Travel Guide : How to Pack Light

When it got closer to the date for us to go on our Ireland trip, I started to seriously stress about what to pack. How many jackets do I need to bring? Is it going to be freezing? Is it going to be hot? Is it going to rain the whole time? Do I need nice outfits to wear to dinner? Of course I want to have picture-worthy outfits, but I also wanted to dress for the weather. How in the heck do you dress for Ireland weather? That’s when I turned to Pinterest, yet again. Pinterest is seriously my life saver.

My whole life, whenever I traveled, I would always grab my largest suitcase, and I mean large, and fill it to the top with my favorite pairs of shoes and my most cherished articles of clothing. Little did I know, this is a huge mistake. I wouldn’t even wear half of the things I brought. I found myself sticking to maybe a pair or two of shoes and I would always reach for certain articles of clothing that are my necessities.

After moving to Germany, I realized I needed to make a change. I knew that if I would be traveling to all of these different countries, and only have a carry on, then I needed to simplify my packing and make it less stressful.

I have to say, Ireland was an extremely hard trip to pack for, but I made it through 8 days with everything I needed in my back pack. That is saying something, considering the weather there is always up and down. I guess you could say I am a pro now. 🙂

Below are my favorite sites that helped me with my packing process. I hope you guys find some of these helpful in your time of need!

 Jenn

jillianharris.com >> This one helped me especially with Ireland. She gives great tips for how to pack for unexpected weather.

 

goodhousekeeping.com >> 5 biggest mistakes you’re making packing for a trip

 

Avec Amour >> Great post, super helpful!

 

 

GIVEAWAY + Barcelona, Spain Itinerary

Sagrada Familia – Gaudi-designed landmark church

We celebrated our one year, the day we were leaving!

Park Guell – Park with Gaudi’s sculptural buildings. I felt like we were in Dr. Seuss land!

Park Guell

Park Guell

La Rambla

La Rambla

La Rambla

Mercado de La Boqueria – Market with tons of really yummy and really unique food

Mercado de La Boqueria

Isn’t he handsome?

The second part of our Spain trip was spent in.. Barcelona!!! This is one of our favorite places in Europe (including Ireland). We would definitely go back in a heart beat. Barcelona is so incredibly beautiful, exactly what you would expect it to look like from the pictures. Everyone was extremely friendly, they had concerts and festivals going on the whole time, and it was ALWAYS sunny and colorful! Ok, we had maybe a day of rain, but it didn’t keep us down!

We did the Hop On Hop Off Tour and loved it. We had a blast touring the whole city, which is quite huge. I don’t think we would have been able to see all of the major highlights if we didn’t! The market was definitely one of our favorite things to see in Barcelona. It was so big and had so many different kinds of foods. We loved it. We enjoyed some shopping, sightseeing, and strolling the streets through the Gothic Quarter. If you have the chance to go to Barcelona, it’s a must!

Now for the GIVEAWAY! GPS my city and I are giving away 20 FREE promo codes for the Full Version of City Walks Apps, one of the popular iOS and android apps by GPSmyCity. These promo codes work with only iOS devices (Google Play Store does not allow app promo codes).

Giveaway Instructions: (You don’t have to do all of these, but the more you do, the better chances you have at winning!)

1. Follow my blog, twitter, and/or Instagram accounts.
2. Share this post via Instagram/Twitter/Facebook using the hashtag #firstcomesmrs and #gpsmycity, and tag @jennbienkowski. The more mentions, the better!
3. Post a city attraction photo on any and all Social Media and use the hashtags #firstcomesmrs, #gpsmycity, and tag @jennbienkowski.
4. Comment on this post with the city of your choosing. Click here to view the full list of cities!

CONTEST WILL LAST UNTIL FRIDAY, 22ND AT MIDNIGHT! Winners will be announced on my blog, Saturday 23rd!

Thanks for reading and may the odds be ever in your favor 🙂

 Jenn

Ibiza, Spain Itinerary

Where to start?! Ibiza was an incredible trip. It was the first stop on our Spain trip (Barcelona was next), and we absolutely loved it! We wanted this part of our trip to be more relaxing, because we had a lot we wanted to see in Barcelona. We did stuff everyday, but we also spent a lot of time lounging on the beach. 🙂

We stayed at an all-inclusive resort and got to enjoy the beautiful beach in the cove. The resort was absolutely perfect and we had breathtaking views from our balcony, but it was a little far from everything else! Also, the food could have been a little better, but the location was very serene and relaxing and nothing can beat that! They have buses right outside the resort that you can take across the island (It isn’t as far as you might think) to get to the other towns and beaches. We were able to see Bora Bora Beach Club, which was way overpriced but still cool to see! We also took a bus to the Hippy Market for a day trip, which we loved. They sell all sorts of unique things and have fresh juices and food. Overall, Ibiza was a great experience that we will never forget!

Crete, Greece

Crete was unlike anything we expected. We didn’t get the chance to go see the beautiful white buildings in Santorini (sadly), but we did get to see the incredible culture of Crete, Greece.

We visited Chania Old Town. The buildings looked incredibly old which we loved. The streets were lined with all sorts of shops and vendors. So many people were selling amazing things. One of the vendors we met was a lady from Africa that had visited Crete many years back and decided to move there. How cool! Our favorite shop was a honey shop. The owner brought us through the store and let us try samples of honey while explaining how it is made. We left with a few items. 🙂

Other than visit Old Town, we spent our days at the beach and exploring the area. Our hotel was near the beach, so we spent a couple of days laying out under the sun and swimming in the crystal clear, wave-free, water. We visited in October, and the weather was still amazing. The beaches were very empty so it was definitely a relaxing vacation for us!

We tried the Gyros (yum). They put french fries on them which was a little weird though.

We got a pedicure from the locals fish. Yikes! This was hilarious. We kept walking past the stores (there were so many of them) and debating on whether we wanted to try it. We knew if we did, we would definitely never forget it. When in Rome Greece, right? How many people actually get the chance to do this? It tickled and was so weird, but we got a good laugh out of it! And some pretty soft feet, if I do say so myself.

Overall, it was an experience we will never forget.

 Jenn

Ireland: Ross Castle + St. Patrick’s Cathedral

One of the most beautiful places we visited was Killarney. We didn’t stay long, just passed through, but it was breathtaking. Ross Castle was, as you can see, amazing. Again, everything was so green and the scenery was magical! We are so glad we were able to see beautiful Killarney!

^^ St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin

This was one of my must see places. It was even more beautiful than I could have imagined. The park located next to it was stunning as well! We didn’t go inside the Cathedral, but I bet it is incredible.

If you get the chance, add these places to your list to see. You won’t regret it!

 Jenn