Hello, Holidays | What's in my hand luggage?

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Last year I wrote a blog post all about what I keep in my handbag.  Strange?  Maybe.  A weirdly popular topic for YouTube videos and blog posts on the internet?  Definitely.  Today's Hello, Holidays post is in the same vein, but this time I'm giving you all a look at what I'll be packing in my hand luggage for our flight to America next week.  I've decided to take my Mi-Pac cosmos rucksack (which I reviewed here back in May) so I can easily transport everything I need and keep my hands free in the airport.

As this will be my first long haul flight in nearly ten years - and also the first time I'll have to check in luggage in ages - I'm slightly paranoid that our suitcases might go missing somewhere along the way.  For that reason, I've decided to pop a few items that I'm determined not to lose in my hand luggage, just in case!

Tons of technology:

Okay, so the first thing you'll probably notice is the abundance of cables, plugs and gadgets among my hand luggage.  Sadly, I'm a product of my generation and am pretty addicted to technology at the best of times.  However, I'm really only bringing my laptop and my camera along because - wifi willing - Craig and I are planning to vlog most of the trip so you can all come along for the ride!  (You can find and subscribe to our YouTube channel here, if that sounds like your cup of tea.)  Hopefully I'll also be able to put up a few blog posts while I'm away too.

I wouldn't usually take these enormous headphones on holiday, but sadly my in earphones decided to stop working properly this week so I've had to send them back to the manufacturer.  On the plus side, these ones will probably be good for blocking out noise on the flight.  I'm also packing my trusty iPod (which I think now probably appears in some museums) to contribute to our much needed road trip soundtrack.  Of course I'll then need to throw in the chargers for my laptop, camera, phone and iPod and at least one power adapter so I can actually plug them into sockets in the US!

A plethora of pages:
I've been writing in my One Line a Day diary every night since the 1st of January, so I definitely want to make sure I can keep that up in the event of my luggage staying in Edinburgh, or disappearing somewhere in Charles de Gaulle airport.  I'm taking my copy of Orange is the New Black (not a novelisation of the TV show, as one of my friends thought, but the original novel the programme was based on!) to read both on the plane and throughout the trip.  Also, my friend Nicola gave me three beautiful notebooks from Anthropologie as a birthday present, and I'm taking one along so I can be ready if and when creative inspiration strikes while we're on the move, or in case I want to keep a longer travel journal.

Excellent essentials:
Last, but absolutely not least, are my hand luggage essentials.  These things are basically either irreplaceable, very useful or super cosy.  (Spoiler: the super cosy item is the pair of fuzzy socks.  It's a long flight, so I'll probably want to take my shoes off at some point, and I don't want my feet to get chilly!)  Probably the most important object here is my passport - obviously I'm not going anywhere without that!  Then I've got some dollars in the new small travel purse I bought from Primark especially for this holiday.  It has room for a few cards as well as cash, and has a wrist strap which will be really handy if we're just nipping out to the supermarket at any point.  I'm taking both my normal glasses and my prescription sunglasses in my backpack because I would be pretty much lost without them (when it comes to going to the cinema or reading road signs, at least).  Finally (but perhaps most importantly) I'll be packing a spare top and underwear just in case I get stuck without a change of clothes.  I'm determined to be prepared!

And here it is, all packed up in my Mi-Pac bag.  I'm really looking forward to taking a small rucksack on this flight instead of my usual jam packed mini suitcase!

What are your hand luggage staples?  Is there anything that I've missed?