A Girl and Her Backpack Do what you love and do it often.

My name is Caroline, I'm 21 years old, and I'm from Severna Park, Maryland, USA. I'm a very recent graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (still trying to cope with this "alum" status) and I'll be going to University of Leeds in England this fall to get a MSc in Food Science and Nutrition. 

I am not an eloquent writer. I honestly have no idea what I'm doing in any aspect of anything at all (I'm only 21, give me a break). This blog is mainly for me, so I can write down the good, the bad, and the beautiful parts of my trip. It's also for my mother, so she knows I'm still alive. I'll try to post fairly often, but mostly I hope to find the balance between living in the moment and preserving said moments for posterity. 

This summer I'll be backpacking Europe for about 3 months, from May 16th to August 9th. In this order I'll be in London, England --> Lisbon, Portugal --> Seville, Spain --> Madrid, Spain --> Barcelona, Spain --> Copenhagen, Denmark --> Rome, Italy --> Florence, Italy --> Venice, Italy --> Milan, Italy --> the south of France --> Krakow, Poland --> Budapest, Hungary --> Zagreb, Croatia --> Split, Croatia --> Hvar, Croatia --> Korcula, Croatia --> Dubrovnik, Croatia --> Athens, Greece --> Ios, Greece --> Santorini, Greece. From Santorini my schedule is open to travel anywhere else my heart desires. Below is a packing list I spent days and days going over after reading what seemed like every single travel blog for females backpacking Europe in the summertime. Special shout out to my mom for her determination and unparalleled bargain hunting abilities in getting me what I feel is the perfect travel wardrobe.

Packing List

(Clothes)

• 2 short sleeve tops

• 3 tank tops

• 1 long sleeve top

• 1 cami

• 1 cardigan

• 3 short dresses

• 2 bras, 1 sports bra

• 3 pairs of quick-dry underwear

• 1 pair of leggings

• 1 skirt

• 1 maxi skirt

• 1 maxi dress

• 1 pair of nice shorts

• 1 pair of jeans

• 1 rain jacket

• 2 swim suits

• 1 pair of boxers and 1 tshirt for sleeping

• 1 pair of walking shoes

• 1 pair of flip flops

• 1 pair of rubber sandals

• 1 pair of nike shorts and 1 tshirt for beach cover up

(Electronics)

• iPhone

• Ipad

• Charging cords

• Adaptors

• Portable charger for iPhone

• Headphones

(Miscellaneous)

• Glasses

• Sunglasses

• Small notebook/pens

• Locks

• Watch

• Umbrella  

• Ziploc bags

• Microfiber Fast Dry Towel

• Silk Sleep Sheet

• Daypack

• Purse

• Roll up water bottle

• Eye mask/earplugs

• Protein bars

(Toiletries)

• Dry shampoo

• Shower cap

• Shampoo/conditioner

• Razor

• Deodorant

• BB creme/mascara/eyeliner/lipstick

• Toothbrush/toothpaste

• Nail clippers

• Contacts/solution

• Acne cream

• Moisturizer

• Hanging toiletry bag

• Bar of soap

• Chapstick

• Tweezers

• Hair ties/bobby pins

• Hairbrush

• Q tips

• Sink stopper

• Travel laundry soap

• Febreeze to go

(First aid)

• Bandaids

• Pepto bismol

• Ambien / Melatonin

• Advil

• Pack of tissues

• Safety pins

Everything on this list fits nicely into the Porter 46 backpack with slight room to spare, weighing about 25 pounds. Ideally, this will work as a carry on for all my flights so I don't have to check a bag. TBD if I'll be able to sneak this on to Ryanair with their insanely strict baggage regulations... Hope this helps anyone who reads this!

xx