Since you guys seem to like my ramblings, or free writing if you try to sound cool and artsyfartsy with it, I'm gonna do a little more of it today.
I'm spending a good portion of this week on getting some stuff done in preparation for the upcoming trip to London. I really enjoy getting ready for a trip, it's half the fun of it! I feel so excited about travelling and I can extend the fun of it by thinking about the future travels for all of previous week. I like making sure I have all the timetables and tickets I need for the actual travel part, some local currency and for example, a power outlet converter thingy I need when going from EU to UK. I like googling possible things to do, picking out clothing I want to wear, making sure all the favourites are clean and picking out all the shoes I need, which is usually at least three pairs.
I think I'm gonna take a pair of white sneaker, ladylike version of black combat boots and super high heeled black booties for a possible night out. I've been wanting to wear the booties on many occasions, but I haven't had a change because they have been missing a heel tab for ages, but I finally took them for repair yesterday. I happened to notice my trusty black leather backpack, which I have with me every day, was giving out on the straps, probably due to carrying heavy camera gear on it on most days. I got the shoes and backpack both repaired, and went to get them this morning. The weather was pretty lovely for a good 5 kilometre walk in the morning, and now I feel pretty good and energised for getting that done.
From my experience visiting London in early autumn is that is fucking cold, wet and windy, and I am not good with any of those. I get cold so easily, it's ridiculous. And yes, I'm skinny, that is why, but no, I don't want to fatten myself up, thanks for suggesting though. I would still like to look cute, and not like I'm going on a polar expedition on September. Which can be a cute look too, but a bit too much. Leather jacket, jeans and wool layers will probably do the trick this time. I just have to pick which of my array of grey knitwear I'm gonna take with me. I'm pretty simple with my clothing, but I want to have options of basically the similar stuff, two different leather jackets, probably three pairs of jeans in different colours, and half a suitcase full of knitwear, and white and black t shirts.
I was going to go with only hand luggage, but it really isn't possible for me. One big part of all trips is the photography, and when I bring my two most used lenses, the Sigmas, the Nikon body and of course my laptop and all the chargers, that alone weighs around 5 kilos. Adding cosmetics, and clothing for cold climate, the hand luggage only travel is not happening. If you don't feel the cold, don't care much for looks, don't need a laptop and only camera is your phone, then you can go with only hand luggage, but it's not for me.
I have a new, small camera on the shopping list, the Fujifilm X100F, but it will have to hang on the wanted list for a while longer I think. The crypto markets will determine when I can get it. That would allow me to size down on little trips so I wouldn't have to carry three kilos of camera gear with me to everywhere, but could go with a camera that, in theory, can fit to a jacket pocket. I wonder if I could cope with going abroad with only one camera with a fixed lens of 22mm (about 35mm equivalent on a full frame), I'm so used to having a range from 18 to 100mm on a crop sensor, and with spectacular image quality.
I'm always a little torn about the stuff I carry with me, because I actually hate bringing even a handbag anywhere! I have been loving my little backpack, because it allows me to be hands free, but I would prefer having everything fit in my jacket pockets. I need and want to have stuff with me, like snack, lip balm, cash, bandaids, power bank etc, but I hate carrying the stuff. I think I am going to try and show you my emergency kits I have with me if I go outside for more than just a grocery store run. I'm very proud of the special kit I have put together and it's saved me, and people that are with me, many a times.