Packing For 2 Weeks In Europe: How I Did It

I'm still compiling all of our photos together from our trip and I'm busting at the seams to share them! 

First I wanted to share a little about packing for this two week trip.  When we first started the planning process, I started making some new purchases.  I couldn't wait to wear my new outfits while strolling the streets of Italy!

Then came the text.

"Hey baby, I just got some really good advice.  We're going to be taking backpacks instead of luggage on our trip."

I nearly dropped my coffee cup.  After I spit out my coffee.  Husband's outta his dang mind.

(And he ended up being SO spot-on with this advice.)

We were going to be doing a considerable amount of walking and train travel during the trip, and the thought of pulling rolling suitcases over stone streets in crowds and hoisting them up on train racks was less than appealing.  So I gathered my courage, broke out of my comfort zone, and borrowed a hiking pack from a girlfriend.  Things were about to get interesting.

When packing for two weeks, we considered what could be easily washed, dried and reworn.  Items that were bright enough to help us find each other in crowds yet neutral enough to mix and match.

I started out by laying out things I wanted to wear on the bed.  Ian did the same thing on our guestroom bed.  Here's the basics of what I packed:

Shirts/Tops
Black spaghetti-strap tank, black tube top for layering, orange tunic, 2 thin cardi-wraps, black short-sleeved peplum shirt, long-sleeved chambray shirt, 3 sleeveless shirts/tanks, 3 sleeveless blouses for evening

Shorts/Pants
White denim capris, black leggings, black yoga pants, navy shorts, khaki shorts

Dresses
Grey short-sleeved maxi dress, black chiffon maxi, black convertible high-low dress, long-sleeved mini dress (got subbed out for the red/white dress in the photo above after a weather check)

Accessories
Casual cross-body bag, gold wristlet for the evenings, gold braided belt, black pashmina, pastel scarf, waterproof anorak, 2 bikini tops with black bikini bottom, black coverup, sunhat, 4 long necklaces, pearl studs, diamond studs, gold hoops, 2 pair large chandelier earrings, wedding earrings for anniversary night

Shoes
Comfy boat shoes (Sperry Top-Sider Audrey in platinum... looooove), gold kitten heels, black/cheetah kitten heels, gold sandals, rose gold high heels, trusty ol' Rainbow flops

The absolute BEST things ever are The Container Store sweater bags which my Mom gave to me a few Christmases ago.  There were three in a pack and they came together in a plastic pack.  I used one for tops, one for pants/shorts, and one for dresses.  The plastic pack they came in was the perfect size for my wristlet, scarf, and belt.  They were total space-savers; my hiking pack was only about half-way full when we left for our trip!  Also, rather than having to dig through the entire pack for a new shirt, I just pulled out the clear bag that had all of my shirts and then zipped it back up.

Here's what I got the most use out of:
Chambray shirt, black leggings, black yoga pants, black pashmina, long pearl necklace, boat shoes, flip flops, cross-body bag.  All of these were worn multiple times ... for example, I wore the chambray shirt over my black maxi dress for our anniversary, and then I would throw it on over my Lululemon pants with flops the next morning to go downstairs for a bite of breakfast.

In retrospect, I didn't need both bikini tops; I probably didn't need three pairs of shoes with heels ... tons of walking; while the sleeveless blouses at night were great in theory, I didn't wear any of the three I packed due to chilly weather!  I also didn't wear the sunhat.  I thought I'd need it for the coast in Italy but I ended up using the chiffon belt that came on the black maxi dress as a head-wrap for the day we went to Capri.

The Tart convertible high/low dress (in blue above; mine is black) was awesome for our last night's dinner in Italy.  I would have worn it more had the weather cooperated!  That's the great thing about convertible dresses is that by tying the top straps different ways, you can achieve so many different looks (I got mine from Rue La La.  Exact style sold here; similar ones here, here, great maternity version here for my preggo friends).

So as high-maintenance as I may seem, this girl went backpacking!  Who would have thought?  I'll be posting a picture this morning on Instagram (@alizadventures) of me with my pack on.  See it to believe it!  :)