There's something lovely about planning for a trip. Not a frantic last minute, throw some stuff in a carry on and hope for the best - but a slow anticipation.
Now we no longer have a cat (he used to sulk as soon as he saw a suitcase), I can start packing earlier, thoughtfully considering what I want to take and what I want to bring back from the next adventure.
(His Lordship Pigglesworth is no longer with us 😥 But it does make travelling easier when you don't have a fur baby)
Strictly Product Testing, of course
In preparation for our holiday and my first sourcing trip of the year, I treated myself to a Wanderlust Hemp Backpack from the collections to product test on my travels.
It's the perfect size for under seat cabin baggage without upsetting Ryan Air or Easy jet!
First stop, Lithuania.
We're flying Bristol to Kaunas, but then slow traveling once we arrive - a two centre trip, taking a train from Kaunas to Vilnius.
I know very little about Lithuania, but I'm thinking pine forests, folklore, amber markets, and cobbled old towns.
I'll be taking a notebook for stories and sketches and I'll share some of those stores and adventures on the blog in the coming weeks.
We're also taking plenty of luggage with space to source some unique items that you definitely wont get on Amazon, and probably wont even find in the UK.
This is a journey unlike our usual holidays. Instead of a few days away to escape the bustle of our UK lives and jobs, this time, it'll be more than that. A test run for a future of slow travel and entrepreneurship, a vision I've long held but have only started to figure out how to make it real by quitting employed life and starting Hen's Tooth.
This little adventure is a chance to wander, to notice, to gather inspiration for a special collection I’ll bring home to Bristol.
So here’s how I’m preparing, with and a checklist of travel essentials from the Hen’s Tooth shelves that make the journey feel just as meaningful as the destination.
✈️ Easing Into the Journey: Flying, Then Slowing Down
Lithuania is surprisingly accessible. It's a short flight from Bristol, but a world away in atmosphere.
We're starting in Kaunas, a city with a creative pulse and a love of colour that feels very Hen’s Tooth. But instead of rushing straight to the capital, we're taking our time and taking the train from Kaunas to Vilnius.
I've always liked travelling by train. The landscape opens up. The pace shifts.
Growing up, our holidays were spent at my grandparent's house in Torbay and the Dartmouth Steam Railway went right past the house. I still get excited now by the shrill whistle and that distinctive whump whump whump of a steam train. Graham too, was a train enthusiast as kid, with a model railway around his bedroom.
It'll be a modern train! But the romance is the same. And trains in mainland Europe are so cheap compared to the UK - where it can be prohibitively expensive thanks to privatisation and profiteering from what were once national assets.
It's so cheap, in fact, that we are traveling first class across Lithuania for less than a return ticket for a 10 minute train journey from Bristol to Bath!
This is the spirit I want to bring into this whole trip: unhurried, observant, ready to be surprised.
🌲 Packing for a Slow Adventure: A Hen’s Tooth Travel Checklist
Slow travel isn't necessarily packing light (although I always try to, especially when getting on and off of public transport) - it's about packing thoughtfully and with intention.
Choosing items I love, the comfortable dress, the good supportive bra, the daps that are battered and grubby but I can trek in for miles and never get sore feet.
Here’s what’s coming with me, all from the Hen’s Tooth collection (and all things I genuinely use).
- The new backpack
- Handmade pouches to keep my travel essentials organised, cables packed away, makeup and hair accessories tidied and easy to access.
- The solid shampoo in a showerproof tin, because there is rarely shampoo in an apartment and in a hotel, you can't rely on the quality or quantity.
- Bamboo toothbrush, because a new toothbrush is one of life's little pleasures and they come individually boxed ready to go
- A note book - I already have one on the go, but have a range of different notebooks in the collections
🚂 The Train to Vilnius: A Moment to Settle In
The train from Kaunas to Vilnius is only about an hour and a half, as the villages and pine forest blur past, this is the time for reflecting on the shift from one city’s energy to another’s and journalling, ready to share those stories.
🌾 Bringing Lithuania Home: The Spirit Behind the Collection
Part of this trip is pure pleasure - wandering markets, sipping coffee in hidden courtyards, exploring craft studios and folklore museums. But part of it is a treasure hunt.
Lithuania has a long tradition of craftsmanship and I'll be sourcing pieces that carry this spirit ready for a Mini Edit Collection when we return and to stock on my upcoming market astalls in May and June.
🛤️Lithuania Mini Edit
This mini edit will be filled with unusual treasures and trinkets.
Things with stories. Things that whisper of adventure.
The collection I bring back will be small, thoughtful, and full of heart. A little bit of Lithuania, wrapped in Hen’s Tooth warmth.
🌙 Why Slow Travel Matters
In a world that pushes us to rush, slow travel is a gentle rebellion. It's noticing small details - the different way light feels in another place. The unfamiliar smells, tastes, and sounds.
It’s sitting on a train between two cities and realising you’re exactly where you’re meant to be.
And when you return home, you don’t just bring back souvenirs, you bring back a new way of seeing.
✨ Ready for the Adventure
As I zip up my suitcase and tuck in my last pouch of essentials, I'm thinking about what I will discover, and being prepared to capture every intoxicating detail.
If you’re dreaming of your own slow adventure, maybe this checklist will help you pack with intention. And if you’re simply here for the stories, I’ll bring back plenty.
Lithuania is waiting. And I can’t wait to share what I find.