Now that I have all these summer plans, I’m going to need the right supplies. After a 400 euro ($800 USD) debacle coming home from my semester abroad in Italy back in 2009, I vowed to be a better packer. That ghastly amount is what I had to pay IN ADDITION to my pricey cross-Atlantic ticket to get my belongings home. Screw you, Alitalia. So, for this summer I’ll need a beastly suitcase. My brothers have had the Adventure Rolling Duffle from L.L. Bean for the past 10 years. Every time we travel, I’m always angling for one of their suitcases, convincing them that girls have WAY more to pack and that their things can fit in my modest red roller bag. I’d say it’s high time I got my own, considering Karl and David’s have held up for so long, they must be made of magic. I also think it’s rather nifty that L.L. Bean has staff at their headquarters in Portland, Maine that run around town testing the luggage.

Next, I’ll need some versatile shoes. Since we will be canoeing and hiking and being generally adventurous, I think Chacos will work. As a kid, my mom would force me into Teva’s, another type of rubber sandal that I just thought were horribly uncool. For whatever reason, Chacos are their more popular cousin, even edging their way into the southern college greek scene. Once my friend said to me, “Ewww, never, NEVER get Chacos.” “Why?” I asked. “Those are for potheads,” she said. However, I think I am willing to throw my reputation into the wind for comfort.

Last but not least, I’ll need some entertainment. Sure, iPad’s are great. They combine practicality and fun. But recently, I got a better idea. When I was a kid, we weren’t allowed to have video games (hand-held or console). I would spend hours at friends’ houses trying to get my hands on a Nintendo or a Game Boy. So, since I was never allowed one as a child, I figured I should make up for my loss and scour eBay. I found a Game Boy in Atomic Purple along with a few other relics from the stone ages, Pokemon, Spongebob (Legend of the Lost Spatula), Frogger and Super Mario Brothers Deluxe. My boyfriend (I’m sure) really enjoys when I scream expletives at the small screen. There is just no other way to react when you are Spongebob and you are being mauled by a giant jellyfish. I’ll just have to train myself to keep quiet on the airplane…