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Favorite Essentials From My Travel Bag
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items I've been a full-time traveler since 2022, and part-time traveler since my filmmaking days in the 2010s. In this list are things that have always lived in my bags wherever I go, and some that I've added to perfect my remote worker lifestyle over the ...
Sections
5
Beauty & Skin Care
Long Flight Essentials
Books
Remote Office
Other
Beauty & Skin Care
Can't have a perfectly happy life without good health, can we? These are items I bring with me to every hotel bathroom.
My face is super sensitive and breaks out in hives as soon as it touches something it doesn't like (annoying), this gel cleanser is very mild, yet cleans out my make-up like a champ.
Beauty of Joseon: Green Plum Facial Cleanser
I freakin' love this brand for its unscented products! This hydrating serum feels very light against the skin, and keeps my face from peeling underneath the powder.
Beauty of Joseon Rice Serum
Most sunscreens leave my face with new pimples at the end of the day because it mixes with the powder and clogs my pores. This is literally the only one that doesn't!
La Roche-Posay Facial Sunscreen
I've been using these since I was in college, so… 15 years and counting!
Etude Blush
These have also been in my makeup kit for the past 15 years.
Etude Eyebrow Pencil
Discovered these on one of my later trips to Seoul in 2024 and swapped out the Etude one I was using.
CLIO Crystal Glam Tint
I used to be crazy about drawing wings. Now that I'm a bit older, I prefer using gel liner underneath my lashes. Subtle.
Etude Gel Eyeliner
Long Flight Essentials
I'm the worst sleeper when there's no bed involved. So naturally, long flights are a pain in the butt. These things make the experience slightly less annoying!
I used to not sleep at all on flights and arrive half-dead. This wrap-around pillow now goes with me on every long flight, and it helps me sleep like a baby!
Wrap-around Neck Pillow
If in-flight earphones hurt your ears, me too! This is why I now bring this guy to connect in-flight entertainment audio directly to my airpods!
Airfly Bluetooth Connector
Speaking of airpods… Literally will die on a flight without getting to fall asleep to my own playlist. So, these are a must!
AirPods 4
Books
Good books have not only saved my life on flights when I used to have trouble sleeping, they're also quite mood when I read them at some foreign cafe.
This book talks about the connection between meditation and neuroplasticity in the most natural way. I couldn't put it down and read it all in one sitting (Yes, it was COVID lockdown, but still…)
Into the Magic Shop
Next to meditation, this book is another way I keep my cortisol levels low.
The Let Them Theory
After leaving Hollywood on a pretty bad term in 2021, I stayed… well… poor… for most of the next two years. This book helped me crack the code to stop sabotaging myself and let go of what was holding me back.
The Mountain Is You
“You become what you think about.” I repeat the first half of this book every night before bed. If you ask me what the secret is behind my life today, it's this.
The Strangest Secret
No other fictional work handles the complicated relationship between Japan and Korea quite like this book. It's long and slightly depressing, just the way I like my novels.
Pachinko
Why yes, I am VERY interested in neuroplasticity. This book was actually one of the first that was recommended to me by a colleague back in my Hollywood days. Blew my mind!
Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself
I embarrassingly admit that the word “breakthrough” got me thinking success would arrive at random times for ages. Until I read this book. If you're stuck and feeling lost on your journey, read this once and it'll change everything!
Anatomy of a Breakthrough: Get Unstuck
Yes, I am a nerd and I'm not sorry about it.
The Lord of the Rings
Remote Office
I may look like I'm always free, but I work 10 hours a day when I'm not collecting information for my blog. Granted, the office moves, so things would get a bit complicated without these gadgets.
Nice and cheap, and it keeps my office syndrome at bay. It sometimes gets me checked at TSA screening, though. So just a heads-up.
Laptop Stand
Literally just bought this new baby in January of 2026 when my previous laptop finally lived out its lifespan. Loving it so far. The only drawback would be… why is it heavier than the older models…?
2025 MacBook Pro Laptop with M5 chip
Other
And here are things I love that I have no idea how to categorize! 🤣
Yeah, I'm basic like that. Been wearing these sneakers, and these only, with every one of my outfits for nearly a decade. It served me well when I used to work on film sets… and old habits die hard.
Adidas Original Sneakers
These never leave my luggage (except for when they go in the washer, of course). They come in super useful especially in outdoor destinations like Kanchanaburi, Rio de Janeiro, Luang Prabang, where you'll absolutely wanna swim.
Quick-dry Towel