Getting ready for Lisbon
Tomorrow this time I’ll be in an airplane headed to Lisbon! I’m travelling a few days by myself , and might use some of my time to blog there. In any case this means lots of fun Lisbon posts coming up in the next weeks!
As my mind has been a little distracted lately (I swear I might forget my head sometimes if it wasn’t attached to my body…), I am organizing for Lisbon now, and setting aside the things I want to pack and writing down the things I would like to do.
Carry-on essentials: I always pack my bag first with the essentials first: passport, wallet (cash is needed in Portugal!), laptop, headphones (essential!), iPad, iPhone and an usb charger. I always bring along a book and some snacks too, as I don’t want to pay for those on the plane. I try and get all my technology & liquids in my bag, so during the security check I only have to repack one bag.
Books & journals: I’m looking forward to a few days by myself, wandering the city, reflecting and doing whatever I feel like. I’m bringing my personal journal for self-reflection and writing down random thoughts. Also my #artsy journal for writing down about all the art I see and writing down notes for blog posts. I’ve also put aside two books to bring: Thrive by Arianna Huffington and The Book of Life by Deborah Harkness (witches/vampires/history all in one <3). And of course my trusty pocket Lisbon Lonely Planet guide is packed!
Clothes & beauty: I am hoping the weather will be as predicted…27 degrees!!! In the Netherlands it’s been cold and grey lately, so cannot wait for some proper sunshine and warmth! Setting aside my shorts, tops, sneakers and some nicer clothes already, so I can decide tonight on the outfits for my trip. As I am travelling only with a carry-on, I want to minimize weight from clothes & shoes (due to all the books, journals, camera and laptop stuff I am bringing). As it’s four days by myself, I am bringing my good skincare products and minimal make-up! Note to self: don’t forget your pj’s as always….
Planning: I have purposely not really planned anything for this trip. My friends gave me a wonderful private food tour of three hours (!!!!) in Lisbon, so this is the only thing I have scheduled. I have written down some things I would like to see/do, but will decide once I’m there what I will do. As it’s Easter Monday tomorrow, some things will be closed, which is always good to know!
Technology: This trip will be about relaxing and doing whatever I want…which is mainly see beautiful art and eat yummy food. So my camera is essential to capture all of this, and practice my photography. Also bringing my laptop to watch movies and do some blogging if want to. I can’t go anywhere without my iPhone, I’ve downloaded a lot of music (love spotify!), podcasts and audiobooks for the trip. I installed the google trip app to help me find restaurants around me and have an offline map of Lisbon. All in all that’s quite a lot of gadgets and cables!
Alan the Dino: Those who follow me on instagram may have seen I went to the Dinosaur exhibition in Naturalis in Leiden. I have been a dino geek since I saw Jurassic Park for the first time and my enthusiasm has not diminished much since. In the gift shop I spotted a cute little T-Rex toy, which was immediately adopted! Say hi to Alan the Dino! He’ll be making his first international trip with me….
Fiery update
It’s been quiet for a week on The Fiery Explorer, as I’ve been dealing with some personal things. I am trying to take out as much stress as possible from my life at the moment, and that includes the pressure I put on myself! My intention is to blog three times a week, but this week decided to for once not be so hard on myself and allow myself some rest and space. Working on some #artsy and more personal posts to share with you!
Let me know how you get ready for trips in the comments below!
Happy Easter to everyone that celebrates it!
Beijo,
Flávia
