City Tips- girls and boys!

Living in Argentina, Paris and D.C. I have acquired some-though not nearly close to all-tips to stay prepared if traveling or living in a big city. From what to wear, to what to carry in your purse, to what to wear, yea emphasis on what to wear, I tried to be as broad as possible. Providing tips for a range of cities and climates. As always, comment below with any city tips you have acquired so we can all be Sex and the City fabulous-and that includes Mr. Big fabulous for all you guys out there.

Carry a reusable coffee sleeve-Recently my cutie pie cousin Lauren came to visit me
Photo courtesy of wholefoodsmarket.com/blog/whole-story/life-jacket-your-coffee

and as we were strolling past the White House, perfectly toasted rainbow bagels in tow, I noticed her coffee cup was so much cooler than mine. It had a colorful, and more importantly, reusable, coffee sleeve on it. The environment is important (shoutout to my Environmental Law Journal boi), but having a cool coffee cup is important too. And as she said, any little bit helps. Lauren snagged hers for a couple bucks from Whole Foods, but there are a variety of options available on amazon.com.
Carry a pack of kleenex and hand sanitizer -When living in the city, you just never know when a kleenex is going to come in handy. Whether you need it for a random bathroom pit stop (i.e. wheres the darn t.p.) or to open up a grimy city door or taxi handle, it’s definitely a must.
Know before you go-Before you head out for the day, its always nice to do a little research before hand. Look at what hotels/Starbucks/stores have bathrooms in the parts of town you going to hit. Gap’s usually have bathrooms in cities, just FYI. Plus they also have clothes. And clothes are almost as important as bathrooms.
Carry a snack and water bottle-While most of you are probably not like me and legitimately scared to go somewhere without a water bottle, you must admit it is quite annoying when you get so parched you’re willing to shell out 4$ for the Evian that just happens to be at the little cart in front of you. If you carry a water bottle with you, you can almost always find a water fountain. Just today, as Chad and I were running errands, I was able to refill my bottle at T.J. Maxx and the National Portrait Gallery. Plus, staying hydrated will stave off those pesky, long walking day headaches that can crop up. It’s also a good idea to keep a bar or some nuts in your bag. They don’t take up much space and they can come in hangry handy, if you know what I mean.
Screenshot your walking path ahead of time-When I was living in Paris, I didn’t have any data. Even just typing that out, I’m so shocked that I survived. But alas, I did. Whenever I would go out, I would always screenshot my walking/metro path so I had it handy. Or you could always do it the old fashion way and carry a map. Even if you don’t care about using up data, you never know when your phone is gonna die and
Forever XXI Backpack

you’re gonna be like ughhh, where am I. Its just a good idea. Its also a good idea to familiarize yourself with the local transportation system. Even if you’re planning on ubering, which, lets be honest, we all have those days, its always good to know the system-just in case!
Carry a cute backpack-So this tip is pretty obvious, cause #handsfreeliving. Plus, backpacks are super-duper in right now. Coach has some classic varieties, but you can also grab an inexpensive one from Forever 21. Check out a cute one currently sold at Forever XXI here.
Layer your clothes-Living in a city, especially one like D.C., you just never know what exactly the weather is going to be like. For example, before going home for the
holidays, Chad and I walked to Georgetown in ideal 60

This one is from Target. Its linked here.

degree weather, but on our return, we were faced with blistering 40 degree near tornado like winds. (Ok fine, we ubered home. Whatever.) I of course, decided there was no need for a coat/sweater/rain jacket, so yea, I was freezing. Since then, I always try to wear layers. I love long sleeve flannels or cute sweaters that you can tie around your waist or shoulders if you get hot. Plus, if you carry that little backpack you can always throw your sweater in there! Wearing a lightweight scarf is also a great way to layer. Not only is it cute, which is the most important, but it can also come in handy for those ‘climate control’ situations. You can put it around your head if its windy, or wear it around your shoulders inside if it’s too warm for a coat but too chilly for just a shirt/sweater. My “hate-hate” relationship with the wind has forced me to come to this realization.
Get to know your local shop owners-Every exam period, I hunker down like a literal hermit. Wearing my comfiest clothes I make the long trek to Bruegger’s Bagels. Okay, so it’s next to my building. I go early and stay late-studying until they close down. Why do I go do Bruegger’s out of all the coffee shops, libraries, cafes in the city? There is the sweetest woman there who actually refills my coffee without me even asking. She checks on me, asks me if I need water and even encourages me when I’m feeling pessimistic-very unusual for me.* Long story short, if you get to know the people in your neighborhood, you will not only get better service but you will probably meet some really great people out of it. Isn’t that what life’s all about. That and the fashion.