Scrappy Packing: Packing for NYC

I think one of the primary definitions of being "scrappy" for me is making the most of what you have. I hadn't really thought about my packing habits much until recently when I was going on a weekend away with some girlfriends and my sister. When my sister showed up at my house she took one look at my small purse packed with overnight items and said incredulously, "THAT is the bag of things you're bringing this weekend?"

I've long been a very minimalist packer. I like thinking about what the bare minimum is for what I'll need and not bringing one thing extra. Sure, sometimes it backfires on me, and I have to borrow a sweatshirt or wear the same socks twice, but for the most part, I always have everything I need and nothing I don't.

Last weekend, we went to NYC for my birthday, and a few nights before I was out with my girlfriends. They were asking me what bag I would pack and I casually pointed to my small backpack/purse I carry daily, saying, "Probably just this." They had doubts. "You're going to put everything you need for the weekend in THAT?" I honestly hadn't thought about it much; it was only 36 hours, how much more could I need? 

So I figured I would document exactly what I DID end up taking for our trip, and prove that that small bag really was all I ended up needing! I will note, I also ended up grabbing an umbrella to take, since a last minute check showed that we were going to get hit by hurricane Ian on our second day there. and also, I severely underestimated how cold it would be and had to purchase an extra layer due to hurricane winds, but aside from unpredictable weather events, I had everything I needed to have a great time!

1) wallet 2) toiletries 3) change of clothes 4) gum 5) AirPods 6) gum 7) snacks 8) phone charger 9) wipes  10) water bottle

(Also on my body were my shoes I wore for the weekend, a coat, and sunglasses)

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