Things I Packed for Brooklyn: A Review

Our trip to New York City came up somewhat at the last minute, and we got a decent price on a flight if we didn’t check bags. I think it was $30 to check a bag, which is $60 round trip, and I can think of a lot of things I’d rather do with $60. So this was another trip where I traveled carry-on. I’d give myself an A for this one.

The thing that takes up the most room in luggage is shoes, so I planned my wardrobe around one set of shoes for this trip. They had to be good to walk in, but also dressy enough for the theater. It was a pretty easy choice to take my black booties. I wear these to work about half the time, because they are comfortable and go with everything.

Because of my Disney experience of not having all the toiletries I needed, I ordered a new set of carry-on sized containers for this trip. They worked well, and I was much happier with my skin care this trip than the last one. I’ve also determined that I can store a couple weeks’ worth of facial cleanser or moisturizer in the tiny ones, which will help facilitate travel later this year.

The other thing I ordered for this trip was a new Travelon crossbody bag. (I’m wearing it in the picture above.). I carried a Travelon for our entire 10-week Europe trip a couple years back, and I love their durability but also just how many different compartments they have. This one worked well in those ways, although I will say I don’t love the dark grey color I chose.

The most important things I took were my winter coat and accessories (which I’m also wearing in the picture above). I love my stadium coat from Banana Republic, which I bought at a really good deal. (Unfortunately, unless you’re a petite medium, it’s not available anymore.) It’s warm and comfortable. The collar stands up and hugs my neck, which means I don’t have to carry a scarf. And the snap closures, which at first I was not sure about, are extremely convenient. When we walked into a stiflingly hot store or restaurant, I could have my coat open in seconds.

The headband, although not the most attractive thing ever (but what warm headwear is?), is made from second-hand cashmere. A couple years ago I went to a locally made goods pop-up shop, and a woman there was selling gloves, hats, and headbands she crafts from cashmere she buys at Goodwill. She said the items she buys typically have holes in them, but she salvages the good parts and repurposes them. Brilliant! And the cashmere is SO warm and comfortable!

The one thing I usually take with me and didn’t, and then regretted, was a second iPhone charger. Andrew’s charger didn’t work the first night, which was only a slight problem thanks to my lipstick charger that I did have with me. But I usually take both my chargers, and I didn’t this time, and it would have been nice to have the second for him to use the second night. (Sorry that sentence is kind of a mess.) We did use our phones nearly constantly, either for mapping, or researching restaurants and shops, or paying for things. So the portable charger was really good to have.

My list of New York in the winter essentials, therefore, was: (1) comfortable boots; (2) a warm coat, hat, and gloves; and (3) a charger for our phones.

I only packed one thing that I didn’t use, and that was a t-shirt to sleep in. It turns out that the outfit I wore on the plane there was so comfortable I slept in it both nights.

This was my last trip for a couple months, so I’ll have plenty of time to think about what I’m going to pack for our Spring Break cruise.