Postcards From Ireland Part 3

Packing Tips

Despite growing up with frequent moves and then studying abroad in college for a couple of semesters and focusing most of my disposable income on travel when possible I would still not claim to be an expert packer. Packing is also subjective. Separates are great to focus on because you can mix tops and bottoms to almost no end, but 9 times out of 10 I'd rather wear a dress than a shirt and a skirt, so that sort of tip doesn't work for me. Still I do try to be an efficient packer and there are a few tricks I always try.
-wear your bulkiest items on the plane to save more room in your suitcase; my "airport style" is based around maximum suitcase space saving rather than cuteness
-think variety at least when it comes to shoes & accessories; i.e. one pair of flats, one pair of boots, a cross body bag, a tote, a nice purse for evenings out and choose them in varying colors like one brown shoe, one black shoe

-choose items you can remix; the key to this is thinking ahead and imagining 2 or 3 outfits you can wear each item with before you choose to take it
-why don't you try picking out a specific color palette--like blue, white, and red? if every piece you take goes within that palette you'll be able to combine them endlessly. even choosing a base of black means you can minimize your shoes and jackets and focus on a variety of dresses that will coordinate with those basic pieces.
-focus on taking more dresses/separates rather than outerwear; the same coat day after day doesn't get as old as the same dress
-minimize your beauty routine--I use less skin products when I travel and focus on only packing my makeup essentials, it will also save time in the morning and evenings so you can experience a fuller day

-wear perfume, after a long day tourist-ing it up on foot and stumbling into a dirty hostel there's nothing like being able to smell nice to make you stand up a little straighter--further why not buy a perfume while you are there? scent is the strongest sense tied to memory, so wear it while you're away and it will evoke your travels every time you spritz it when you back home
-pack accessories to keep your basics interesting
-put your jewelry/more fragile items inside your packed shoes to keep them safe during travel
-leave room for souvenirs, if you're going to be gone for a long time (like a semester) consider taking a small duffle bag inside your suitcase to fill with your finds

Tourist Trap

There's a remarkable, resilient quality to being a tourist we don't always appreciate--I mean the way being a visitor to an area makes an arched bridge look detour-worthy and turns a thorny collection of gorse branches into a bouquet. A regular might roll their eyes at that stranger wandering around a mucky field and photographing the underside of an aqueduct but the tourist is happily oblivious, content instead to wander and explore with fresh eyes. Of course, I'm not even the best tourist--I never like my shoes getting too muddy and prefer sights a not-too-far walk from wherever the car can be parked. And perhaps I'm just waxing poetic since we had a different destination in mind and got a bit turned around, but I enjoy seeing people get excited about ordinary things. When I studied in Greece I made a habit of photographing different signs I saw written in Greek--sometimes they were historic plaques, other times graffiti, and I even snapped a few protest banners. I was studying Greek (although I never did that well), but for me it was more about how different and interesting the writing looked compared to what I was used to. Even something as simple as a road sign is rendered a curiosity when you're traveling (as long as you're not the one driving and struggling to decipher it).

Outfit details:

Anthropologie jacket

cardigan ℅ Modcloth

dress via Gilt

Modcloth tights

vintage shoes

Zara purse

*pictures by Thomas

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Mata Traders

Although I don't have a completely green wardrobe I do try to support fair trades companies when I can--whether it be Christmas gifts for family or clothes for myself. This month I'm very excited to be working with Mata Traders, a fair trade company based out of India that seeks to educate, employ, and empower women. Their online shop carries beautiful handmade clothes, jewelry, and home decor. This lovely boat dress (which got a bit wrinkly in my suitcase!) is one such creation from them--a dress made in India, shipped to the US, and finally worn in Loughgall, Northern Ireland; it's quite the world traveler. I definitely recommend checking out their shop which is well stocked with some of the prettiest print dresses and basic skirts.

Outfit details:

Modcloth cardigan

dress ℅ Matatraders

thrifted belt

Modcloth ivory tights

Tabbisocks ivory crochet socks

Seychelles oxfords

Zara purse

*pictures by Thomas

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Back In Ireland

I'm back in Northern Ireland and Thomas has already been showing me his version of "the sights." It's always a laugh when his friends or family ask where Thomas has been taking me to around his country, places like the Titanic museum or Giant's Causeway seem to hover in the air while I blithely reply that he took me to an abandoned mill or jam factory. Of course I am kidding because I will be treated to plenty of castles, museums, and natural wonders during my brief stay and I quite like abandoned buildings. Anyway, it's good to be back and unlike Pennsylvania there are many more signs of spring to be found here--primroses and daffodils dotting all the fields with yellow and small buds on the trees promising further blossoms soon...

Outfit details:

vintage hat ℅ Have Love Will Travel

vintage cardigan & dress

thrifted belt

Tabbisocks socks

Samantha Pleet x Wolverine 1K shoes

Zara purse

*pictures by Thomas

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