09/09/2026
scroll for some things I learned on my first international trip 🫣
+ more photos from San Sebastián 💛
if possible, schedule room service for the morning after you arrive to get a cappuccino delivered at the time your alarm is set for. we did this our first day and it helped us get out of bed since we had to answer the door and helped us to get moving!!!
you definitely could have packed everything in a carry-on; give yourself more than the morning of the trip to pack next time :*
you should probably buy a portable battery for your phone - if you’re the designated guide (using maps) and taking photos, it’ll be toast by 4pm
waking up early to journal and recount all the details of the day before is worth it! so many small, special moments get lost in our memories during the chaos of an irregular routine
bring your Brick so you can stay present 🤍
if you’re a planner - remember to schedule downtime, too it helps if the country you’re visiting incorporates siesta time ;)
doing a little asking around or digging to find out what food/drinks/places are native to the area/local is a great way to immerse yourself in the culture - this is how I discovered tinto de verano, kalimotxos, and txakoli (3 of my new fav drinks !!!)
put yourself in situations to experience the local culture!! sporting events are a great opportunity for this ⚽️
get a pair of sneakers made for walking that can be dressed up with your outfits …..
but shoutout to my COOLWAY mules and Crocs Shoes flip flops because I wore them for walking ~4+ miles a day and have 0 blisters (but yes, my feet did still ache - to be expected regardless of the shoe with that amount of walking daily)
expect hiccups !!! accept them and move on when they happen !! I was navigating us to a spot for sightseeing, and 10 minutes into our walk, I realized I was navigating to the wrong place that had a similar name. I corrected it and we went to what I thought was the right place, just to realize later that evening that the original place I was guiding us to was correct 🥲😵💫
(for context: on the Barcelona leg of our trip, I wanted to go to park Guell and took us to Palau Guell instead we did the tour o
