My last visit to London was back in sixth grade — so honestly, it felt like my first time there!
This April I traveled for work with Slow Factory for their first International Study Hall Conference — a fitting way to honor Earth Month!
As many of you already know … I LOVE to travel. So far, I’ve been to Ghana, Sri Lanka, Delhi (India), Barcelona, Morocco, Paris, Puerto Rico, Dominica Republic, Cozumel (Mexico) and Belize just to name a few. For me, as a sustainably minded explorer - it’s become increasingly important to travel as minimal as possible while still having the necessities to look good and feel good.
In January 2018, I flew to Barcelona (via Norwegian). I was forced to travel with just a carry on and personal item … unless I wanted to pay hella extra. Well … since I’m a combination of cheap, chic and broke - I travelled light for the first time and I haven’t looked back!
With just a carry on - I’ve had to become creative, consciously crafty and resourceful when it comes to how I pack!
Plane Attire
Plane attire is always focused on layers!
I always bring a pair of joggers - SATVA’s GOTS Certified organic cotton joggers are my Go To’s.
Additionally, I will always wear or bring a duster (I have several) and this vintage camel-colored one is my absolute favorite.
A hat (or several) and reusable water bottle are amongst my Ride or Die accessories that always accompany me on the plane!
Since I was packing for London in the Spring season … the goal was to have layers and for me that included stylishly warm hats, scarfs and heat tech turtle necks. Because the weather fluctuates - I brought pairs of shoes including a pair of versatile slides!
A few sustainable brands I wore in London:
Tencel Burnt Orange Ankle Length Skirt - Mimi Miller
Bamboo Jumpsuit - Free Label
Floral Dress and Floral top - Mara Hoffman
My outfits looked so good against the London Landscapes - I loved it!!!
However, I think sometimes the hardest part about traveling is making sure that you have all of your self care and beauty essentials. For me, I LOVE reusing old containers that have become a staple travel essential. For example, this tin container was once a Love Notes candle and it literally is my favorite jewelry holder. I’ve had since 2017 …
The absolute essentials are moisturizer, tooth brush and soap. I hate using the hotel/air bnb soap and lotion because it usually is terrible for my skin. So I always bring my own moisturizers, a little goes a long way. Eugenia Shea makes the perfect travel sized shea butter - it’s only 2 ounces! Additionally - I love bringing bar soap instead of liquid because it’s so much more compact and I simply try to bring the least amount of liquids as possible. My favorite soap bar is palm oil and coconut oil free - and it’s by Terra Tory. And of course, I travel with my bamboo toothbrush by Simplified!
When it comes to the rest of my toiletries - again I keep it super small and super simple. I use a soap that can also double as a face wash. I use the AMAZING smelling Sanre eye cream as my face moisturizers. I use a variety of oils that again come in compact containers. I have a conditioner by Happy Place that I believe was s sample size and has been a great travel size container since I don’t have much hair LOL. Also, as I’m sure you can tell - I try to travel with the least amount of plastic - although the glass adds a little more weight - it just makes me a happier human being to only bring plastic when I absolutely need it.
MINIMIZE
SINGLE
USE
PLASTIC
Last but not least - I always bring a reusable set of utensils. I have a beautiful bamboo set made in Bali by Yasminida that I love! Food is probably my favorite part of traveling lol - so when I can, I minimize single use plastic because I eat on the go pretty often.
I didn’t cover EVERYTHING that I brought in my suitcase for this trip… I just wanted to share a few of my favorite essentials. As I continue to travel - I will be sharing more and more of my sustainability tips!
Overall - I had an exceptionally great week long trip. London was amazing with beautiful backdrops and bomb fish and chips. I would say the most important thing to remember about London, unless you’re traveling in the dead of Summer is, pack layers! Similar to New York - London can go from rainy and dreary to sunny and beautiful in a matter of minutes!
Until next time …
