What's In My Carry-On

Since moving to South Carolina, I've been having to do a lot more flying to be able to see my family. Flying can really make me anxious, and I find that it's really important to be well equipped in order to not only survive your flight, but to enjoy it.

I'm going to see my sister for Easter (yay!), and I wanted to show you what all I would be keeping in my carry-on bag. I will be taking a small carry-on suitcase with this, but that's very boring filled with clothes and toiletries. In my bag I keep everything I need to be comfortable during my not-so-comforting time in the air.

Let's start with the star of the show. I got this bag from Reba for my birthday from Forever 21. It's the absolute perfect bag for traveling. It's big to hold everything, but not extremely awkward to carry around. I also love how it has two sets of handles; one for holding it on your arm or one for throwing it on your shoulder which is really convenient when you're running around the airport. The color is perfect and matches everything, and it has enough pockets to keep the important things easily accessible.

Similar bags from Forever 21:

Faux Leather Satchel

Zip-Side Faux Leather Tote

Faux Leather Tote Bag

Here's a look inside with everything in and ready to go. See how percectly even the big stuff fits in?

The most important thing to have when you're traveling is your wallet. I love using this wristlet when traveling because I can pull it out and keep it on my wrist while checking in and going through security, keeping my ID quickly accessible. I'm also going to be using my bag as my purse while in Kansas, so this wristlet is also handy if I want to just take something small out and not a big bag. I used this wristlet in college too and it was perfect because it can fit your phone and all of your important cards without having to worry about setting it down somewhere and leaving it.

I got this at Target a few years ago and Target still has it in different colors which you can check out here.

Another important item in my bag is my small makeup bag. I got this really cute makeup bag in one of Sephora's free gifts. A couple things I keep in it are a mirror, Tide to Go (because I am completely accident-prone), and my lip salve. Forever 21 has some really cute compact mirrors that are perfect in size and are really good quality for such a small price. They're great to have if you just want to make sure you look presentable before landing. I love my Smith's Rosebud Salve. I got it during my birthday trip and I am completely obsessed. It does the best job for fixing my chapped lips, and it's so important to keep moisturing when you're flying.

These are probably the two most important things in my bag besides my wallet. When flying, all of that recirulated air mixed with people's germs can really get you! I remember after flying to my parents' for Christmas, I got a really bad cold because I didn't keep hydrated and keep santizing. I got my hand sanitizer from Bath and Body Works and I love how it's so small and can go right on the handle of my bag to grab it easily. I also love how cute the pink holder is and the scent, Raspberry Pink Peony, is to die for.

My water bottle was a random find at Walmart last summer. It was only $5, and I love how colorful it is. I can never fly without my water bottle because not only does staying hydrated help you from getting sick, but it can also really help your skin from freaking out with the cabin air and high alitutdes. Since you can't take full water bottles through security, it really saves you money to bring your own reusable bottle. In case you haven't noticed, food and drinks in airports are really expensive! You can find basically the same water bottle here.

To stay comfortable during the flight, I love having a neck pillow and a good book. I never used to have a neck pillow when traveling, but after a few flights, I really got sick of being so uncomfortable and stiff-necked during my travels. I looked around for one, but I found out that I could make one a lot cheaper and have more say in what it looks like. In case you missed my post on how to make the pillow, you can check it out here.

A great book is also a great idea. It really helps me calm down and relax during a stressful flight. I have already read this book, and I loved it! It's a historical fiction set after WWI following the life of a former military nurse finding her way in her new life.

If I can, I like to bring my laptop as well. If the flight is really long, or if I have a lengthy layover, I love watching TV or movies. My laptop has seen better days, but it still serves me well. I love my laptop case too, which I found at a thrift store about 5 years ago for only 50 cents!

I also keep a few different cords with me in my carry-on that I didn't picture because they are your good old average cords. I always have my laptop charger as well as my phone charger. I use a 6 ft. long cord that sometimes gets me made fun of, but it's so convenient when you're traveling. You don't want to leave your phone unattended, and lots of times I see people sitting on the floor to get close to a charger. You don't have to worry about that when you have such a long charger!

I also love to bring my Fujifilm Instax Mini 8 Polaroid camera with me. I got this as a gift from Reba for Christmas, and I am completely in love with it. There's something about being able to take a picture and have it there in your hand minutes later and they're so special to give to your friends or super cute in your scrapbook! I have taken my camera as well as film through the airport security before and without thinking, through the X-ray. It didn't do any damage to the film though, and I know a lot of people are worried about that kind of thing. Next time if I think of it, I'll probably have them hand inspect my film though if I have an unopened case just to play it safe.

A few other things in my makeup bag include lotion, gum, a hair tie, Tums, ibuprofen, bandaids, and some feminine hygiene necessities. I love my lotion, picked out by the Hubs himself as a gift for Christmas. The scent is Beautiful Day and is a light floral scent that is not too strong for small spaces.

I always have to have gum flying too because it really helps my ears from clogging up as well as my stomach from getting upset. I find that the mint taste really keeps me from getting motion sickness, especially when we're landing.

These are the items that I love to have on hand when I'm flying, and they really help me stay relaxed and calm. Having everything in place and easily accesible is so comforting, and I know that a lot of people can struggle with anxiety in airports (I am the worst in security!).

Let me know what some of your carry-on neccessities are! What do you have to have on a flight?

#travel #carryon #airplane