What To Bring On Your Trip

When I went away on my trip I found it was best to have 2 bags. I used a medium sized suitcase on wheels and I used a large backpack as my carry on bag. Having my large suitcase on wheels was a huge help because it made it much easier carrying my bag around the hotels and back and forth in the airports and on the ferry.

Here's the list I used to make sure that I brought everything that I needed with me:

Backpack
-Digital Camera (with batteries, memory, and case)
-Ipod (with headphones and charger)
-Adapter (the shape of the outlets is different and American plugs will not fit)
-Disposable Cameras
-All different kinds of ziploc bags (these come in handy during many different times on your trip)
-First Aid (keep anything you might need with you, not stuffed in the bottom of your suitcase)
-Magazines/Books (I encountered many long bus rides)
-Journal (I had two different journals and writing on the bus gave me more time at night to sleep)
-Pictures (I kept a small album of photos with me of my family, my friends, and some of my town)
-Umbrella/Rain Ponchos (when I was in Ireland it rained every other day!)
-Snacks (I kept granola bars and small snacks with me just in case my stomach didn't agree with lunch)
-Extra Clothes (I had an outfit with me in case my luggage was lost)
-Blanket (I had a twin sized blanket with me which was a pain to carry around but I loved having it in some of the places we stayed and it made the bus ride a whole lot more comfortable)
-Tissues
-Wallet (all of my cash, credit card, and phone cards were on me at all times)
-Hairspray/Rubberbands
-Deck of cards
-Gum
-Small Notebook (with all the address of the hotels we were staying at)
-Extra Bag (I had a drawstring bag with me that I kept my wallet, camera, and anything else I would want with me during the day in....using a small backpack worked better then using a pocketbook)

Suitcase
-Belts
-Shoes (I brought 2 pairs of flip-flops and dress shoes....I wore my sneakers on the plane)
-Pocketbook (I had a nice bag with me for dressy dinners, etc.)
-Underwear
-Shirts (I had about 8 everyday short sleeve shirts with me and 3 dressy shirts)
-Pants (I had 3 pairs of shorts, 3 pairs of capris, 1 pair of khaki pants...I wore the other on the plane, and 2 pairs of jeans.....I also had black dress slacks and a skirt)
-Bathing Suit & Towel (some hotels don't have towels and I just threw my towel out at the end of the trip to save space)
-Sweatshirts (2 hoodies....I bought a zipper-up sweatshirt while I was in England)
-Pajamas (I only brought 4 t-shirts and 4 pairs of gym shorts with me to save space)
-Toiletires (everything from hair stuff, shower stuff, face wash, makeup, toothbrush, jewlery, etc.)
-Gifts (for my homestay family I brought them NYC t-shirts and postcards of NY landmarks...some people brought hats, mugs, books etc.)
-Laundry Items (detergent, bleach pen, ironing spray, shout wipes)
-Sewing Kit (we wound up using it to sew my friend's stuffed animal back together)
-Static Guard
-Nail Polish / Nail Polish Remover / File / Clippers
-Travel Alarm Clock (some hotels don't offer wake up calls)

Most travel airlines have their own regualtions as to how much you bag needs to weigh. It's a good idea to call ahead of time to make sure your bag is under the weight limit otherwise you'll need to pay a fee at the airport and you will hold up the rest of the group. People To People recommends a bag of 44 lbs. but our airline allowed the weight to be anything under 70 lbs.