9 Months Abroad: The Aftermath
When we packed for our trip abroad, we had to take the bare minimum amount of clothing to pack into the limited space in our backpacks. Even with our backpacks, we had to bring an additional duffel bag for extra harvesting provisions (and Britt's shoes) during our long-term trip. So, I'm sure you can imagine that the clothes that we did bring were subjected to pretty heavy rotation!
We air-dried our clothes after washing so they were gently washed but we worked hard and played hard! The results were massive wear and tear on all of our clothes, including some in more unfortunate places.
Each place we traveled to, we tried to stay as active as possible. We ran through Buenos Aires, up through the hills of Southern France and up and down the Penedes Mountains of Spain. After trekking through three different continents, our shoes showed some serious signs of degradation.
Not only did our clothes see the limits of their cotton fibers, but the bags that we held them in got their use as well. Our duffel bag saw several airplane flights, bus rides, cobblestone paths, dirt and rocky roads and plenty of pavement to got home barely intact. Luckily we got our belongings back before they burst forth in a colorful clothing explosion.
While our budget was minimal, I can't recommend enough having an emergency clothing fund in place for any long-term travel. It comes in handy in case of any unsightly clothing malfunctions!
