My Top 10 Travel Must-Haves

At last, summer ’17 is upon us. It’s adventure season, baby! I am currently having the time of my life exploring Portugal and feeling beyond blessed. Here are the 10 things I couldn’t survive without while traveling:

Backpack: I had to start with this one, because it’s where I stash all nine other items. As much as I would love to carry a designer tote around at all times, this list is just too long, and the items are just too bulky for any other bag. Remember: practicality is key. While traveling, my Herschel backpack is a must. Not only is it spacious and comfortable, it’s also pretty rad and matches just about everything.
Refillable Water Bottle: First of all, it is incredibly expensive to continuously buy water bottles, and as a college student, I’m balling on a budget. Secondly, a day of walking up cobblestone streets and drinking wine will take it out of you, but having a bottle at all times will remind you to keep sipping on the good stuff—H2O. Lastly, I would like to encourage everyone to buy a reusable water bottle for the sake of our environment.
Sunscreen: Sunscreen wears off throughout the day. Keeping a travel-sized moisturizer with SPF will not only protect your skin from the harsh UV rays in a foreign land, but from the sunglass-shaped sunburn that will permanently mark you as a tourist.
Face wipes/spray: This is an item on the list my family always makes fun of me for, but my I prefer that my face stay clean and refreshed all day. My personal favorite is Breath of Fresh Air by Lush, because who doesn’t love a good spritz of grapefruit and tea tree water amidst a long day of adventure.
Journal and pens: This is a must. Regardless of where I am, I always keep a journal handy. It’s where I jot down ideas, frustrations, dreams, aspirations, etc. My fellow writers, you understand the release that is journaling. For traveling, it is the perfect way to pass the time on a plane or train. If you don’t journal, I would highly suggest starting one on your next trip. There is nothing like sitting down with a coffee and delving into some introspective thought, whether it be at a local Starbucks or a cafe in Europe. I can hear the accordion in the background now…
Sunglasses: If you know me, then you know I don’t go ANYWHERE without my sunglasses. They’re like my own little shield from the sun, as well as the rest of the world. I tend to buy ones big enough to cover my eyebrows so I can throw them on and forget about makeup if need be.
Books: My favorite escape. A few of my favorite reads right now are:

Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur
Not That Kind of Girl by Lena Dunham
Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult
Bel Canto by Ann Patchett

8. Headphones: Because you never know when you’re going to need the sweet sound of Justin Bieber singing “Despacito” in your ears.

9. A Passport Copy: Better safe than sorry.

10. Camera: Like my attitude, my cameras come just about everywhere I do. I usually bring along my Canon 70D DSLR, my Gopro, and some disposables. For anyone looking to get into photography, my biggest tip would be to bring a camera EVERYWHERE. It may seem like a hassle at first but you miss all the shots you don’t take, and that is what item number one is for.