12 days, one backpack.

So we're going to be in Turkey for twelve days of sight seeing, basketball watching, sun bathing, and eating. We're also going to be staying at at least three different hostels/hotels, so I wanted to keep our baggage to a minimum since we'll be using public transportation to get around from place to place. This is the longest trip I've done with a carry on, and we'll see how it goes.

One thing about traveling with nothing but a carry on is that you should expect to be a little dirty. I packed some Febreze to mitigate some of the funk factor, but other than that, it's remix city.

Also, I'm pretty sure I've over packed yet again, but I like having options.


So this is my bag, which you can find here. It's not massive, but it's also not terribly small. I really like that it's got a lot of compartments and padded straps, which are nice.


I started with the essentials. I always pack my toiletries first because this is what I'm most likely to forget. I've got my quart-sized zip top bag with liquids, which I'll keep in my purse. Then I have my make up bag and my additional toiletries. Additional toiletries, you ask? I've got a bar of shampoo, a bar of conditioner, soap, and deodorant.


Now for the fun stuff: a swimsuit and a sarong. I chose my most modest swimsuit for this trip. Also, sarongs are the best thing ever for travel. They work as towels, as sheets, as skirts, as dresses, as scarves.... Yeah, they're gifted multi-taskers.


I chose six tops: two tanks (one casual and one fancy), two tee shirts, and a 3/4 sleeve tunic style top. These will be mixed and matched with my bottoms.


I've got three simple skirts: black pencil skirt, brown skirt, and grey jersey.


I'm taking two dresses with sleeves and two without. These might be worn as either shirts or skirts as well if I get either very bored or very creative.


I've got a pair of leggings for covering my knees at some of the sights. I figure I can wear these under my dresses or skirts for a little added modesty. They might also work as sleepwear at some point, I won't lie.


Two sets of pajamas and a giant bag of unmentionables.


A variety of belts for spicing things up. Also, I've got a handful of jewelry that will serve the same purpose. Of course, I didn't get pictures of that....


These cardigans will cover my shoulders for modesty's sake at different locales and will keep me warm if it's a little chilly.

As you can see, I clearly subscribe to the rolling method of packing. I roll things up tightly and layer them in, pretty much in the same order that they're pictured here. I packed the sarong in B.'s bag since I'll use it as a blanket on the plane and want it to be close at hand. I'll also admit to packing a pair of pants in his bag as well. Even though all my research tells me that Istanbul is a very cosmopolitan city and that women dress pretty much the way they do elsewhere in Europe, I may have freaked out and decided I needed a pair of pants so my knees are covered.


All of those things add up to one very full bag.

Oh, and I will not be barefoot. I put two pairs of sandals in the very bottom pocket of my bag and a pair of red wedges in the side pocket. I'll be wearing one additional pair of sandals, which puts me at four pairs of shoes.

I'll be wearing jeans and a woven top on the plane with an additional cardigan and a scarf, so expect those things to be thrown in the mix, too.