Well I’m not sure how it happened to us, but it is officially the end of May.  That means that Megan and my sister-in-law Katie will be headed to the UK this weekend, and Corey and I will be flying to France next friday.  That also means that both Megan and I have been ordering things like there is no tomorrow in preparation for our journeys.  Why is it that when you start to pack for a big trip, you realize you have NONE of the things you need.  What the heck have I been doing up til now with no trench coat, no super comfy jeans, and particularly noteworthy, no carry-on bag that does not make me want to crawl up in the luggage rack and hide from embarrassment.

Packing Essentials:

1) I purchased this trench from Asos because it was reasonably priced and pretty darn good looking.  Be careful if you were looking for a real raincoat because this is not it.  You will get wet.  But be good looking while doing it.

2) So I hate all my jeans (which I think I’ve discussed before) because they are all hideously uncomfortable.  Despite my wariness of skinny jeans, I purchased these James Jeans jeggings (yes you heard that right) and they are pretty darn comfy.  And quite flattering too.  Wonders never cease.

3 and 4) My shoe situation was pretty dire since all of my ballet flats were either falling apart or make me want to punch people in the face from the agony after wearing them for a day, so I took a poll of all of my facebook friends to try to decide which flats to purchase and desperately try to break in before the trip.  The world told me Crocs (who knew?) and Cole Haan flats.  Crocs are so cheap you can’t help but buy them, and I decided to invest in Cole Haan flats as well since all my work shoes are literally days away from breaking into two.  I will let you know after the trip if I love them or hate them, because you can never really tell until you wear them a whole bunch.

5) I have been using an old ugly backpack for my carry-on bag since as long as I can remember.  It was time to upgrade.  So I bought this tote that gets great reviews to hold my laptop, books, and maybe a picnic or two along the way.

6) I won’t lie to you, I didn’t actually buy this crossbody bag, although I did buy a Calvin Klein one that I can’t seem to find online.  But I kinda wish I did because it is just lovely.

7) I need all the books because we have more travel time and layover time than you even want to know.  Everyone keeps telling me to read Gone Girl so I think I finally will.

8) Travel adapters are a major necessity if you are going to another country.  Quite sad to get there and not be able to plug in your laptop.  Luckily, they are super cheap.

9) I am planning on taking a ridiculous number of pictures so I bought a couple of extra memory cards just in case I go overboard.

What are y’alls packing necessities when you guys are getting ready for a trip?