One of the greatest adventures of life is stepping foot into a place you’ve never been before. The rush of being surrounded by new scenery, hearing the sounds of a culture other than your own, smelling the scent of the air in a new city - these sensations are unparalleled.

Whether you’ve got a major itch to travel or are content with hopping around new cities close to your own, packing is where many women go overboard. You don’t need a suitcase that you have to sit on to close. In fact, traveling lightly can make your trip even more fun because you won’t be lugging around enough clothing for a month-long safari.

A little can go a long way when it comes to traveling so, whether you’re heading out for a day trip, a weekend getaway, or a week-long explore-a-thon, use these packing lists to help you prepare.

Day Trip

Whether you’re walking out your front door intent on getting to know your city like a tourist or driving a few hours to explore a city you’ve never been to before, packing may seem like no big deal. But, take it from us, you’re going to want to be at least somewhat prepared.

The only consistent thing about adventure is that it’s ever-changing. Even if your trip is going to last less than 24 hours, you’ll want to have these basics on hand, just in case:

• A jacket
• Small first aid kit - bandaids, hydrocortisone cream, and a pack of baby wipes should do the trick
• Shoes that are made for walking (your wedges are adorable but your feet might hate you if you traipse around in them for more than a few hours)
• A water bottle
• Sunscreen
• Sunglasses
• Cash (at least $40 - you never know when a parking meter only accepts cash or that picture-perfect bodega’s card machine is down)
• A list of emergency numbers (we hate to think you’d need this but the reality is that phone’s die and practically no one has a phone number memorized these days)
• Phone charger
• Camera (You’re going to want to get some good shots and having a camera means you can capture them without being tempted to get lost in your phone)

Weekend Getaway

Weekend trips are the perfect mini vacation. You get out of town long enough to forget your daily stress but not long enough that you’re going to need an entire weekend to recover.

Heading out for a couple days gives you infinitely more options, too. You can bow out of work early on Friday, hop a 747 and be in an entirely different region in a matter of a few hours. Spend all your time eating at local restaurants, indulging in artisan markets, and decompressing in nature then head back home on Sunday evening.

Unless you’re going to a wedding, you really don’t even need to check a bag. A carry-on and a personal item will suffice, especially if you stick to this list:

• Cash
• Camera
• A water bottle
• Sunscreen
• Sunglasses
• Face wash
• Your favorite freshie feminine wash, poured into a travel bottle
• 4 pairs of underwear
• 1 bra
• 1 set of pajamas
• 1 jacket
• 1 pair of pants
• 3 tops
• 1 dress (casual or a little more fancy - your choice)
• Accessories
• A bathing suit (even if you aren’t headed somewhere tropical, your hotel just might have a hot tub)
• 1-2 pairs of shoes (one pair for walking around in and one pair for a night out on the town)
• Any vitamins or prescription medication you’ll need
• Phone charger
• Over-the-counter painkiller (wouldn’t want to let a pesky headache send you home)

What you can leave at home:

Shampoo and conditioner (your hotel or Airbnb will likely have these available for you), all ten of your favorite outfits - you’re only going to wear a couple, your laptop (c’mon girl, you’re traveling to get away from it, right?), and all your worries.

Week-Long Getaway

Go big or go home, right? Wrong. So, so wrong. At least when it comes to packing. If you’re ditching the day to day for an entire week, it’s likely that you’re going to need a little more than if you were only out for a weekend jaunt.

Still, the lighter you pack, the easier it will be to focus your attention on how many waves you’re going to catch. Load your bag up with these items:

• Cash
• Camera
• A water bottle
• Sunscreen
• Sunglasses
• Face wash
• Your favorite freshie feminine wash, poured into a travel bottle
• 7 pairs of underwear
• 2 bras
• 2 set of pajamas
• 1 jacket
• 2 pair of pants
• 6 tops (you can wear the same thing on each travel day)
• 1 dress
• Accessories
• A bathing suit
• 1-2 pairs of shoes (and socks, as needed)
• Phone charger
• Your laptop (you may need to check email or wind down after a long day of exploring with some Netflix)
• Any vitamins or medication you need
• Over-the-counter painkiller

What you can leave at home:

Your stress, your 80 lb suitcase, and your fear. Adventure awaits, friend!

Tell us, where is your next freshie adventure going to take you?