If there is one thing I do consistently when planning for a trip, it is research. I do as much research on a city as I can before I actually leave for the trip. Some would say this takes the spontaneity out of travel, but I would rather have a plan than be spontaneous. At least I accept and own that I am a planner. So how did I plan for a city that has so much to offer?
Research/Pinterest. I get that Pinterest is not as cool as it once was, but I still use it religiously when I am planning for a trip. In my opinion, it is the best place to find a wide variety of articles and guides on any given city. I always try to find 3-day guides to the city and suggestions on free things to do. In my experience, if you can find a few posts on both you will be good to go. I used a lot of free guides to the city (you can find my favorites here, here and here) and restaurant guides (my favs are here and here) when I was planning for this trip
Suggestions. I always make sure to ask people that live in, have lived in or travel frequently to the city I am traveling to for their suggestions. This is where you are probably going to find the most random, yet best suggestions for exploring any city. These people are going to know the locals spots that no travel guide would know to tell you.
Make a plan. Now I don’t plan out every second of every day, but I do try to have a general plan for how the trip will go. Normally, I find a bunch of options then break down each day and give myself multiple options within each day. For this trip, I tried to have one major activity planned for each day then left the rest of the day more free. This allowed me to budget for the trip, but still gave me freedom to change up the plan. In the next couple of weeks I will be talking about my favorite activities and general plan for the trip!
The only thing I am a bit crazy about when I travel is packing. I am the type of person that will pack a week ahead of time (if I am able) and will create a packing list for exactly what is in my suitcase. Now, obviously that is not always possible. So here is my general process…
Pick out the basics. On almost every trip I take there are certain things I always bring with me. Normally this is a dark wash pair of jeans, white t-shirt, striped t-shirt, chambray button-up, a lightweight jacket, leggings, a pair of sandals and a pair of sneakers. I also normally bring a few other basic tops that I can layer.
Decide on your statement pieces. I am not the most fashion forward person, but I still like to have a few items with me that make me feel great and aren’t your standard t-shirt or tank top.
Layout specific outfits. Once I have a general idea of what I want to bring, I lay out specific outfits I am going to bring. This helps me not over pack and make sure I am bringing things I will actually wear.
So what did I actually bring with me to New York/Connecticut? Let’s check it out.
Until next time, friends… CB
