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The challenge is simple: Wear the dress for 100 days straight and get a $100 gift card for the Wool& store. But Why would I want to wear the same thing for 100 days? ! When I first heard about the challenge, I questioned how it was possible. 100 days is a long time. Won't I get bored? I'll never say no to a fun challenge, especially for $100, so I guess I'm about to find out! I just received my dress today, and I love it! Day 1, pairing it with My grandpa's old flannel shirt, red leggings, and red Toms. What Dress is it? This is the dress. It's the Kalle Ponte Tank Dress from Wool&, the company that is doing this challenge. I get hot easily, so I didn't want to get stuck wearing a long sleeve dress every day, because even in winter, I seem to always end up in places that have the heat set to "hotter than hell." 😅 A tank dress is easy to layer because I can throw a short or long sleeve shirt over top and still look dressy because of the skirt part. I'm most comfortable in leggings anyway, so I probably won't even miss pants that much. Because I got it in black, I feel like I can wear almost anything with it, and it's dressy enough to wear to work everyday! Why Bother? Well first of all, I'm always up for a fun challenge, especially one where I can win money! But even more than that, I love that the dress is made from natural fibers, and is environmentally friendly. I'm always looking for ways to be more eco-friendly, and switching to wool clothing just seemed like the natural next step. I hate that I feel like I need to have a large and varied wardrobe. I *know* that I don't need to have a giant wardrobe, but that doesn't stop me from feeling that I do. I am hoping this challenge with help me feel that I really don't need that much. Another reason is my passion in life: travel. I am always looking for ways to improve my travel experiences, and that includes packing as light as possible. In 2014, I studied abroad in Germany for 3 months, and I had two suitcases, a carry-on bag AND a personal item. Now, I try to travel without suitcases at all, and it has made my life so much easier! I don't spend time waiting for my bags at the carousel after a flight, I don't have to worry about any bags getting lost, and I don't have a bunch of crap to drag around to and from the airport during my trips. If I can get away with wearing a dress or two for most of my trip because the material is odor resistant and needs washed way less, than I'm so down! I'm traveling for about a month this summer, and I am hoping to fit everything in a 28 liter backpack, though I'll probably end up taking my 35 liter one so that I can have some space to bring a few things back with me. This was me after my bags got lost on their way back from Germany. Sooooo much stuff, and I was so excited to get it back. I love not worrying about lost bags anymore! What Comes Next? Hopefully, I'll keep up with this challenge and get the $100 gift card to buy another wool& piece! I'm going through my boxes of clothes in my basement to get rid of all of the stuff I *thought* I needed but clearly didn't, and I am planning to donate what I don't need. I am excited for this challenge and for my upcoming trips! If you want to keep up with my journey, subscribe because I think it sends you emails? I'm still new to this website thing, so I'm not sure. I'm still working out the bugs. Anyway, thanks for reading! Habibti says if I pack less, there will be room for her to come with me! Other Dress Posts Wool& 100 Day Dress Challenge: Day 2 Wool& 100 Day Dress Challenge: Days 3-6 Wool& 100 Day Dress Challenge: Days 7-11 Wool& 100 Day Dress Challenge Days 12-16

I am still deciding where to start, so here is an overview of what you have to look forward to! As of today, I've been to 22 countries! Bahamas, Belgium, Canada, China, Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Kuwait, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Russian Federation, Sint Maarten (Dutch part), Turkey, United Arab Emirates I try to look less like a tourist when I travel now 😂 It's painfully obvious in my early travels. The Beginning Our university group to Peru! We always went on family vacations when I was a kid, and I had been in airplanes before, so I knew I liked driving and flying. When I heard my university was going on a trip to Peru, I decided I had to go. I had never been out of the country before, so I though going on a group tour would be the perfect start to traveling abroad. I paid the deposit, got my passport, and signed up for a Spanish class to refresh my memory. After that trip, I couldn't wait to see more! I decided to change my major to TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages), and I was set to study abroad the next summer. I couldn't wait! I was going to spend three months in Dresden, Germany, where I took some pedagogy classes and started to dip my feet into teaching. I even kept in touch with one of my students and met her again earlier this year in Mexico! Teaching Abroad One of my English classes at CTGU: I had awesome students! During my final semester, I started to apply for jobs all over the world. I got accepted for a job teaching at a summer camp in Sochi, Russia, and then I'd move to China for a job I accepted teaching middle and high school students at an international school. I made some great friends along the way, and we traveled to many places around China while we were there, and we still keep in touch (I love you ladies! Can't wait for our next reunion!) I had originally planned on trying to apply for jobs in other countries to work for one more year before coming home, but I had so many great people around me, including one who convinced me to stay with her and teach at her university! (Thanks Maud!) Traveling Alone Thank you nice lady for laying on the ground and taking my picture at the Eiffel Tower, even though you thought the sidewalk was more important than getting more of the tower 🤭 I had already signed a contract for teaching at the university, but I needed to go home and get some documents certified because the government rules had changed. I decided to take advantage of my long flights home and book some stopovers in random places. I honestly don't even remember how I chose those destinations other than that I heard of them and thought they would be interesting, but I decided to go to The UAE and Iceland for a few days, which included a layover in Paris. I had such a great time that I now book a lot of trips to just travel by myself! Traveling to Meet Friends The girls and me in China! Can't wait for our next reunion! 💕 Now that I have met so many people that live outside of the US, I travel to meet them! We had a little reunion with my friends from China because one of them was getting married a few years ago, and it was so nice to see almost everyone again! I plan on flying to meet up with a few of them again this coming summer, so hopefully all goes well with my flights! Love you ladies! 💕 Making Friends Along the Way Here we are on the GLT Sweet Escapes trip in Orlando! I can't wait to see you again for the Great Escape trip! I still travel alone a lot or I go on group trips, and I usually make friends while I am there. I went on a trip with Girls Love Travel (my favorite group on facebook!) last year, and we had such a great time that many of us are going on a similar trip this year that will be like a reunion trip! I am also going on a GLT trip to Japan this summer, and I can't wait! So, this is just a summary of my memories you have to look forward to reading about over the next few months until my next trip! If you're interested in reading more about my travels, feel free to join my mailing list!

Using eco-friendly travel products can also make your travel easier! As a frequent traveler who used to take the maximum amount of free baggage at all times (yes, that includes two giant suitcases for my international trips), I wanted to find an easier way to travel. Dragging two 50 lb (23 kg) suitcases around town while wearing a heavy backpack is not the most relaxing way to start and end any vacation. So, what are some ways I decided to lighten my load AND become more eco-friendly? Let's find out! Tip #1 - How much do you actually need? The hardest part for me is always deciding what to leave behind. Pick a few outfits that you can mix and match and wear more than once. You might think an outfit each day is a good idea, but that's way more than you need! It can be such a relief to pack less because it's less to carry, and less weight=less carbon emissions! This is me in St. Croix with the 28 liter backpack I used to pack everything I needed for a week. Tip #2 - Buy less It is tempting to go out and buy all new everything in eco-friendly versions, but wait! Use that plastic toothbrush you already have! Don't throw it out before its time just to buy a new one and look more eco friendly. Wear the clothes you have until you are ready to buy something new. Even then, stick to a few key pieces that you can wear while you travel and when you're home. Tip #3 - Try merino wool If you are looking for your next travel outfit, try one made from merino wool. Not only are the fibers natural, unlike synthetic materials that are basically just plastic, but they also have many other benefits! Merino wool is odor resistant, which means you have to wash it less. Pick a basic outfit made from merino wool, and just add a few accessories to change the look a bit. Nobody cares if you wear the same black shirt and jeans every day, and Steve Jobs would be proud! Tip #4 - Ditch the liquids! I don't carry any liquids when I travel, but how? Shampoo and conditioner bars are great ways to reduce plastic waste because they don't come in big plastic bottles. Plus, the bars take up much less space than the liquid amount you would need for the same amount of washes. Even better, you don't have to worry about wrapping anything up in plastic bags because there is no liquid to leak all over your stuff! Try out a few different brands to see which ones you like the best. It took me a while to find one that worked with my hair, especially the conditioner bar, but now those are all I use, even at home! If you're interested, I used this shampoo and this conditioner by Naples. These are paid links for me from Amazon, but you can also shop directly from their website as well. I honestly just love their stuff! These are my shampoo (left) and conditioner (right) bars that I carry in a little tin. Tip #5 - Try toothpaste tabs In the same vein as my previous tip, stop messing with toothpaste! I'm not sayin you should stop brushing your teeth; I'm just saying there's a better way than that paste that comes in plastic tubes! Toothpaste tablets were weird for me to use at first, but now that I got used to them, I love them! I have been using them for a few months now, and I've had no dental problems whatsoever. While I am not a dental professional, I did tell my dental hygienist about my switch at my last dental visit. I asked if she noticed anything that would be a reason to switch back, and she said my teeth looked great, and that I should be fine to keep doing what I was doing! There are many brands, and they have kinds with and without fluoride, so be sure to read about the ingredients before you order to make sure you get what you want. These are the exact ones I use from Hello. (again, this is a paid link, but feel free to search independently as well) Tip #6 - Bamboo or wooden toothbrushes Plastic toothbrushes can spend over 500 years in a landfill. What a waste! As I said in tip #2, don't throw away your plastic toothbrush you just opened last week just to get a new one that looks more eco friendly. I still have a plastic travel toothbrush that I was given as a gift, but when it has lived its life, I have a bamboo one waiting to replace it. The nice thing about the one I just bought is that it comes with one handle and replaceable brush heads, thereby wasting a little bit less. On the left is my old travel toothbrush, which was plastic and folded into itself. On the right, is my new bamboo toothbrush handle with 4 replacement heads. #ad Though I can't wait to use my new toothbrush, I'll wait until my old one needs replaced. It's already made and in my care, so I will at least get some use out of it before getting rid of it. Tip #7 - Pack laundry sheets Again, we're avoiding unnecessary liquids. When you pack laundry detergent (or buy it at your destination), you can pack fewer clothes because you're washing the ones you already have. However, when you pack laundry sheets, you also get the bonus of saving space and plastic! Most of the laundry sheets I've seen advertised come in small carboard envelopes with no plastic packaging. I use these in my daily life now, not just for travel! Tip #8 - Freeze water in a reusable bottle Did you know that the TSA allows you to take ice through security? I take a water bottle filled with ice on every trip. Depending on where you go, you can refill your bottle if the water is safe to drink at your destination. Taking your own bottle means buying fewer disposable water bottles on the other side of security, which also saves you money! Tip #9 - Use packing cubes They can keep you more organized, and some of them even help you compress your clothes to take up less space. Packing cubes are reusable and mine have lasted much longer than the plastic compression bags I used to use. I've had these compression packing cubes (#ad) since 2019, and I still use them on occasion if I'm really trying to pack tightly! Below, you can see my new Cotopaxi packing cubes, which I've been using more often lately. Here is how neatly I packed everything into my 35 liter backpack with packing cubes. These were the things that were in my bag on my way back from a trip to Mexico. All of it, including the blue backpack on the left (I bought it at a stopover in Denver on my way back; I'm OBSESSED with Cotopaxi and had to stop at the store there) fit into the bigger backpack on the right, as shown in the top picture! Tip #10 - For my friends who menstruate... Try using a menstrual cup instead of tampons, and try using reusable pads instead of the disposable ones. I have been using menstrual cups for over a decade now, and I've never looked back. They might take some time to get used to, but they make traveling so much easier now. Not all countries have tampons readily available, and if you're going to pack pads and/or tampons for your trip, they take up a ton of space! If you're going on a short trip, that might not be too bad, but if you're backpacking for three months, that's a lot of menstrual products to pack! Over the course of your lifetime, using a menstrual cup can save so much waste! #ad This one is available on amazon, and when you buy one for yourself, the company also donates one to someone in need. This is a set of two, and is a more budget friendly option as well. I also really enjoy the June cup, which I recommend getting directly from their website. I don't get anything from them, but I absolutely love mine and just want to share with you because it's just that great! Start somewhere today! Take baby steps if you have to, but do what you can to be a little bit more eco friendly, both when you're traveling, and when you're at home. I have noticed a huge difference in my travels since I started packing lighter. I still have a long way to go to be more environmentally friendly myself, but we all need to start somewhere. Our little steps together add up to hopefully make the future a better place for the next generations.