Carry-on Craziness

Long gone are the days when you could throw anything in your carry-on and not have to worry about TSA standards.  (But don't get me started on that!)  So over the past few years I've come up with a list of things that I recommend should go in your carry-on.  Remember that I'm talking here about international travel so my assumption is that you have a bag that you're checking in and then one that you'll take on the plane with you and have at lay-overs, etc.  That's the one I'm talking about.  Think of it as your "everything I might need for a couple of days in case my checked-in bag gets lost" bag.  What is essential for you to have in order to be the most comfortable and to insure that your needs are taken care of?  Let's start with documents.  I keep my Travelon wallet around my neck at the airports.  This contains my tickets, passport, drivers license (not really necessary but I like having a second photo ID with me and I sometimes rent a car in Europe), some American money, at least $25 of currency for the country I'll be landing in, (it's nice to be prepared to grab a drink or snack once you land without having to exchange currency.),  my ATM card (the easiest and cheapest way to get money anywhere in Europe), and a credit card.  By the way, make sure you let your bank and credit card co. know you'll be out of the country otherwise they'll think purchases are fraudulent and will freeze your accounts!  not fun!  OK, here's the rest of the list for the carry on:  a quart size plastic baggie with 3 oz bottles of any liquids that you'll need for overnight, camera, snacks, medicine/vitamins, glasses/contact lenses, sunglasses, extra baggies, travel information/itinerary, address/contact list, small notepad and pen, journal, alarm clock, travel pillow, reading material (I now have a Kindle-so much lighter!)/puzzles/games/ipod, earplugs (I never travel without them!), slippers with rubber soles (I hate wearing shoes on the plane but refuse to walk barefoot or in socks), change of clothes (just in case!).  If you have any favorite things you put in your carry on, please let me know in the comments section.  It's always good to share ideas.   (Thank you, Kristin for the reminder about the earplugs and the slippers!)  Next time I'll talk about actual packing.   A bientôt!