Kittens From The Dark Side: Packing For Switzerland!

Did I mention that we went to Switzerland?!

We went there for the first time for our 20th anniversary eight years ago. When my parents brought a brochure explaining a guided tour of Switzerland (and Italy), focusing on the Alps, I told them, "Why would you spend that much? I can take you!" And then I researched and planned it! Greg did a lot of it, especially after my eye conditions caused computer work to be uncomfortable, and he's VERY GOOD at details like the best train pass, having apps for the closest bathroom and the train schedules, etc. He's a wonderful travel partner! We planned to leave on June 1 (and we did!) Lots more posts will come, one for each day of our trip, so check back soon!

A fun trip means I got to plan outfits and pack (which is super fun!)

I browsed around for packing inspiration and landed on this board.

I like how everything is simple, but each piece has interest of some kind in either pattern, shape, or texture.

Of course, I made substitutions to suit my style and preferences (and to conform to what I actually have in my closet!)

2 pairs of jeans -> slim blue pants, black pants
I don't find jeans very comfortable due to the stiff nature of denim

green pants -> cropped wider leg blue pants
I don't own green pants!

knee-high boots -> eliminated
I knew there was a LOT of walking ahead (we weren't doing anything fancy)

belt -> eliminated
I don't actually have a great belt at the moment and none of my pants has belt-loops!

skirt -> black lace pants
a skirt was not practical for this trip

blazer -> sweater
I don't like blazars (too masculine and structured for me)

turtlenecks -> blouses
I don't like turtlenecks!

white camisole -> black camisole

First I decided on what I wanted to wear on the plane. I wanted something warm (mistake!), comfortable (not a mistake!), and cute (good).

I picked a light cotton grey sweater with black pants (both breathable). I took a striped cardigan in case it was very chilly on the plane PLUS my raincoat (which doubled as another layer for mountaintop days because it had a nice fleece lining).

Here's my raincoat (in use in Zuerich):

Raincoat in use atop Mount Titlis in the misty rain!

Here's where I will tell you that last time Greg and I went to Switzerland, we were often COLD. It rained, it snowed, it was blowy and chilly many days. This time, however, I was hot and sweating profusely most of the time. It was warm, it was humid, it was sweltery. I anticipated various temperatures and weather conditions, but I didn't not assume I would be THAT warm. My outfits were acceptable even though I didn't plan for these conditions, but my travel outfits did not need to be so toasty, and in fact, it would have been nice to be quite a bit cooler. I'm not sure that's possible, though, because even a t-shirt and a skirt wouldn't have kept me cool in some of those lines, small spaces, rooms full of people.

Here is that outfit out in the world!

Our flight from Toronto to Zuerich was delayed by a full 24 hours and they didn't give us our bags back, so we didn't have any new clothes! Nor did I have clean underwear (I washed mine in the sink!), a brush, or a curling iron. Grrr. Thankfully I had my make-up, skin care, and medications in my carry-on. I will always take a change of clothes in my carry-on from now on!

I did have the cardigan I hadn't yet worn, and the airline (BOO on you, Air Canada overall! but thanks for the strange kit) gave us an emergency kit containing a humongous see-through t-shirt as well as some hygiene products.

I created a new outfit:

I didn't end up wearing the towel! Instead, I wore my pants from the previous day. I was incredibly hot in the t-shirt and cardigan for the following 36 hours but I couldn't take off the cardigan because the t-shirt was see-through and my bra was black! But it looked pretty cute. I put my hair in a ponytail at first, but it was too straggly, so I put it in a side braid with a bow and it was cute enough (though pieces kept falling out and being annoying).

Once we got to Lauterbrunnen (with my cute Mom!):

Oh! I forgot to tell you about my footwear and I didn't take specific photos of my footwear - oops! I took one pair of low-heeled ankle boots (which were unnecessary on this trip) and one pair of sneakers. I took two pairs of footwear because last time I remember my sneakers got very wet on the rainy days and I didn't like putting on wet shoes the next morning (though I was smart and put them near the heater - one day I even blow dried them!), so I wanted a second option. There weren't any days on this trip with heavy rain, so I didn't have this problem. Next time I might take two pairs of similar sneakers rather than ankle boots because sneakers are much lighter and more comfortable than boots.

The sneakers I took:

These worked great and were CUTE with every outfit! I purposefully chose a shoe with a rubber bottom to prevent wet feet and manage snow well.

These are the boots I took:

These are the BEST BOOTS I've ever owned! I adore them and wear them almost every day in the fall, winter, and spring. I have been wearing this actual pair for two full years now (not in the summers) and they still look great (though I did buy a back-up pair for when these wear out!) They do have that little bit of a heel, which wasn't my favorite when walking miles and miles, but I did it anyway and was fine. I won't pack them again for a trip like this with that much walking.

Extra clothing items:
black camisoles

light white sweater

striped cardigan

I took these to layer for additional warmth. The camisoles went under a couple of my lighter blouses that are a bit see-through.

I never needed more warmth!

I was able to mix and match all the tops and bottoms I took along, so it was easy to make cute outfits grabbing any top and any bottom. Two bottoms were more form-fitting in the butt area, so I choose to wear longer tops with those where possible.

You'll notice a lot of BLACK. I love black for its versatility and for how well it combines with almost everything else. My favorite outfits are black and white with some small pattern and a sprinkle of color such as blue or pink or mustard yellow.

I wore each pair of pants two times and each top one time (good thing I

didn't plan to re-wear tops because I sweated a lot!)

More outfits, this time with blue pants:

Goodness, so far all the tops have dots!

I do love dots and blue!

And stripes! And this cute floral fits the graphic theme.

More stripes and checkerboard print:

The top on the right above is a light sweater and it did not end up getting worn because the weather was too warm and humid.

One of the black pairs of pants was actually lace, rather than plain black. The texture makes a monochromatic outfit more interesting.

An abstract print and more dots:

This is the backpack I took along. For day trips, I took this backpack (filled with lunch, snacks, water bottle, etc) plus my cross-body bag (carried in the front of my body and carrying my passport, wallet, eye drops, lip balm, etc.) This smaller, less wide backpack fit my smaller, less wide back just right. I really appreciate a backpack built on purpose for smaller frames. My passport cover is cute, too!

Here's how I wore the two bags so I had all my necessary items and food with me (food for me is a whole thing on its own, so I'll post about that later).

I'm noticing that perhaps I should've chosen a hat that doesn't have a hole in the back - look at that craziness sticking out through the hole! Ahahahaha!

This is the crossbody bag I took. I love that it's black and white, but that is has feminine interesting details!

Greg hasn't been using his Fire tablet, so he loaned it to me to use on the trip. I loved having electronic access to lots of reading material! I got a cute cover for it so it looks like a composition notebook!

I also took 2 of these faux-leather caps from Target because I like them so much I didn't want to be without if something happened to one of them. They are stylish, comfortable, and chic.

Cute!

All packed!

Here are the outfits I created with these items:

Day 3 (Interlaken):

On the way to see the Jungfrau!

Day 4 (Interlaken):

Off to see the Matterhorn in Zermatt!

The raincoat hooked around the backpack strap when not in use:

Day 5 (Zermatt):

Back to Interlaken

Day 6 (in the train on the way to Lucerne):

Off to see the Lion Monument, the Chapel Bridge, and to take a cruise on Lake Lucerne!

Day 7 (Lucerne):

Lucerne, on the way to Mount Titlis and the highest suspension bridge in Europe!

In a glacier cave atop Mount Titlis!

Day 8 (Lucerne)

On the way to Zuerich

Day 9: Zuerich

Home through Toronto to Minneapolis!

Maybe not the best outfit for icky bathrooms in trains and airports and planes with this flowy sleeves, but it was light and cool (it's a kind of mesh material).

I used these cute little bottles for shampoo and body wash, but the labels came off in the shower, so I would label them differently (or get different colored ones) next time.

Due to my dietary restrictions, I knew food that was safe for me in the airport/plane would be hard, if not impossible, to find, so I loaded up! I made yummy sandwiches on gluten-free buns. The innards were hummus, cashew cheese, and roasted vegetables. I took chocolate chip cookies, gluten free vegan pretzels, hard candy (for potential queasiness), tea bags (to add to water in my bottle).

Greg packed, too!

Dear friend Paige came over to watch the cat night-time and morning routine so she could be well-informed! She's the best auntie to them! Plus we got to have a sleep-over!