There’s nothing quite like the thrill of packing for uncharted territory.I know not all of you will agree. A lot of people find packing tedious and time-consuming—which, for the most part, it is. Still, ever since I was little, I’ve always gotten a kick out of planning my outfits for any trip—be it a weekend stint at a local beach or a two-week stay in another continent.
The latter, as you can imagine, is the best kind of trip. You whisk off to a foreign land where everything is strange, exciting, and new. The food is richer and more exotic, the architecture depicts a history unknown to you, and the people speak a different language, from which you will glean “Hello,” “Thank you,” and, of course, “How much?”
Packing for this kind of trip is always a delight for me because I never forget what I am packing for. Just thinking of all the fun I’m going to have abroad (and if it’s a cold country, how I finally have the right to wear boots and a scarf)—well, it plasters the kind of smile usually reserved for little kids lapping up ice cream cones across my face.
When I graduated from college, my parents gifted me with a trip to Paris and Rome. I was so excited, I did a “packing test-drive” a week before setting off. I checked the weather to determine how I would dress—cold spring in Paree, warm spring in Roma. I mapped out an outfit guide on an index card, which would go in my luggage. Then I began to fold, roll, and stuff my clothes into separate Ziploc bags (one for each outfit) to fit them as snugly as possible into my trolley case.
One Ziploc held a green striped sweater, a floral scarf, and dark blue jeans, to be worn with a cream blazer. Another held a black long-sleeve dress, a tailored vest, and knee-high socks, to be worn with a black peacoat. Soon enough, my luggage was lined with ten airtight plastic bags that carried my complete overseas wardrobe.
I wondered where I would be when I next wore these clothes. (I donned the black dress on a day-trip to Versailles; the green sweater outfit to the Louvre). I pictured myself walking along the Seine or roaming the Colosseum, exploring these grand old cities like Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday. And I remember thinking proudly to myself, “There’s no way I’ll look like a clueless tourist!”
My point is this: I take so much pleasure in packing for trips abroad because travel and fashion are my favorite means of escape. In the same way you slip away to a foreign country, you can slip into an outfit and instantly look like a Parisian or a New Yorker or a Harajuku girl. Social and meteorological constraints usually dictate what a Filipina can or can’t wear in this country, but when you go abroad, the possibilities are endless.
Packing is my gateway to all those possibilities. It’s like playing dress-up for an adventure—it allows me to plan looks inspired by the places I am headed, and then, when I get there, to wear them proud.
My bucket list is peppered with trips to different destinations. It might seem odd, but I already have an idea of what I would pack, given the chance to visit. Call it a runaway imagination—but I like to think of it as motivation.
Below, you’ll find eight looks I created on Polyvore for a few cities I’d love to see. You can also put together your own travel-inspired looks by visiting the site—it’s one of my guilty pleasures!
(Photo from Roman Holiday courtesy of Paramount Pictures. Fashion sets courtesy of Polyvore.)
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