Stateside newbie Paula Goldstein only recently moved to the United States, but in those four short months, she’s already crossed the country a few times. From the East Coast to the West Coast and back, Goldstein’s racked up lots of face time with America (and with the backs of airline cabin seats as well). A hardcore traveler, Goldstein also runs Voyages d’Etudes, a digital travel scrapbook that celebrates free spirits having epic adventures. Her most recent trip to San Francisco for the Native Advertising Summit was something of a homecoming: Paula’s boho, free-loving, flower-child spirit might not have been born in San Francisco, but perhaps she was from there in a previous life.
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I just got back to New York again from a work trip that took me from San Francisco to Seattle, then back again to San Francisco, and then up to Napa for a little wine time. Only half of the trip was planned before I left New York — I travel so much that flipping flights on a dime doesn’t scare me anymore. I actually missed two flights this week something which never happens and I had to barter my way into getting a new flight with a bottle of champagne (top tip: it’s cheaper than a new flight!). I felt strangely liberated by the fact my luggage went to Seattle without me., and I’m sure I looked a little like a runaway standing in the SFO airport in a fringed leather jacket with just a rucksack waiting for a cab back into the city. The only thing that I seemed to be missing were the obligatory flowers in my hair.
What’s something that happened that you will never forget?
I’m pretty relaxed, but I am a girly girl in so much as I need my powder and lip balm and I enjoy having access to a pocket mirror at all times; to the point my dad would sing Carly Simon’s “You’re So Vain” to me at the age of six. However, on this trip, between being separated from my luggage and making a very unique choice to go to Napa with friends for a weekend with nothing more than a bottle of water and a my iPhone, I had none of my normal comforts and I really didn’t care. This is something I’m trying not to forget in the very image-conscious world of my work.
What’s something that happened that you want to forget, ASAP?
Missing the second flight going back to San Francisco. I’m not even sure how it happened. Ironically, I might have lost too much time having a girly chat with our senior style editor Annie in a Starbucks (Seattle is their home town and obviously I felt too at home). As much as this wasn’t ideal, I’m always hunting down the silver lining, and found I could get a Butter London mani pedi in the airport so used my extra three hours to fix my very chipped nails.
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I actually keep my carry-on pretty minimal on domestic flights. Just Jurlique rose face spray and Crème De La Mer face creme (it’s expensive, but a little goes a long way, and stops me looking like I’ve aged 10 years on each flight). I also always bring a notebook, as I seem to have my best ideas above the clouds. I brought a few books for this flight — Disgrace and #GIRLBOSS. Oh, and my passport, which I almost lost at the Native Advertising Summit I was speaking at in SF.
What’s your favorite outfit in your suitcase, and where are you wearing it to?
Annie and I went vintage shopping in Seattle — I highly recommend it! My favorite thing in my suitcase is a newly bought hand-beaded vintage Native American cropped jacket that I intend to wear as fall starts to creep into NY.
My Black Sibling boots. They’re my new favorite go-with-anything shoe. It’s the perfect mix of canvas with a Dr. Marten-esque comfort. I also have my Rachel Comey jean shorts, which I would wear almost everyday if people wouldn’t judge me. On top, I’m wearing a friend’s sweater, since I always forget how much more chilly the Northwest is than my usual West Coast home of LA.
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Listening to Magnetic Fields and reading #GIRLBOSS. Being up in the clouds always seems to be the best time to take stock of where I am in life and where I want to try and head next, and this book is certainly good motivational material. I spent a lot of flying time just staring into space — though I managed to organize an entire photoshoot on a flight last week thanks to the horror/blessing which is in-air WiFi.
What souvenir are you looking to bring home?
I rarely buy souviners, so its usually a stone or leaf of feather I find or ideally just a memory that makes me smile. I have a scrap-booking site called Voyage D’etudes, which is all about the art of collecting stories.
What’s your best packing secret, and are you willing to share it?
It’s all about rolling — roll everything into little sausages, and pack your clothes lined-up as full outfits. It means I really don’t have to think when I arrive, its takes up the least amount of space, and stops the clothing getting wrinkled. It’s the only way to pack, really.
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