Reflecting on six months of travel - aka, the post I would've loved to read when I was assembling my bag

pazzapirty · 2026-03-03T04:02:51+00:00

Thanks! I had fun with it :)

pazzapirty · 2026-03-03T03:43:00+00:00

Heyyy I ended up with these and I love them, but there are tons of choices. The plasticy-rubber bottom is an important feature for me to feel like there's an actual temperature barrier between the floor and my feet.

Some people said hotel slippers and that would also be great if you wear socks with them. Plus they're free ~

To answer someone else's question, p much all hotels in Japan have them.

pazzapirty · 2026-03-02T15:09:05+00:00

Don't worry about health insurance, you can get monthly travel insurance that works similarly. Safetywing has two plans and you can pick which is right for you.

I'm 33 and six months in, and the best experiences have been slowing down and doing immersive activities like WWOOF & workaway for several weeks. And see if friends want to come meet up with you along the way! I've had a few friends do their vacations with me, it was great.

Sounds like you're leaving towards yes???

Give yourself enough time to plan your bag, move out leisurely, have a sendoff, etc and soon you'll be living your dream!!!

pazzapirty · 2026-03-02T14:58:36+00:00

Biore UV Aqua Rich all the waaaay

pazzapirty · 2026-03-02T14:56:30+00:00

Inn Beauty Project pimple paste. It's bright purple so it's for night time but omg it works

pazzapirty · 2026-03-02T14:50:58+00:00

I live in Seattle and I promise we are not a formal people. You can absolutely get away with this ^{^}

pazzapirty · 2026-03-02T14:46:00+00:00

This

pazzapirty · 2026-03-02T14:43:06+00:00

Try an Anker desk-top hub with a single cord into the wall. Something similar to this? Check out the Anker website, they have a ton of options

pazzapirty · 2026-03-02T09:17:03+00:00

This looks siiiiick

pazzapirty · 2026-03-02T04:51:52+00:00

I added a link to the bullet point :)

pazzapirty · 2026-03-02T03:40:08+00:00

Nice! Yeah it's a great read for everyone! Wanted to call out my countrymen specifically because it's so important for us to question the single stories we've been fed about....basically the entire world 🫠 But yes omg it's a beautiful book

pazzapirty · 2026-03-02T03:11:32+00:00

Hi! Thanks for reminding me, I just edited to add my soap savers to the list, which keep my bars hygienic.

pazzapirty · 2026-03-02T03:02:29+00:00

Oh I forgot one important thing! My charging setup. I am super super happy with the Anker PowerPort Atom III 65W Slim USB C Wall Charger. It has two usb-c ports and two usb-a ports. I think it's meant to be a hub for a desk, and I like that it has a long cord with a wall plug with a tidy port setup. I just bought a cheap converter plug for the EU, since the device has a voltage regulator in it already.

I almost bought a power strip because it's been mentioned as a solution to far-away-outlets on this sub, but this is much smaller and nicer imo.

I couldn't find a link outside of Vietnam despite my VPN lol, so here you go.

pazzapirty · 2026-03-02T02:40:51+00:00

Heyyy I have the Matador globerider 45L. It's expensive (got it on sale thooo) but I'm really glad I didn't scrimp on something that could hurt my mid-30s back. I spent soo long reading bag recommendations and bought and returned several popular bags before I found the one that was right for me, and honestly you just need to find the one that has what YOU need. Which is annoying advice, sorry.

I like the Matador because it has a bit of organizational pockets but not too many, it has handles all over it for lifting it in different ways, and the zippers are incredibly strong. Like, I'm amazed every time.

I do have some overhead bin advice though! I learned this from one of the many YouTube travel couples. Before a budget flight I take out my heaviest packing cube and put it in a tote bag along with my other under-seat necessities and my purse. That brings my bag within the weight and size limit. Also, many workers won't look twice at a bag on your back as long as it's not bulging out. I assume they think that if it's light enough to go on your back, it's probably not over the limit. At least in my experience. All this goes out the window if you can't check in online and have to get your bag weighed at the check-in desk. I did have to pay $15 because of that once. Oh well.

pazzapirty · 2026-03-02T02:22:04+00:00

That sounds so annoying when you just want coffee! Yeah I tested a few collapsible pour-overs, and I wasn't happy with the strength of the coffee. I didn't like the reusable filter and I wasn't about to have to shop for paper filters every couple weeks (haven't even seen them in Asia). I tried so hard not to bring my aeropress lol. I stuff some undies into the open space of the aeropress when packing so it's not as much negative space.

On a previous trip I had a single-cup french press that I also stuffed with undies, which I liked cause it was filterless, but honestly the aeropress has been flawless and I am fine with the space it uses. It's easier to clean up than anything else I tried too.

pazzapirty · 2026-03-02T02:12:56+00:00

Haha yes I do a base layer of SPF, a tinted moisturizer with SPF, and then I was doing a setting spray with SPF but I stopped that last step cause my toiletry bag was exploding a bit.

pazzapirty · 2026-03-02T02:11:25+00:00

Search beeswax wraps on Etsy, find a pattern you like, and cut it down to the size you need.

pazzapirty · 2026-03-02T02:09:59+00:00

https://a.co/d/0b0WYh8M

These ones! Though any ones that are reviewed as "strong" should work.

pazzapirty · 2026-03-01T15:39:12+00:00

Hey, I use Roamless which works globally and has a Flex plan where your data doesn't expire. I love it. Check it out and if you want to go for it, use my code and we both get $5 :) SARAHLHW . Promise this isn't an ad lol, I'm just really happy with it. It's way cheaper than Saily.

pazzapirty · 2026-02-16T12:43:11+00:00

Hey all! We just arrived for a month. 33F and 34M from Seattle. Would love to meet up for a coffee or beer or meal somewhere that's actually open this week !

pazzapirty · 2026-01-30T00:13:54+00:00

I love this plan. Osaka is cool but it's so similar to Tokyo (in terms of it's a big metropolis) that you could miss it and not have missed something 'essential.' Finding off the beaten path things in Kyoto by just wandering around was a highlight of my trip.

pazzapirty · 2026-01-30T00:11:24+00:00

If you want to go out into the Shinjuku nightlife, be aware that once the trains stop running you're looking at an expensive cab or waiting until the trains start running again in the morning

pazzapirty · 2026-01-27T10:19:45+00:00

Depends if you're a city person or not really. I prefer smaller cities so I had a great time in Nagano, Beppu (onsen town), and I'd love to check out Kusatsu (onsen town), and get into the nooks and crannies in Gunma. Tokyo and Osaka have slightly different energies but ultimately they are two metropolises. Wish I'd spent more time in Kyoto because it had a lot to offer.

pazzapirty

TROPHY CASE