in the early mornings. It's one of the major tourist destinations away from the city center due to the famous Sensō-ji temple and the Kaminarimon gate. Therefore, this place is usually swarming with people by the time 11am rolls around. But if you're able to wake up early enough to experience Asakusa in the morning, I would highly recommend it because the little streets and tiny shops will charm the socks off of you.

I'm conflicted between my loyalty to Hong Kong's trademark pineapple bun but I have to admit that this melon pan from { Kagetsudō } is pretty damn delicious. Light and fluffy on the inside with a crunchy, sugary, cookie top.

One of my favourite things to do in Tokyo--or in general--is to check out local coffee shops. Not suprisingly, Tokyo's coffee game is on point. There were a few scattered around the city center that I told myself I had to visit. This method of travel took me all around city and off the beaten path. I strolled through countless residential streets on the hunt for a good cuppa, and yes, while some walks were long, I got to visit some neighbourhoods I wouldn't have gone to otherwise

I wish I had been better prepared for Yoyogi Park. It was a beautiful afternoon and every one had picnic gear all packed and ready. Too bad I didn't have a blanket, water, and snacks with me or else I would've spent all afternoon lounging on the grass.

Best part to this story is that Tokyo wasn't even supposed to happen. I had originally booked a flight to Seoul--for the same week—but due to the MERS virus my parents persuaded me to cancel the trip. With no more trip to Korea and so much free time left I decided to book a flight to Tokyo on a whim. At first I was unsure about how it would go but now I have to say it was one of the best decisions of the year!

Lastly, I'd like to give a shoutout to the staff at Khaosan Kabuki Hostel. They are truly some of the nicest people I've ever met. They made Tokyo feel like home and I'm definitely hoping to go back again soon.

photo 18 + 19 by { Tina Leung }

TRAVEL | random

One of my favourite snaps of a random well-dressed stranger at { JiuZhaiGou }