Whitney Leigh Morris 5/4/23 Whitney Leigh Morris 5/4/23

Italy, Spring 2023

I stepped out of my comfort zone when I agreed to host a group trip to Italy.

Venice, Italy. Photo by Alyson Morgan (@alysonsimplygrows). Luggage by SteamLine.

I’d never met any of the attendees in person.
I don’t speak Italian.
I’ve spent the majority of my weekdays for the past fifteen years mostly alone.
I’m wretched at small talk.
I get anxious over logistics.
And I don’t like to go anywhere without my kids and pups, let alone travel thousands of miles away from them.

Como, Italy. Photo by Alyson Morgan (@alysonsimplygrows). Collapsible travel bottle by Stojo.

But, on the flip side, now that we’ve settled into our new cottage and are discovering new routines in our household and business, this feels like such a season of change.

Restructuring.
Unlearning.
Relearning.
Evolution.

And, thankfully, the setup of this trip was such that I didn’t have to sweat the logistics, or make small talk. Instead, there were deep and joyful connections, paired with the vibrant backdrop of Italy and Trova Tourism’s mindfully curated adventures.

Despite initially planning on visiting France (since many folks who read this blog are interested in our @tinyfrenchfarmhouse journey), I decided to pivot and focus on Italy instead, as the itinerary sang to me given the overlap with my lifestyle.

Bike rides, long strolls, boat rides along waterways— all of this resonated with my family’s day-to-day existence. And on that note, my first group trip clearly had to include Venice, Italy— the town that inspired Venice, California, where our family resided for over a decade.

My small business and online presence were, for years, centered upon small space living along canoe-filled waterways under the warm sun that dries lines of laundry dangling from every awkward corner available.

So the visit to Venice, Italy was not only a feast for the eyes, but it was also a feast for my heart.

Our group activities included the following:

Milan City Cycle Tour
Cooking Demonstration with a Milano Chef
Lake Como Tour
Bellagio Lakeside Village Visit
Boat Ride from Bellagio to Tremezzo
Franciacorta Sparkling Wine Tour and Tasting
Venice City Tour
Gondola Ride on the Canals
Burano Boat Tour & Stroll

(Click here to view the full itinerary / details.)

While the sights were stunning and the trip well-orchestrated, what meant the most to me were the friendships forged. It was an honor and joy to be joined by author, photographer and herbalist Alyson Morgan, as well as ten absolutely delightful, like-minded, and kind-hearted travelers, along with our exceptional guide.

They say that all good things must come to an end, and while the trip is indeed over I’m thinking that this good thing might just need to evolve and happen again.

… Alyson and I are currently pondering the possibilities together…

In the meantime, I’m just so glad I said yes to this.

Photo by Alyson Morgan (@alysonsimplygrows)

Pictured in this post: My travel water bottle from Stojo, and my favorite SteamLine Luggage carry-on case, which was the perfect size for our week in Italy. When at the cottage, I use our SteamLine pieces as decor in order to maximize their functionality and further enjoy their beauty. SteamLine has a refurbishment program, and they offer a collection composed of naturally renewable + sustainably-sourced rattan, and recycled synthetic leather.

Whitney Leigh Morris 6/23/16 Whitney Leigh Morris 6/23/16

Travel Gear for Small Spaces

Now that summer is here and travel stories and products are popping up around the web, I've been receiving more questions about where and how we store our luggage here at the Cottage.

We actually have quite a few pieces of travel gear in our tiny home, but we don't just use them when leaving town. Many of our on-the-go accessories are constantly in use here on a daily basis as home-organization tools. By selecting multi-functional items that work well both inside AND outside the house, we've solved most of the storage issues that so many small-space dwellers face when it comes to finding a suitable place to put their luggage and travel accessories.

Here is nearly all of my globe-trotting gear. I obviously don't use all of these pieces on each trip-- I pick and choose depending on context:

Since I use most of these pieces while at home, they're generally floating around between my handbag, office and bedside. But when I need to stash some items out of sight, I simply pack them within my suitcase, which is a carry-on rolling bag by Steamline Luggage that looks like a small old-fashioned trunk. I picked this piece for its function AND its beauty, because I knew it would frequently be left out in the open at home. Since I love the way it looks, I don't mind having the luggage out and using it as an accent surface when needed. I can also slide it into the storage cubby that's built-in beneath our bed. Adam uses a leather Weekender Bag by Combatant Gentlemen, which is really versatile and also can fit under our bed.

The items I use every day include my Mod Laptop 2 + Tech Dopp Kit + Mod Tablet 2 by This Is Ground, along with my Rachel Wallet by Hobo (I've had it for years and years), and a leather notebook organizer. When I'm traveling on shorter trips, I pop my "dopp kit insert" into my Mod Tablet and it becomes a handy overnight beauty tool.

For longer trips, I switch it up a bit. I use a truly wonderful Mac Cosmetics travel bag, which organizes EVERYTHING. I also bring my Ona Clifton Backpack, which safely holds my laptop and camera equipment.

All the aforementioned items help me keep the house decluttered and organized, and have been ideal for my trips, whether they've lasted a single night or an entire month. With the baby coming in October, we're going to be making some adjustments to our luggage, of course. (But more on that later! In the meantime, here are some of my favorite past travel-gear images, with cameos by #StubsandSoph.)