Cowboy's Sweetheart

 

Deb Trotter’s Italian Carry-On Bag

I must admit, I had my doubts about travelng to Italy with just the basic essentials. Italy is, after all, one of the world’s fashion capitols. I had visions of Sophia Loren,  Gina Lollobrigida, and Elisabetta Canalis studying me beneath their Ray-Bans, secretly thinking, “Mama Mia! Cowgirl Boots?”

I dreamed of wearing long, flowing dresses and big straw hats – even if I couldn’t bear to ditch the boots. (You know – you can take the Cowgirl out of Wyoming, but …)

I’d studied travel guides, books, and online forums – all of which advised that Italian women do not wear big straw hats. (They also said that Italian women seldom wear hats at all – but being of fair skin and skin cancer mind, I decided I should take one anyway.)

I’d read and heard a lot about how I would be much happier in the end if I packed light – as well as how much peace of mind I would gain knowing that I wouldn’t have to worry about lost luggage (which is more and more of a problem these days.)

A friend of mine who went to Italy with her husband last summer told me to choose versatile, practical clothing; comfortable shoes; essentials like underwear (underwear is one of my essentials, anyway); and sunscreen.

But her last bit of advice was this … After you’ve chosen what to take in your ONE great carry-on bag, take out half of everything you’ve packed and head for Italia.

Wait! Did she really say ONE carry-on bag? Auuuuugh! The Horror. But my friend is a savvy gal – so I believed her.  Thank God.

First, I researched the required size and weight for carry-on bags on International flights and discovered that they may differ from carry-ons dimensions acceptable for flying inside the good old USA.

The acceptable dimensions of an international carry-on bag for my airline (Lufthansa) was no more than 20″ wide or tall. The exact size may change with another carrier – so give yourself time to check – and do it well before you leave in case you need to purchase a bag. The ones I had on hand were either too big or too small.

I also discovered that my carry-on could weigh no more than 17 pounds – including the weight of the bag. Whew. Can you imagine checking in and discovering that you’d have to throw something away or check you bag after all that work? So, I decided – NO WHEELS. They usually add from 2 to 4 pounds to the weight of the bag itself. And just to be safe, I drove to Wally World and bought an inexpensive luggage scale.

Finally, I purchased the fashion-forward, roomy bag in the photo at the top of this post (the matching bracelets were totally NOT Deb Trotter style.) I also threw in a flat nylon fold out bag for larger gifts or must-haves to bring back to the US – in which case, I’d have had to check at least one bag in and risk its getting lost. I took it anyway – just in case – but never ended up using it.

The airline allowed passengers to carry a personal item as well – so I chose a medium sized leather handbag where I stashed my kindle, a paperback book, several snack bars, tylenol ( and a bottle of water – purchased after I got to the airport. ) I considered taking my small Macbook but decided I was going on a REAL vacation with my family – so, no computer stuff.

BEST thing I EVER did.

After about two days of walking around in Rome, seeing all those poor people lugging huge suitcases down cobblestone streets … and after several more days of realizing that I wanted to wear the same favorite skirt and top over and over again … I got it.

You really can travel to Italy in the summer and live it up with just one carry-on bag.

Here are the final items I chose to pack …

1. 6 short-sleeved tops – 2 of them dressy
2. 1 black skirt & 1 black pair of travel pants – both washable, that dry overnight
3. 1 pair of gray J Jill capris
4. 1 J Jill gray sweater
5. 3 pair of comfy shoes (2 walking sandals & 1 dressy sandals)
6. 1 pair of Old Gringo Cowgirl Boots
7. 1 Rick Steves Silk Neck Wallet
8. 2 Rick Steves Adaptors
9. 2 pair of thin socks, 6 pair of underwear, 1 bra, and 1 Spanx Skinny Britches Skort (great under a skirt in the summer)
10. 1 pair of Magellan’s Support Knee Highs
11. 5 liquids inside a 1 quart-size zip-it plastic bag ( shampoo, , toothpaste, mascara, lipstick, & make-up remover towelettes )
12. Sunscreen powder
13. Accessories (1 packable hat, 1 scarf, 2 pair earrings, 1 necklace, and a fake diamond wedding ring – helpful if you’re young and beautiful and want to avoid unwanted attention – or if you’re a “mature woman” like me who feels naked without her wedding ring but would rather not wear the real thing)
14. my iPhone, point & shoot Nikon camera, small wrap-around shoulder handbag, $300 in cash, one credit card, and of course – my Passport (as well as a copy of my Passport)
15. Art Supplies – moleskine sketch pad, travel journal, drawing pencils, & fav battery operated eraser

Eventually I threw out some items that I realized I’d never use, that hurt (shoes), or that were proving burdensome. You’ll hear more about this in several other posts …

• Lessons From Italy #3 – Fashion For Dummy Tourists In Italy
• Lessons From Italy #4 – In Italy, It’s All About The Shoes.)

See you next Monday for Lessons In Italy #2 – Facing Customs: How To Get In And Out Of Italy The Easy Way. And don’t forget about Wild West Wednesday, pardner.

‘Til Then – Happy Trails!

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Deb Trotter ~ Cowboy’s Sweetheart