How I Survived Without My Luggage for 6 Days on a Luxury trip to Italy
After carefully curating my packing list, constructing outfits, and meticulously organizing my accessories for the most important trip of my travel advisor career, my first luxury travel event in Italy, the unthinkable happened. My luggage filled with 9 days of outfits, shoes, accessories, makeup, and hair tools, did not arrive with me in Nice, France for my first few days in San Remo. It didn't arrive while I was traveling on the Italian Riviera, and it didn't arrive until my last few moments at Lake Como!
Here I am, at the airport in Sacramento, with my roller bag that, in the end, would make additional flights to Munich and Milan without me. I had no idea I would have to manage six days of professional and semi-formal luxury events by living out of my carry-on and one quick shopping trip.
Here's what I learned about making do with the clothes on my back and in my carry-on luggage for 6 days.
1 - Create a survivor capsule in your carry on. Think through your carry-on luggage as a mini version of what you would need for (the unthinkable) numerous days. I had a skeleton version of my makeup but nothing like I needed for the semi-formal events and 2 days of professional meetings. Take small versions of all the products you need to create your look. Include the moisturizers and lip balm to keep you comfortable. I always carry a toothbrush & toothpaste, hand cream, roller ball perfume and a multiple stick (mine is Nars) for blush, but never thought to pack deodorant in my carry on. Day three this will feel like a necessity, I promise you. Also include a hair brush, accessories and hair products to tame the mane.
2 - Stick with neutrals - I debated between wearing the comfy, trendy track pants or a pair of black stretch leggings on the plane. As you can see, I went with the track pants, but in the end it was the wrong choice. Though I was thrilled to see that track pants are definitely a fashion statement in Italy (image above), what I found, over the next several days, was that the more neutral your pieces are, especially for reuse in a pinch, the better. Do you really want to see me wearing obviously the same pair of pants three days in a row? I think not.
3 - Pack jewelry and accessories - to mix up your look with basic neutrals. I got lucky! At the last minute I moved my jewelry bag from my checked luggage to my carry-on. Having a sparkling necklace and multi-strand of pearls definitely helped my basic black 'uniform' feel more festive for fancy cocktail parties. Also, scarves are ideal with neutral basics. They can be used as a scarf or a wrap as I did for a formal night at Villa d'este.
My purchases in my quick one hour to shop for backup items in San Remo
4 - Be practical (not precious) when you need to shop for necessities. When I realized my luggage would be delivered to the Italian Riviera after I was scheduled to leave for Lake Como, I knew I had to get smart. I knew there would be no time to shop at our Travelux 2018 event, so I made a quick list of necessities and walked to San Remo to power shop. Though Italy has amazing fashion, I didn't have time to browse the expensive boutiques for something special. I hit the inexpensive makeup store (mascara, tinted moisturizer, day/night cream) the pharmacy (a brush, dry shampoo) plus an inexpensive boutique (undies, black leggings, black top, a graphic scarf). At another, more hip boutique, I found a pretty green blouse with bold sleeves and a gold tank sweater with a bit of sheen (for semi-formal nights).
4 - Pack two shoe options - One pair for comfort and one pair for professional or dressy events. I had this one covered. I wore sneakers on the plane which came in very handy when I had to sprint through the international terminal in San Francisco to catch my Swiss Air Flight to France. This is where my luggage and I parted ways since it did not make the quick connection. Also, pack socks (to prevent blisters) and band-aids, just in case you end up getting blisters from repeating the same shoes day after day. Despite the band-aids, my blisters became so bad I had to wear my sneakers to a couple of the semi-formal cocktail parties and events... Seriously, sneakers at a semi-formal event at Villa d'Este? As a shoe lover, that is my personal fashion nightmare!
5 - Get creative. I had packed my black halter swimming suit in the carry-on since there was a spa at my first hotel. I considered pairing that black halter with my black legging and a long wrap for one of the semi-formal evenings. In the end, I decided it was too bare for the cold weather, but it was a creative option. I also pulled my cosmetic bag out of my purse and used it as a clutch for our spectacular evening at Villa d'este. In the end, I felt like a 'fashion MacGyver'.
6 - Pack Multi-Use Pieces - At the last moment I grabbed my reversible vest - faux fur on one side and nylon on the other. That turned out to be the most versatile piece I packed. It was a pillow on the plane, a warm/rain shield on the boat tour of Lake Como and a stylish layer (faux fur with gold tone zipper) for a cocktail party.
And when my bag finally arrived in Italy(BLISS!!) just moments before we left Lake Como for Abano, I was elated. I told my traveling companions to expect to see me in at least 3 outfits per day, just because I could FINALLY wear my packed clothing. Our last stop was at the Grand Hotel a spa hotel in Abano where robes were enocouraged for day wear. No matter, I still rocked as many outfits as I could.
Struggling to put myself together for these luxury events in Italy for six days was NOT easy. I had one moment, on the phone with my husband (furiously tracking my luggage on his end), when I wondered if I had taken on too much with this international trip for my new career. I used pretty 'descriptive language', shed a couple of tears, and then my wise husband said to me, "flash that beautiful smile and they won't notice how you look". That was just the push I needed and resolve set in. I was in ITALY invited to attend 3 hosted luxury travel events for nine days and I was bound and determined to make the best of it! It helped tremendously that I made some wonderful friends who were sympathetic and encouraging about my plight. They shared their luggage stories and agreed my situation was a tough one. They even offered to loan me clothes and do my makeup. One Italian friend brought a pair of socks to me at a fancy cocktail party. These kind gestures helped keep my spirits up for the most part.
Being without my luggage, and all the elements that make me feel like myself, was a life lesson to me. It's not about having the right clothing, makeup or the right shoes. It IS about making the best of a challenging situation, getting creative, and letting go of the things you cannot control. I also had to be self-forgetful about my appearance, which is not easy at my age, when being polished and put together feels essential at times like this. It was a mind game and I simply had to make the choice not to let this issue impact my enjoyment of the trip.
In the end, I learned new lessons about what to pack in my carry-on, to get creative with my resources, and how to make it work with the right attitude. I learned that fireworks and candlelight do wonders to hide makeup flaws and wild hair. My husband is right, if you lead with a bright smile, maybe they won't notice that you are wearing sneakers to a formal event at Villa d'este.
Bellissimo!! Heather