Still in motion

Travel gear I swear by, and what I've been thinking about between trips

I’m still at the front end of my slightly unhinged travel stretch, and it’s already doing its thing. The excitement is still there — but so is the logistical fatigue: long travel days, airport lines, laundry cycles, poor sleep, and the very specific stress of not having a Substack post mapped out. The posts are meant to feel casual. Behind the scenes, I am not casual.

Eleven days between trips. Quite a lot to accomplish, including a mild avalanche of admin and larger life logistics swarming around in the background. When my calendar starts to look like a chaotic game of Tetris, I return to time-blocking — the only system that maintains the illusion that everything is under control. Which, at this precise moment, means I have exactly one hour to finish this post before my morning workout. The system is working great. (It is not working great.)

Below are a few travel systems and things that have become part of my packing strategy. (Some affiliate links are used, which means I may earn a commission if you shop through them.)

And for paid readers, a more honest reflection on the reality of traveling — the glamorous parts, the obsessive parts, and why I’ve been thinking more and more about home lately.

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A few travel things that have made life easier

Packing cubes

I swear by these packing cubes.

At one point I posted a video of myself squeezing seventeen tops into one cube and compressing it. Granted, I had to put nearly my full body weight on it via my knees to get the zipper closed — but it zipped, which is always such a triumphant feeling, immediately followed by the creeping dread of “will I ever get these back in?”

From a previous trip last May to Asia. These packing cubes have seen the world with me.

On the return trip, I designate one or two cubes specifically for dirty laundry, which keeps everything neatly separated instead of turning the suitcase into a chaotic pile of worn clothing.

The oversized tote/duffel (my carry-on cheat code)

My slightly questionable hack for carry-on-only travel is this oversized tote/duffel used as a personal item.

It’s not my chic Row Margaux, but it earns its place through sheer practicality. The bottom compartment fits three pairs of shoes, and then I Russian-doll nest my other handbags inside the main compartment. There’s still plenty of room for my pouch of essentials (still love this one), makeup bag, and my 16” MacBook Pro.

From this perspective, it looks particularly oversized compared to my actual luggage 😅.

I try not to pack it completely full because it is, objectively speaking, enormous and technically exceeds the “personal item” dimensions by a generous margin. But I recently flew on a smaller intra-Europe plane with it and just barely managed to wedge it under the seat.

Pro tip: clip the sides together with a carabiner and the bag collapses inward, suddenly appearing much smaller. A useful optical illusion when airline staff start giving your bag a suspicious glance.

Elastic-waist travel trousers

These elastic-waist trousers from 440ME have quickly become a travel staple.

I wear them on long flights for comfort, but they’re polished enough that I can throw on heels or boots and they pass perfectly well as a real outfit upon landing. I suspect they’re loosely inspired by the much-loved (and much more expensive) Row Gala pants.

Bonus: they’re machine washable, which is a feature I’ve come to appreciate more and more. My only complaint is the lack of pockets, but c’est la vie.

Taken at Madrid airport yesterday during a layover. The boots and trousers, doing their job.

Toteme City Boots

These Toteme City boots may be the single most worn item in my wardrobe right now.

They have that rare combination of being sleek, comfortable, and versatile enough to wear almost anywhere. The heel height is just right: high enough to feel polished, low enough that I can comfortably walk across entire cities in them.

I’ve started packing them for nearly every trip — technically, I wear them as my travel outfit since they take up the most space — because they instantly make an outfit feel more put together than sneakers or flats. Even a very simple combination like jeans, a knit, and a coat suddenly looks intentional.

My only wish is that they had a side zipper for easier on-and-off. If I ever find a successor that can pull its weight like this one, I would love a zip.

Emma Lewisham mini skincare

The mini travel sizes from Emma Lewisham have been a lifesaver for light packing.

I’ve been a longtime fan of her oil cleanser, and the travel set means I don’t have to decant products into those questionable tiny containers that inevitably leak all over your toiletry bag. I’m usually quite sensitive to fragrance in skincare, but hers are subtle and pleasant rather than overwhelming.

Love my minis!

Uniqlo white tees

I now fully swear by Uniqlo white tees.

They’re perfect for layering under knits or sweatshirts, which is how I wear them most often when traveling. A friend recently taught me a hack (apparently this corner of TikTok never found me): wear the tee backwards when layering so the neckline sits higher and shows better.

I used to constantly find myself tugging my sweater down or pulling the tee up to adjust the neckline, and this completely solves the problem. My personal favorites are the Mini tee and the classic U crew neck tee — both extremely simple, extremely affordable, and somehow better than many far more expensive versions I’ve tried.

SURI toothbrush

Possibly my least glamorous travel essential, and yet here we are.

I originally bought the SURI toothbrush because I loved the design, and I have since retired all my previous electric toothbrushes. The brand has kindly sent me replacements since my first purchase, and the newer versions now come with a small travel cover, which means you can leave the entire charging case at home.

One charge lasts three to four weeks, so I don’t bother bringing the charger on most trips. In the carry-on-only world, anything that eliminates extra heft is deeply appreciated.

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All of this talk about packing systems and airport outfits might make it sound like I have travel down to a science. In reality, I am still very much a human person who occasionally finds herself sitting in yet another airport lounge thinking: wow, I am very tired.

In theory, the life of constant travel sounds quite glamorous. And in many ways it is. I get to experience extraordinary places and beautiful properties around the world. There are moments — arriving somewhere new at golden hour, running through a city before it wakes up, eating a perfect meal after a long day of exploring — where I feel very aware of how lucky I am.