North Carolina Recap

Happy Wednesday, everyone! I am so excited to be sharing a little vacation recap with you all! Last week, I flew down to Jacksonville, North Carolina to visit my boyfriend. He is a Hospital Corpsman in the Navy who works for a Marine Corps battalion at Camp Lejeune. They are deploying in August for a few months so I wanted to take a trip to visit him before they leave! I had such a great time and wanted to write this post to look back on some of the fun memories we made. I hope you enjoy!

What We Did

I flew down to North Carolina on Tuesday after my class. The Jacksonville airport is pretty small, so I flew into Charlotte first, had a short layover where I was able to get a little bit of studying done (the grind never stops, haha!), then hopped on a smaller plane which took me into OAJ.

I spent the majority of Wednesday in the hotel room studying for my exam, but that night we went to Panera for a quick dinner, then took a drive through North Topsail Beach before heading to the Surf City Pier. It was such a nice night!

On Thursday, I took my exam and had class online, followed by a fun dinner at Carolina Ale House! I had the Fish & Chips and of course had to order my first of many sweet teas!

Friday was a gorgeous day so we decided to drive to Emerald Isle Beach for the afternoon! The ocean was a literal bathtub and felt so much warmer than the water here at home in New Jersey! It was nice to get some sun and relax for a little while.

My boyfriend has the weekends off from work, so we decided to take a ride down to Wilmington. We spent the majority of our time on the Riverwalk which was so pretty! We got dinner at a restaurant called The George where I had the most delicious salmon and cheese grits.

And finally, on Sunday, I made my way back to New Jersey!

What I Wore & Packing Tips

When it comes to travel, I would definitely consider myself an “efficient” over-packer. I tend to bring a lot, but I usually wear/use everything I pack! I always think it’s best to have simple pieces on hand that you can mix and match to create different outfits. Depending on the day and what you have planned, you’ll have plenty of things to choose from. I also like to pack a few pieces of jewelry that will go with all of my outfits, as well as a dressier piece or two for nice dinners. Below, you’ll find most of the pieces that I packed – I tried to link as many as I could still find online!

Travel Essentials

Some are no-brainers, but here is a list of a few things I never travel without:

• Snacks & Gum – If you don’t have a very long flight, try and save your money at the airport if possible and stash a protein bar or two in your carry-on! My favorite thing to bring on the plane is the Sunflower Butter & Chocolate GoMacro bars.
• Book – I always like to get the airport a little bit early to give myself enough time to get through the lines at security. Having your current read on hand is a great way to pass the time and save your phone battery!
• Headphones/AirPods – during my flight I usually listen to music, especially if we won’t be in the air very long. On longer flights I usually switch to a show or a movie that I’ve downloaded so headphones are a must!
• Plenty of Water – I always like to grab a big water bottle before getting on the plane that I can have with me throughout the whole flight
• Chapstick – nothing is worse than needing chapstick and not having any! The air on the plane can be pretty dry so this one is a must-have for me whenever I travel!

Thank you so much for reading!