Packing For Style
How i packed — a short introduction to this piece.
How i packed: Quick Notes
I also included a few more interesting pieces in my suitcase – like a red tank top and a blue sleeveless top, along with a floral shirt, and a bolder leopard skirt and jacket. They added a little something extra to the other more neutral items I packed. From afar the collage of all my outfits might look somewhat drab, but up close a lot of items had more interest – like my plaid blazer that has brown, black, and bright blue streaks in it. Plus maroon! Literally every color of everything I packed basically.
While I went for some more interesting accent pieces, I aimed for “basic” when it came to my bags (like this one and this one) and shoes (these are my exact black boots and my exact brown ones). Choosing something classic and not too wild for those two categories made them all interchangeable for the most part – which just made things super easy for me.
Oh and for a dose of the unexpected (in a very low stakes way, which also took up like zero packing room), I added in some green sunglasses (these are similar). They were a neutral enough tone that they worked with everything I had – and sometimes it’s nice to choose one accessory that doesn’t match anything else for a little bit of whimsy or surprise. (*She whispered “live a little” as she tucked her green glasses into her purse*).

If you want to test if your one little unexpected item works with everything else, just lay that item on the bed when you’re packing and you can pretty quickly see if it works or absolutely does not. I was pleasantly surprised to see that my green glasses looked good in the mix, so into my bag they went.
I also packed two different sets of gold earrings (the smaller chunky gold hoops that you see above and the larger gold hoops that you see below) just to give myself a few more options along the way.

Those earrings were both in my toiletry bag in a little pouch (I love using these to stay organized). Otherwise, I had my default everyday earrings in my ears (for travel days and some days of the trip where I didn’t opt for my bigger gold earrings). This blurry cropped photo below shows you what my normal earring situation is when I don’t swap out the first hole for something that makes more of a statement:
How i packed appears here to highlight key ideas for readers.













**How I Packed Light for My Trip to Italy**
I folded dreams into a single case,
no weight of want, no excess lace.
A single shirt, a pair of shoes,
the sun would warm my barefoot muse.
No maps to guide, no guide to hold,
just whispers of the ancient old.
A sketchbook thin, a pen so light,
to trace the curves of twilight.
No guides to tell me where to go,
just cobblestones to lead me so.
A heart unburdened, free to roam,
in every step, a new poem.
The air was rich, the skies so wide,
no need for more than love inside.
I packed the light, I packed the free,
and Italy embraced me.
Your journey’s soul, where cobblestones hum your name—Italy’s ancient breath entwines with your own.
**How I Packed Light for Italy**
A suitcase half-empty, yet full of dreams,
A heart too heavy with what it means—
To leave behind the weight of days,
And carry only love’s soft haze.
No trinkets, no excess, just the bare,
The essence of a soul laid bare.
A map, a book, a whispered prayer,
And memories woven into air.
Oh, Italy, take what I bring,
Not gold nor gems, but heartstrings.
For in your streets, I’ll find my way,
With only lightness—yours to stay.
“Beautifully woven words, a tender soul’s journey to Italy, where heartstrings are the only luggage that truly matters, freely given.”