For the first time in, like, five years, my husband and I are going on a trip together without the kids. So woohooo!
I’m trying to log off of social media, and put my phone down (as much as one can when your kids are so far away), and just be with him and my friends and not be so worried about everything else.
I can’t remember if I’ve written this down before, but my yoga teacher (how very LA of me!) always gives a little lecture in the middle of our 90 minute class. One thing she keeps repeating is that when you’re depressed you’re living in the past. When you’re anxious you’re living in the future.
That’s obviously over-simplifying, but I think there’s a lot of truth to that. I have anxiety and I’m always worried that I’m missing something (not in the FOMO sense, more in the Oh shit I dropped the ball way), so I constantly check my email, and whatever whatever. I’m living in the future, worried about what’s going to happen.
In general, I’ve tried to separate from my phone more. I wear a watch so I don’t need to always be tapping my phone screen to get the time. I leave it at home when I’m with my family. I stopped using the book app on my phone to read. Baby steps.
So anyway, I’m properly going on vacation.
I’ll be back the week after next with good outfits from my trip, but for now, here’s a little edit of my travel outfit, AND a few travel tips from the brilliant Yolanda Edwards of Yolo Intel (if you’re not already subscribing, it’s a must read.)
We had a long flight for this trip, and I wanted to be comfortable, but also to wear things I’d wear on the trip. Everything wound up navy, which is great, and looks very polished, but because I was essentially in leggings (High Sport) and a sweatshirt, I had no problem sleeping in this.
1. The sweatshirt - if you’ve been reading for a while, you’re familiar. If not, here’s my whole ode to it. It’s a perfect navy sweatshirt. Comfort Colors, $30
2. And if a sweatshirt isn’t your vibe, this is a perfect oversize cotton knit. J.Crew, $60
3. I also love this sweatshirt - it’s a very nice washed-in navy, and the hood looks so soft. Madewell, $234
4. My High Sport pants! They’re as great as everyone says they are. Very comfortable, very crisp looking, but super stretchy and elegant. High Sport, $860
5. I also love these wide-leg track pants from Tory Sport. They look much nicer than regular track pants and have extremely minimal branding, which makes them more versatile than traditional sportswear. Tory Sport, $248
6. This is the same brand as my blazer, but this one is slightly longer. I can’t find mine - but what I love about these is the crispness and sharpness. It’s super wearable and something I totally rely on. It’s a perfect navy blazer. Blaze Milano, $1,588
7. And a slightly slouchier version from Cos! So many people have bought this blazer and reported back on how great it is. You can’t beat this at this price point. Cos, $225
8. Classic gray New Balance! Nothing better. I love flying in these so that when I get where I’m going I have my workout shoes, but they don’t take up tons of room in my luggage. New Balance, $90
9. I know everyone is wearing Sambas these days, but I actually love these Nike Blazers more. They’re a little preppier, which I obviously love. Nike, $90
10. The canvas and leather version of my carry on, and it is on sale, and SO beautiful. I love mine beyond love. Metier, $1,575
11. This canvas and leather tote from Cuyana is another winner. Super subtle, and very well made. Cuyana, $198
12. And this one! Oh man, navy suede from Victoria Beckham - it is just really heaven. Victoria Beckham, $875
13. I wear very little jewelry when I travel, but I like to have some of my most sentimental pieces. I love everything my friend Danielle makes for Sherman Field, and I’m very rarely without my pearl charm she made. Sherman Field, $1,500
14. This is a really perfect little chain - super subtle, very affordable, and great for wearing with charms. This is kind of an essential building block for a jewelry collection. Catbird, $268
15. And here! My little Dorsey necklace. It looks like a diamond tennis necklace, but it’s actually lab grown sapphires. It’s not inexpensive, but it’s not nearly as big an investment as real diamonds, plus - it’s much cooler and more modern. I love this necklace and wear it with everything. Dorsey, $615
16. An itty bitty little baby strawberry to remind me of Phoebe while I’m away. So sweet. Catbird, $88
17. My travel earrings - little classic hoops from Sherman Field. These look great on a casual day on the beach or a nicer dinner. I like everything I pack to be useful in multiple scenarios, and these work everywhere. Sherman Field, $1,820
18. And finally - my favorite socks. These are great on a plane because they’re soft and comfy, and thick enough that my feet don’t feel exposed when I go through security, and they come in my favorite colors. What’s not to love! Maggie’s Socks, $30
AND NOW! Here comes Yolanda! If you’re not familiar with her, I met her when she was the Creative Director at Conde Nast Traveler. She has the BEST taste, goes to the MOST interesting places with the most interesting people, and has an incredible ability to sniff out cool things that nobody else has heard of. She makes a beautiful magazine, Yolo Journal, and her Substack is excellent. Here’s her take on summer travel.
Is there a place you're dying to go that you think in the next three years will be overrun? How can we get a jump on the other tourists?
I always gravitate to the places that are less discovered–like the Médoc region in France, which is the peninsula above Bordeaux. It’s flanked by the Atlantic on its west side, and the Gironde estuary on the east. Miles and miles of massive, empty beaches, even in August, the most incredible oysters, the caught-in-time seaside village of Soulac-sur-Mer, and incredible wineries and little towns set within the vineyards. During the pandemic we saw so many people leave the big cities for a new life in smaller towns and the countryside in the States–better quality, more space, and less expensive. The same thing has happened in France–so many of these lesser known areas are starting to see growth. There are definitely some well traveled visitors who have been to Biarritz and Cap Ferret–which have long been frequented by the French, and are considered the new cool spots in France–and these may get overrun soon. But they haven’t yet moved further up the coast to the Médoc!
Is there a place you think is currently overhyped?
For me it’s less about a place being the problem, and more the season and amount of people being the issue. Summer in the Hamptons, Patmos in August, and the Amalfi Coast in the summer–all incredible places, but not worth visiting when they are bulging at the seams.
When going through the airport, do you have any pre-packing or pre-planning tips to make it more seamless?
I usually check my luggage (with an Airtag in it so I can track it should it not arrive with me). I know everyone wants to travel with just a carry on and I admire those who do (and we have featured some of these clever brave souls on our substack), but it just isn’t the way I travel. Because I always have the same tote with the same stuff inside, it’s an old familiar friend and there are no surprises: Inside it goes another bag that gives more structure inside the tote–and is a bag I can use on the trip. I’ve always got my laptop which is in a leather envelope that also fits my notebooks (sometimes I work the entire flight, sometimes I just go through my iPhone and delete unnecessary photos, and sometimes I actually watch a movie–but I like to be prepared that I might be working!), and, depending on if I’ve been upgraded or not, I’ll bring my own food (usually cucumber, carrots, celery–maybe some hummus, always my own little baby tin of salt…and, don’t hate me, jammy boiled eggs) and water bottle.
I have TSA precheck and Clear, which means I don’t have to take the laptop out or the shoes off (well most of the time anyway). I can’t recommend enough sticking to one airline and building up your miles with them (also getting a credit card with them), and having a credit card that gets you access into whatever lounges are in the airports you frequent the most. For us that is the Amex Platinum which gets us access into the Delta and Amex lounges. You’ll get a credit for TSA precheck and Clear if you have the Platinum card, plus all the money you save in not buying food at the airport–you definitely will get your money’s worth.
How much time do you like to give yourself in the airport?
Whether it’s domestic or international, we always give ourselves 2 hours in advance. I say we because this was something my husband Matt used to insist on and I fought it, but then I got used to feeling relaxed with plenty of time, and now I do this even if I’m on my own. We have TSA Precheck and Clear and status on the airlines so we literally get through security in no time–it just is a very big buffer that makes us have no stress. Then we can relax in the Delta lounge with coffee or cocktails, depending on the time of day or night.
What are your best tips for traveling with friends? What points of compatibility need to be considered?
I love to be with our friends when we are traveling–renting a place together is great. But I don’t like to travel with them. One of my friends once said “no friends on travel days”, meaning – when you’re in the airport, everyone has to fend for themselves. I’d go further and say my husband is a “no family on travel days”— he is a maniac about getting through security quickly and getting straight to the lounge to settle into a coffee or a Bloody Mary. So many times I’m like—do you ever look back to see if I’m behind you?! Hello?! But seriously, meeting up with your friends somewhere is an amazing thing to do—organizing the getting there together is not fun. Make everyone handle their own travel and just enjoy the destination, not the journey.
When souvenir shopping, what tips the scale for you in terms of something you have to have vs getting caught up in a moment?
No matter how much we travel, and how much we are exposed to interesting things—we STILL get caught up in that moment and make mistakes. I just packed up these two capes that Matt and I both bought in Madrid and swore we would wear all winter, and I think we wore once and felt like clowns. Matt also has a ceramics problem–he gets obsessed and then we end up getting some weird shipment a month later and it’s like–what were we thinking? Actually, it’s more like, what was HE thinking? If it’s something you’re buying to wear, think about it in terms of how you’ll wear it in your real life. If it’s an expensive sweater, even if it seems boring in the moment to get navy, just get it in navy, because you’ll be happy you didn’t get it in the burnt orange when you pull it out of your luggage back home. If it’s a summer caftan dress you bought in some port town, go for the crazy print, because you’ll wear that some Saturday night at a dinner party and it’s a conversation piece.
Considering price and functionality, what's your #1 top pick for a piece of carry on luggage?
I’ve tried so many, and hear about everyone’s favorites, so it’s hard to pick one, since it’s so personal, and also, depends on if you’re using it to travel domestically or internationally or both, because what some planes accept abroad is different. Also, are you a hard case person who can handle the discipline it takes to stay within the limitations of the construction of the case? Or should you think about a composite case that gives you a little wiggle room? For an investment piece you’ll have for life, I love the Rimowa. It is classic, has a lifetime guarantee, and it just looks great, no matter how beat up it gets. Yes it’s on the more expensive side, but you won’t ever have to replace it. People love Away but I personally feel it’s more on the disposable side of things–I’d rather spring for a Muji suitcase then. I quite like the Delsey Roland Garros carryon–love the color ways, how lightweight it is, and how not everyone has it. Tumi is well constructed, but if you can afford it, go for the Rimowa. And then there’s Paravel, which is a newcomer to the suitcase scene, and I love that they are made with all recycled materials.
What's your favorite carry on handbag?
I like my lightweight tote from Parker Thatch. It is light but also has enough structure that it can stand on its own. It has shoulder straps, and it is big enough for me to put another bag, sweater, scarf, and whatever dutyfree purchase I might make.
When packing for a trip that's a mix of adventure and chic stuff, how do you distill your wardrobe into something that's functional but still represents your personal style?
I commit to the idea that when I’m traveling I’m going to be wearing a uniform of sorts–and it isn’t the big moment to try out a new look. like to bring some cotton kerchiefs that I can wear on my head or around my neck–so that can mix up my uniform. And I always bring these satin black Le Monde Beryl mules that dress up a pair of jeans, and work well even if there is something black tie that I didn’t anticipate.
What are the first three items you always pack?
Chambray shirt (mine is an ancient one from the Gap that still holds up (Ed note: I love this one from Sezane)), my Ann Mashburn Faye pants in navy, and a navy Uniqlo cashmere sweater turtleneck in large (can fit either my husband or me, and looks good even if layering stuff under it).
Are there any items you're always on the hunt for when you travel?
Vintage photography and souvenir books, vintage postcards and linens (for the kitchen, but also farmer smocks I love to wear as dresses).
And there we are! Happy traveling, happy resting, I love you!
Your friend,
Laurel