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Carry-On Capsule: Winter / Portugal & Lisbon Mini Guide

Winter Travel Shoes

10 tips for putting together a Summer Airplane Outfit

10 Fashionable Cold Weather Essentials

How to Pick the Best Travel Shoes for Europe

How to Layer Clothes for Travel

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  • No, this is not a photo of the arctic front that has hit the Midwest! It’s the massive Perito Moreno Glacier in Patagonia. My family and I visited Patagonia 8 years ago as part of a multi-month long adventure traveling throughout South America and South Asia. The glacier is a stunning sight to behold and I remember sitting and watching and waiting for it to “calve” as huge chunks of ice melted, cracked thunderously and then satisfyingly plummeted into the water. ❄️❄️❄️🥶🥶This image makes me think of destinations that are by their nature cold and cold weather travel. While I love a beach and water and sun I’m not one to shy away from cold weather travel and here’s a few reasons why. 💸💸It's cheaper! There's nothing better than booking a hotel/pensione/air bnb at the low season rate. Depending on where you go, most of the attractions/sites in big cities will still be open even though it's low season. You just have to be brave enough to bundle up and take advantage of lower rates. 🎒🎒⚡️⚡️One of the best reasons is fewer crowds. I don't know about you but I love the feeling that I'm the only one discovering a place or I love just feeling like a temporary local. This is much easier in the off-season when you aren't standing in long lines and battling crowds. Fewer tourists also means that you will get a more authentic view into the place you are visiting. ❄️❄️The third reason for winter weather travel is snow! If you are like me and live some place where snow is a rare occurance - why not travel someplace with a snowy landscape. ✨✨✨And finally you travel slower. I find the pace during winter travel to be slower. This can be a wonderful way to enjoy a trip. Summer travel can get a bit rushed when you try and cram in as many activities as possible. Winter travel means you can take longer breaks in warm and cozy coffee shops and if it gets dark early it's a good time to wrap up your daily travel activities early and enjoy a long, leisurely dinner. ❄️🔥Stay warm friends!
  • Mexico City- you have been on my bucket list for many years. I’m intensely grateful I’m finally here and the fact that I get to experience this with my dear friends @karicrowe and @calliesalls is just pure magic! There are many reasons why I travel and food is definitely one of them. The main mission of our travel crew is to eat all the food and we are off to a good start with a late leisurely lunch @contramarmx. Today we will visit @lacasaazuloficial and I can continue my obsession with Frida Kahlo. Follow along in my stories for more arte, aventura y apetito. Hasta luego amigos! #travelistaencdmx
  • In August I traveled to Colorado to be a part of the support team for a dear friend who was running the Leadville 100👟👟👟. I took Spirit airlines which of course means #carryontravel 🎒🎒is the only way to go. I was able to pack for temperature ranges from the 30’s to 70’s all out of my 40 liter backpack. ✈️ Winter travel does NOT have to mean packing bulky clothing. 🌨🌨The overall strategy is to pack lightweight layers. Start with a base layer. Your options here are merino/ synthetic. Merino is expensive but worth it because it magically resists odors and will keep you warm, I’ve used @ibexwool & @icebreakernz. Layer a long sleeve top and/or sweater over the base layer- this acts as an insulating layer. Then finally your outerwear serves as you final layer of protection🧥. 🧦🧦Wool socks are also essential for cold weather travel-they will keep your feet warm and dry-I love @smartwool, @farmtofeet. Finish off your cold weather capsule with gloves and a hat. (Get more tips by signing up for my free winter travel checklist- link in bio) 
Since I relied on my lightweight layers for my #travelcapsule I even had room to pack my @gorumpl blanket. The blanket kept me super warm during the freezing cold, middle of the night checkpoints. 👟👟🏔🏔🏔It was an adventure in itself driving through the gorgeous Colorado mountains, setting up her mini, makeshift aid station at all the checkpoints and getting a glimpse into the world of #ultrarunning. 🏃‍♀️It was so inspiring to see my friend @karicrowe cross the finish line. It made me think about all the BIG goals that are possible with planning and hard work 💫✨⚡️. #travelista
  • What’s the coldest you have ever been? 🥶🥶. The answer for me is easy, I will never, ever forget. The night I spent in this, oh so charming, safari tent at @elcosmicomarfa in Marfa, TX. It was early January and we were on a road trip through West Texas and we thought it would be fun to stay in these Safari tents. I knew it was going to get cold but I had no idea that I would endure a freezing night of 17 degree temperatures. ❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️. The tent did have a heated blanket but that was it. I slept in all my warm clothes and a beanie. In the morning the condensation from my beanie had turned to frost- WHAT!!☃️☃️It was so cold the liter of water I had in the tent had also frozen solid. 🧣🧤 My husband, the avid camper and perpetual Boy Scout, says that being cold is a “gear problem”. If you read any of my blog articles you'll see that I've actually adopted many of the techniques and products that campers and backpackers use and applied them to my packing light philosophy for cold weather packing. Don’t worry, you won’t look like you are ready to base climb Everest but you can still be cute AND warm. HINT: it’s all about your base layer. So if you totally want to geek out with me on merino wool base layers head on over to the blog. OR sign up for my Winter Packing Checklist and Travel outfit planner by clicking on the link in bio and you will get a tidy digest of all my winter packing resources and a bonus holiday packing guide with a #travelcapsule curated for holiday travel. #travelista #travelistablog
  • Do you want to know THE hardest working item in my last #travelcapsule? It was my tennis shoes! 👟👟Does anyone else remember traveling through Europe when sneakers would have been a big time No-No?! Not the case anymore! Literally everyone and their grandma were wearing sneakers and I followed suit. 🎒🎒 I had originally planned to change into booties in the evening but there was never any need. I wore them every day all day through the evening - I only ended up wearing my booties on travel days because they are heavier than the sneakers. ✨✨✨⚡️⚡️⚡️ These sneakers were an impulse investment from @otbtshoes and I justified them because I knew I would integrate them into my “everyday capsule”. I can happily report that I have worn the sneakers on heavy repeat since returning home, so they were definitely worth the last minute investment.  Comfortable footwear is super important while traveling. A good trip will always rely on your footwear. Blisters and aching feet will definitely affect the quality and momentum of your trip. For example, I love my Target booties but I wouldn't risk bringing them on a trip that involved a lot of walking. (Photo taken @mocomuseum)
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What are your go-to travel shoes??!! Share below!
  • 🎒✨Links for items in this capsule are on the Travelista blog🎒✨⠀
You would think that at this point I would have my #travelcapsule dialed in and ready to go at all times. Not so much! ⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⠀
Instead of panicking, I took a breath and referred to my checklists and worksheets from the Carry-On Capsule Kit to help me pack. ⠀
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I brought in color and pattern in with accessories. A leopard print scarf and splashes of red with a belt and silk scarf. ⠀
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Once in Europe, I felt comfortable and stylish in my travel outfits. I even got complemented in Amsterdam. This is the whole reason why I started Travelista and  the Carry-On Capsule Kit, to help you pack the right clothes for your trip so that you can feel confident. Packing less does not have to mean sacrificing style. ⠀
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Most importantly, I did not at all feel weighed down by my luggage. Once I landed in Amsterdam, I had to take the train and then metro and then walk 3 blocks to my hotel. This was not an issue with my backpack. Maneuvering on a crowded metro bogged down by heavy luggage would not have been as easy. ⠀
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Also, the staircases in old European hotels are ridiculously steep and most of them have no elevator. So trust me when I tell you that you do not want to be lugging 40 pounds of luggage up 5 flights of stairs. ⠀
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Also while waiting for the train from Amsterdam to Paris at the last minute it was announced that the train would be arriving in a different platform. So everyone had to move quickly to make the train. Once again, this is much easier the lighter your load. ⠀
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Traveling in Europe requires a different mindset than traveling in the US and it’s a much better experience if you pack light. Do you travel with just a carry-on #teamcarryon? If not, what’s stopping you?
  • 🤔When it comes to your travel style - Are you a planner #teamplan or #teamnoplan? Believe it or not this affects how you pack. 🎒🎒
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The more clarity you have on your travel activities the easier it is to put together your travel capsule. SET ITINERARIES give you theroadmap.  A set itinerary makes planning your #travelcapsule easier because you can plan travel outfits around specific, planned activities.
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When you’re not clear on your activities it’s too easy to throw in a bunch of random clothes in your suitcase and hope for the best🤷‍♀️. So, what do you do?! First off don’t fall into the “just in case” trap, instead think in terms of general travel activities or contexts and choose your #travelclothes based on those activities. For example: sightseeing, hiking, nice dinners, bike rides, wine tastings, etc. 🎒 🎒Since my last trip happened so quickly I planned nothing and therefore had to use general travel contexts as my framework for packing. That along with the weather help me determine which clothes to pack. So when you are looking at the pile of clothes on your bed trying to figure out what to pack and what to leave ask yourself if it fits into your travel contexts and expected weather conditions. ✨ ✨
One of the things I did end up doing in Amsterdam was taking a night time canal ride (where I took this photo). I normally don’t do the “touristy” things but this was an enjoyable evening. I loved seeing all the houseboats and get a bit of sneak peek into how people live on them. ⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️
If you need to get CLARITY on your packing needs follow the link above to download your copy of the Carry-On Capsule Planner. Who doesn’t love a planner?! This is a mini-version of my Carry-On Capsule Kit and it will help you PLAN your travel capsule to fit your travel activities. There’s even an OUTFIT PLANNER and fillable checklists.
  • 🚃🚉 It’s so easy to get around Amsterdam with trams and metro stops everywhere. Comfortable shoes are essential because there’s a lot of walking to get done. 👟 👟👟Tennis shoes are #ontrend right now which makes it more than acceptable to include them in your #travelcapsule. And everyone and their grandma in Europe seems to be rocking the sneaker look with everything from jeans to dresses to tights and dresses. ✨ ✨✨I paired my @otbtshoes Snowbird Sneakers with  these super comfortable Gramercy Track trouser wide leg pants from @athleta from my #travelecapsule and threw a leather jacket on top of my striped top for a little European flavor. It’s been unseasonably warm in Amsterdam which has made exploring so pleasant  and light layers are the way to go. If you need extra support in your shoes you can always add inserts, I’ve been using @superfeet inserts this trip and I’ve had no issues and I’ve done tons of walking. 🎒✨#travelistainamsterdam #europetravelcapsule #travelcapsule #travelista #packlight #carryontravel #carryontraveller #europetravel #vsco #vscofilter

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