i went back and forth on doing a packing post, mostly because i forgot to take photos of all the things i took and it’s just not as good without the visuals, but as i thought about it i decided i still wanted to share both what i took and also some of the things i picked up while i was there. here we go.

what i took.

i’m going to keep this pretty simple since i forgot to take photos and also i’m doing my best to remember all of this about 6 weeks after returning so bear with me. i’ll also include some notes with each section as well as links wherever possible.

the clothes + shoes

2 dresses, 1 jumpsuit, 4 t-shirts, 1 pair of boxers, 1 pair of running shorts, 3 pairs of leggings, 3 kurtas, 1 black and 1 navy churidar pants, 1 swimsuit, 1 zip-up hoodie, 1 shawl, various socks and undergarments

• i took the jumpsuit specifically to wear for nilah and evika’s communion and while i wouldn’t usually pack an outfit to only wear once it was what i wanted for the event and it packed down quite small
• i replaced the two churidars in coimbatore thank goodness because they were very faded [they’re from 2015] and the black ones had multiple holes oops
• i really missed having a pair of shorts this trip. my favorite black shorts had to be retired last summer and i never got around to replacing them so that is a top priority for this year
• i also packed 2 v-neck old navy tees that i didn’t wear and left with my aunt in coimbatore to ship back to me and a pair of black pants that i gifted to sarah once i got some new ones that fit better

1 pair of sneakers, 1 pair of teva sandals, 1 pair of rubber flip flops

• i love the sneakers i took, but they are quite bulky and so i almost always had to wear them while travelling to free up the space in my pack. for future trips i’ll go back to taking my running shoes which are smaller and lighter

the gear

cotopaxi allpa 35l pack, patagonia black hole tote pack, strand tote bag, rei compression packing cubes, small laundry bag

• on the way there i packed the smaller tote bag and carried on the other two; on my return i checked in the pack and then carried on the two totes
• i’m really glad i took the additional tote this year which was perfect for daily use
• patagonia doesn’t make my exact tote pack anymore which is sad because i love it so much, but from what i can tell this is very similar if not the same with a new name and different color options
• my personal opinion is that packing cubes don’t matter if they don’t have the compression because for me it’s less about separating my stuff and more about being able to pack it all down smaller

iphone 15, airpods pro, kindle paperwhite + cover, 2 pairs of wired earphones, 2 charging cables, adapter, refillable nalgene water bottle, assorted toiletries, passport, oci card

• i can finally use the same charging cable for my phone, airpods, and kindle which is such a game changer in terms of the number of wires i have to carry; the second cable was for my watch
• 1 pair of wired earphones has the old plug so i can use it on flights [i prefer those to the headphones they give you], and the other was for my phone to listen to stuff on flights and trains without having to worry about losing an airpod in my sleep
• i can’t find my exact adapter anymore but this one is very similar
• my toiletries were a mishmash of things i’ve collected from hotels and then travel sizes from walgreens for the rest; the only things i am particular about are my face wash and my face cream and other than that i’ll use whatever is available

on the way there i also carried a few things that priyanka had ordered — a benefit of seeing them in calcutta was being able to offload their stuff as soon as i arrived, creating space in my pack.

what i got there.

priyanka and deboo took us to dakshinapan in calcutta, and from the assortment of shops i got a star ornament and a little elephant for myself along with a few gifts for others.

also in calcutta i bought a tote bag from sienna that i adore.

i refreshed my kurta collection and picked up new pants from fabindia in coimbatore and it felt nice to have some updated casual indian wear.

i also picked up this yellow quilt* while at fabindia and will be gushing about it for a while to come.

in bangalore i got some new ear studs from raju uncle obviously, as well as an incense holder and carved box from another shop on commercial street. and some postcards from blossom of course.

sarah and i did the same thing we did last year and bought a large sheet in goa to use as a blanket on the beach. last year we left it in bangalore with nithya; this year we donated it to our guest house when we left.

i really wanted some old bollywood movie posters, and vinod uncle was kind enough to take me to his friend’s shop in chor bazaar where i was able to sift through his collection and pick out the ones i liked. baba remains convinced i was ripped off, but i got 8 posters for about $46 which i think was a great deal.

at the lovely artisans shop in south bombay i got an i was a sari reusable bag, a few bookmarks, a box of greeting cards, and a lovely coffee table book. also at suvāsā i got a small stuffed elephant.

i don’t know when i will wear it, but there was a bhavya ramesh nail ring i became besotted with and so i treated myself to it.

and there you have it, all my possessions from 3.5 weeks in india. i promise to try to do better next time.

xx

*i knew my aunt would be sending me a package with my favorite indian snacks, so i added the quilt to the parcel along with a few of the tchotchkes i had picked up in calcutta which gave me the benefit of shopping without adding to the weight of my luggage