Preparation:

Preparing for a vacation can be ever so exhilarating. You have an excuse to purchase items specifically for the purpose of enjoying your location to the fullest; a new swimsuit for a tropical location, cute yet comfortable walking shoes for new cities, mittens for snowy getaways, and the list goes on and on! With our pending trip to Europe being only 13 days away now, here are a few of the items that are either necessary to our travels or have been justified along the way as somehow being for the betterment of my experience...

[My passport has been collecting dust since I received it almost two years ago... I finally get to validate that purchase!]

[My heavy 1940's Samsonite just was not going to cut it with the train hopping that we plan to do, so I ordered this classic duffel bag from Herschel Supply Co.. Their lovely red pinstriped interiors and specialized shoe compartments are what inevitably won me over.]

[I have finally begun to highlight important tidbits and must-sees in our two travel guides, like how to politely get a waiter's attention in Catalan Spanish and the regional cuisine of the Côte d'Azur.]

[After reading this post I decided that dry shampoo would be a great way to extend the time between having to wash/dry/flat iron and would thus add more time for me to be out exploring Barcelona & the Riviera! I picked up this product per recommendation at Sephora and plan to test it out in the coming days. While there, I also wanted a new long-wear matte lipstick that would be low maintenance during our lengthy days and eventually decided upon NARS Carthage. I tested it yesterday and can officially say that I'm in love.]

[And of course we are bringing along a whole slew of outlet converters for our multiple electronics' charging needs.]

I have stopped myself from making any apparel purchases since the plan is to shop, shop, shop while I am there due to Europeans being notoriously ahead of us on the fashion curve anyways. (Don't fret, I have every intention of sharing the spoils of my shopping endeavors with you all!]