This post is all about my packing mistakes from my remote work trip to Spain.
I just got back from a lovely nearly 6 week trip to Spain (cue the depression) and while I was packing to come home I was quite honestly alarmed at how much I didn’t wear or even touch once.
I had never done such a long trip abroad before so I didn’t really know what to expect which resulted in extreme levels of overpacking.
Now I’ll preface this with the fact that the main purpose of the trip was to work remotely and ride my bike, so with that in mind the goal wasn’t to be going out in the evenings a lot since I would be working eastern time zone hours. If I had gone on some dates or gone out to dinner more then perhaps I would’ve gotten more use of the stuff I brought that got no air time.
That said, something that made the levels of overpacking so high was that I didn’t fully take into consideration the presence of a washing machine (lol oops). This meant that the first things I wore and got washed came back to the top of the pile and was the clothing I regularly reached for.
This post is all about packing mistakes for a long remote work trip.
Going away for such a long period of time meant I brought a checked bag and a carry on with me. The suitcase I brought is a half hard and half soft-shell like this one. It was great because you can stuff things down to fit, and it also doesn't take up too much room when it's not in use!
My Biggest Packing Mistakes
1. Chunky loafers
I’m not sure I could’ve chosen an item that was larger or heavier in the shoe department than chunky loafers. They are very cute and I never wear them (that should’ve been a hint as to not pack them), so I thought this trip was the perfect time to break them out. My mentality was that they were the ‘dressy’ shoes for the trip while still being comfy so they could also just be a cuter shoe choice instead of a sneaker.
I ended up not going out to eat to restaurants very often, which meant these cuties stayed sitting in my room for the entirety of the trip. Nothing worse than lugging some heavy shoes across an ocean to have them sit in your suitcase, and go right back into their box when you get home. Regrets.
2. Half the socks/underwear I brought
What is it about small articles of clothing that encourages me to pack the maximum amount of it??? While packing I seemed to have the genius idea to pack literally every single pair of socks and underwear that I own. I was going for over a month! Of course I’ll need it. Wrong. Very wrong.
Access to a washing machine was something I wasn't used to. It meant I had a rotation of a few items, while the rest went untouched. They’re not the biggest articles of clothing, but when you start to pack a lot of small things it adds up! There would’ve been a lot less stress on my suitcase zipper if I left some at home.
3. Running shoes
I had high hopes of going to a gym or getting some runs in while I was away, and they just didn’t materialize. I brought Salomon XT-pathways with me that were perfect for hikes, so these really didn’t get touched. Another pair of shoes just taking up space!
4. Chunky clothing
The weather in Spain in March seemed all over the place when I looked at the forecast. Down to 5 degrees celsius overnight and in the morning, but heating up to 17-21 degrees during the day. I felt like I had to pack for two climates so I brought a lot of warm clothing (read: overpacked). This takes of a ton of room in a suitcase. Two sweaters took up nearly a 1/4 of my bag, but I felt they were essential to bring with me. I literally didn’t wear a cardigan or chunky socks once since I had so many other options. My advice to you, pack for how you dress, not for your aspirational personality of outfits.
5. Cute tops
An extreme excess of cute tops were packed. Many bodysuits, tank tops, T-shirts etc were left abandoned at the bottom of my drawer. They weren’t touched until it was time to pack everything back into my suitcase to go home. Another reminder to only pack a few of each item. You do not need an entire closet with you!
6. Makeup
I am not someone who wears makeup every day. I used to be, but those days have passed and now I only wear it occasionally/rarely. It was another case of aspirational packing. My goal of the trip was to ride my bike, so I wasn’t getting dressed up. It ended up just taking up space and I definitely could’ve left it at home.
7. Workout clothes
Cycling clothing aside, I thought I might go to the gym or run so I packed a bunch of workout clothes (and obviously too many sports bras since tHeY TakE uP SuCh LiTtLe SpaCe). One outfit for hikes would’ve been plenty since I had a washing machine. If I didn't have my bike with me, these would have gotten a lot of wear, but alas they returned to Canada still folded from 6 week prior.
There you have it! My biggest packing mistakes from my remote work trip to Spain.
My best advice is to think about what your purpose of the trip you're going on. What do you realistically plan on doing? This should help you avoid falling into the trap of packing for every imaginary scenario that enters your head. Worst case scenario, if something comes up, 9/10 you will be able to find it there. Somehow I always forget that people live in the places I’m visiting and there are obviously places to purchase things if I need to. Biggest takeaway - if you have a washing machine, take out 1/3 of everything in your suitcase right now lol.
Want to know what the best things I brought with me were? Check out my Packing Essentials for a Remote Work Trip.
This post was all about packing mistakes for remote work trips.
Happy packing!!
