I love to travel. I love exploring new countries, experiencing new cultures, and stepping away from the craziness of NYC for a week or two. My longest vacation to date was a month long trip to Paris that turned into a year long stay. Since then, I’ve been trying to make it out of the country for a couple weeks every summer. This summer was a little too hectic to go anywhere, but the summer before, my friends and I did a trip to Greece and Croatia.

Greece had become my top destination after watching The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants in high school and falling in love with the adorable blue and white towns. Croatia wasn’t even on my list of places to go, but it was close to Greece, my friend suggested it, and the few people I knew who went there said it was amazing. We flew to Greece first and it was awesome. We drove ATVs like cars on the street, we hiked up an active volcano, and we rode donkeys up mountains. It was touristy though and it wasn’t all blue and white like in the pictures. Only the island Mykonos really looks like that, with white houses and blue roofs, and that was definitely a shocker. Croatia; however, was beautiful everywhere we went. It also wasn’t a popular tourist spot yet, so we were constantly surrounded by locals who gave us the lowdown of the country. It was an absolute dream vacation, and I am dying to go back.

I’m a really good packer. I plan my outfits beforehand based on the itinerary and pack them in the correct order so that the look I’ll need next is always at the top of my suitcase. I then make a list of every outfit, including accessories, which I cross reference when getting dressed every morning. I always pack a few extra versatile pieces just in case, but my system keeps me on schedule while traveling since I never have to think about what to wear and it means I never overpack. Since everything is so consolidated, I’m also able to fit everything I need into a rolling carry-on that I never have to check. Most people can’t travel the way I do, but it works well for me since the fewer things I have to carry, the happier I am.

Aside from a suitcase, I always travel with a backpack, and I’m really excited to bring my new Timbuk2 one with me on my next trip. I customized the backpack on Timbuk2’s website, choosing a white polyester body fabric with water repellent laminate and black trim. I also added water bottle holders to each side. The laminate makes it super easy to wipe the bag clean which I’m really happy about since it’s white. There are a ton of different fabrics and patterns to choose from, but I love the simplicity of white and black.  

Customize your own bag in Timbuk2’s custom shop.

OUTFIT BREAKDOWN:
Black Slip Dress: The Fashion Foundation (c/o)
Blush Pink Leather Jacket: All Saints/Bloomingdale’s
Black and White Backpack: Timbuk2 (c/o)
Rose Gold Diamond Ribbon Pendant: Leibish & Co (c/o)
Black Pumps: Via Spiga Selita' Ankle Strap Pump/Nordstrom

Photo Credit: Sophie Sahara

xx Esther