Intentional Travel: NOLA Edition

February 19, 2016

Happy Friday, sweet friends! Today, I’m off in New Orleans with Armon and three of my middle school friends, and their husbands, exploring the city. This is my first time visiting New Orleans, and we’re only there for about five days, so the last thing I wanted to be hindered by was my wardrobe. Whether it was our two week trip to Europe last year, an extended weekend trip to speak at Creative at Heart, or a week-long getaway with friends, I’m a huge advocate of packing light. There’s nothing worse in my opinion that lugging a heavy suitcase through the airport or down cobblestone streets, so several years ago I made the choice to packing only the essentials for trips, both for work and for fun! Actually, I’ve found that on any given work trip, at least three people will ask me how I manage to travel so light. So I’m spilling all my secrets for traveling light so you too can enjoy more intentional travel, spending less time in your suitcase and more time out in the world exploring your destination!

intentional travel - packing for five days in one bag | New Orleans edition via b is for bonnie design

For this trip, we’re spending five days in New Orleans, where the weather is fairly temperate. That means I can leave the heavy coats at home and focus instead on breathable layers that can easily transition from walking through the French Quarter to nights spent on Bourbon Street! For a trip of this duration, I’ll stick with just a weekender, filling it with items I can easily mix and match. I’ve been using this beauty from Humble Hilo for about a year, and have loved how deceptively roomy it is!

My go-to formula for packing light is to bring light, breathable tops, at least one cardigan, one jacket, three bottoms, and three pairs of shoes at the very, very most. Unless I need to dress to impress, traveling isn’t the time to bust out my most eye-catching statement necklaces, dresses or heels. Instead, I include minimal jewels that I can wear on the plane or in the car, and rely on fun patterns or textures in my clothes themselves to create visual interest. For this trip, I’ve brought flat booties I can transition from day to night with the swap of jacket, which means I can fill any space shoes would take up with bulkier items like thick knit cardigans or my faux leather jacket.

Here’s what I’ve packed for our five day trip to the magical city of New Orleans!

intentional travel - packing for five days in one bag | New Orleans edition via b is for bonnie design

I’ll be wearing my pair of jeans, my boots and some of the bulkier items in the car so that won’t take up valuable space in my bag. Although I’ve heard great things about space saver bags, I personally just roll my clothes tightly, stuff socks or smaller garments into shoes, and make good use of any nooks or crannies in the luggage. For walking through the city during the day, I can don an oversized tee paired with a cardigan, leggings and boots for a relaxed yet composed look. When it’s time to go out for dinner, I can swap the leggings for jeans, and the cardigan for the moto jacket for an edgier look. Getting dressed in the morning will take about five minutes flat, so I can spend less time fretting about my wardrobe options and more time stuffing my face with beignets!

Let’s hear it, lovely! Are you more of a light packer, or do you prefer to take all the comforts of home with you on the road? What are your go-to tips for packing light, friend?

Shop my suitcase: weekender, faux leather jacket, similar cardigan, crew neck tees, chambray button down, jeans, leggings, Chelsea booties, nude flats,

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My name is Bonnie – I’m a brand designer, strategist, and writer which all adds up to one eclectic conglomeration of qualities that enables me to serve you well! Past clients have dubbed me "the Joanna Gaines of brand design," and I've had more than a few call me a dream maker, a game changer, and a design wizard (my Harry Potter-loving heart didn't hate that one, let me tell you!). At the end of the day, I'm a big-hearted creative who will get teary-eyed as you share the heart behind your business; who will lose sleep over the perfect font pairings and color selections to bring your brand to life visually; and who will work tirelessly to empower, encourage, and equip you to share your work with the world intentionally. 

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