I know that for most, the summer's already winding down by August, but I'm one of those unlucky souls whose school sequencing meant that I was in school up until just last week :') That being said, I'm leaving on my first vacation in 3 years on the 25th, and have to start thinking about what I'm going to pack!

Open question here - what do you consider your travel essentials, and do you have any tips for overseas packing and travelling? I'll be hitting up 3 different areas over 3 weeks (Hong Kong, Taiwan, and then Japan) so it's a pretty lengthy trip haha

• My teddy bear. It's my world wide travel companion. It was a the last thing given to me by my grandmother who died when I was three. It's been everywhere with me. England, Ireland, Scotland, Spain, Wales, and all the places here in the states.
• Contact lense stuff (case, solution, extra contacts, eye drops)
• Shower stuff. I never relay on hotels to have shower stuff, esp wash clothes. Bring a wash cloth! Trust me.
• Tooth brush and paste
• A good camera and plenty of batteries. My camera died in middle of my trip to Spain last year. Thankfully I was able to find some batteries in the little shop across the street from the hotel
• Wet naps. You may find yourself in a place where your hands feel gross and there isn't a place to wash them. One of the girls I went to Spain with sat in bird poop, so I gave her a few wet naps to help clean her pants off
• Good walking shoes and plenty of socks. Take one sock and put it inside it's mate. It will help with saving space in your suit case
• Also roll your clothes up. That will help too.
• Bring a paper or plastic bag for your dirty clothes
• A book for your down time (if you like to read)
• A small first aid kit
• Ear plugs and a sleep mask for the plane
• Also, after you go through security, grab a bottle of water and a snack before boarding the plane. It usually takes a while for the flight attendant to come around

That's all I can think of off the top of my head. If I think of anything else, I'll let you know. Have a good time! I'm super jealous. A friend of mine just got back from Japan. She loved it!

A book. I have one with me in my purse at almost all times. I feel incomplete without one. I couldn't imagine traveling without one.

Lots of good tips, thanks! :) And yes - I'm pretty excited, I've just finished my last semester of university so this is actually my grad trip before I hunker down and join the land of the dead working :')

Haha yes, I will definitely be bringing a book! It might have to be in the form of an ebook just for the sake of space, but I can't imagine any extended period without some reading material ;w;

Music is a must for me! I make sure I have my iPod fully charged and some music on my phone as well. I also bring my Nintendo 3DS and tablet for down time.

covered a lot of good points already. :)

I actually came back from Japan in July. I recommend bringing some bug spray and anti-itch cream. My bug bites have just barely faded away (almost a whole month later!) One thing I used a lot was a portable charger/power bank to keep things charged while I was out.

Hope you have a great time!

My scrapbook and camera, for sure. I keep an art journal/smashbook/planner mash-up in a Moleskine, and not only would I be utterly lost without it, I love sticking small mementos from my adventures in it - writing overheard conversations, gluing in a transit ticket, having my friends doodle in it (especially those friends who I meet on the road!)

In that same vein, my Instax Mini has to come along with me so I can have instant snapshots!

Also.. socks, socks, socks. Never leave home without more socks than you think you'd need!

I have to have lotion. Dry skin is a definite no. Besides that, my usual body care stuff I use every day. A small box to put my jewelry in on the hotel nightstand so that I know where it is in the morning is a must as well. I have this fear that I'll whack my jewelry off the nightstand in the night and never find it again.

I also MUST have my battery pack for my phone and the cords to charge it. No phone is a horrible, horrible thing to deal with. It's like my second brain...first brain some days.

You're welcome.

Trust me, I know how you feel. I just graduated too and trying to find a job is worse than any school work. And I'm trying to decide which graduate schools I want to apply for. I hope you have a great time!