What’s in My Purse? College and Chronic Illness Edition

Hi friends! Today, I thought I’d share with you my favorite purse and what I carry in it. It’s taken quite a while to perfect what I bring with me as I try to minimize what I carry around. Why? Because as a college student I really want to only carry the bare minimum when I leave my room, but I have to make sure I have everything I could need in a day to manage my chronic illnesses, as well as for emergencies.

This is probably why my parents are always telling me I have too much stuff. It’s not my fault my dysfunctional body is high maintenance!

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Let’s start with the bag you’re most likely to see me carrying: my Charlotte Elizabeth Bloomsbury.

I love my Bloomsbury. I love what it represents, I love it’s story, I love it. The creator and owner of the Charlotte Elizabeth Brand, Charlotte Jones, is an absolute doll and I quite related to her story in how she created Charlotte Elizabeth. Her designs are beautiful and perfect and the Bloomsbury was designed just for people like me: those who need to carry their pills and their water bottle and a few odds and ends, but require something that is both sturdy and lightweight.

The simple design of the Bloomsbury was exactly what I needed in a bag, and after falling in love with them, I purchased this one as a gift to myself for graduating from high school. It serves as a daily reminder of my hard work and dedication, and that it all paid off in a beautiful way, despite how truly ugly it was throughout much of my experience.

Now that you’ve heard all about my obsession with Charlotte and the Bloomsbury and the Charlotte Elizabeth brand, let’s move on to what’s inside this gorgeous bag.

Of course, I keep my wallet with me when I’m out and about and there’s a chance I’ll need to make a purchase. My wallet is simple but holds everything I need – my debit card, some gift cards, some cash, my license and my insurance card. If you’re in college like me, you should be carrying your insurance card in your wallet too! You can never be too careful and never know when you might need it.

I also have this cute sparkly change purse that I clearly remember getting with my mom from Old Navy around Christmas time when I was in 7th grade. It’s served me well!

Aside from money and IDs and all, which everyone needs to have on them when on the go, I also keep my day of medications. Even if I’m just planning to be out for half an hour, I make sure I have an entire day’s worth of pills. If an opportunity arises, I don’t want to have to turn it down because I don’t have my meds on me. Missing a dose isn’t an option, so I simply carry my day of pills from my trusty pill organizer and say ‘yes’ to more adventures.

I also keep my emergency medications on me, in a small baggie (I purchased a pack with hundreds of little medication baggies a few years back and I’ve yet to run out!) or in their little blister packs if that is how they come.

Emergency medications are also a must have for me. Can’t be caught out and about without my migraine meds or the like! That’s just a disaster waiting to happen. Dramamine is also a must have for me, since I’ve always gotten motion sick really easily. Suddenly plans change, and I find myself going on an adventure? Getting motion sick isn’t a worry. Seriously, carrying your emergency meds or things that you may need may you find your day going in a different direction is life changing.

If you know me, there’s a good chance you know that electrolytes are an essential in managing my chronic illnesses. As such, I carry both a tube of nuun and a packet of Normalyte in my purse. Each for different situations, both necessary.

Now, maybe just a me thing, but I love carrying a small notebook and pen with me to jot down my thoughts on the go. I got this cute notebook from Target, but there are tons of cheap options out there if you want to start carrying something like this with you too!

Of course, a scrunchy is a must for me, I carry hair ties with me everywhere! And I won’t be caught out without a snack. Recently I’ve been loving these KIND bar flavors. They’re both gluten and dairy free (like me!) and don’t contain any of my other “weird” allergies. I keep stocked up at school by ordering the bigger 12 packs on Amazon, which helps ensure that I never run out and always have something to grab on the go.

I keep two in my purse at all times, because hey, what if I’m with a friend and they need a snack too? When I get back home or to my room at my university I always add another one to my purse before I put it away if I ate one while I was out! This way, I never end up without them!

And there you have it! What’s in my purse and my everyday essentials when being out and about as a chronically ill college student.

A few more things that I may add to this lot dependent on my day include my glasses case and cleaner, and earbuds. At the moment I carry them in my pocket of my heavy winter coat, but inevitably as it gets warmer that will change.

This all fits beautifully in my Bloomsbury, which has proved to be a sturdy and trustworthy little thing!

Not to mention surprisingly lightweight – a necessity for my handbags. Sometimes it even alarms those around me just how much I can fit in my bag. One of my friends calls it my “Mary Poppins bag” which seems fitting. I do like to think it’s bigger on the inside.

No, it doesn’t hold my water bottles at the moment. But, a compact handbag isn’t going to be able to fit a bottle that can hold a liter of water anyway! If I wanted to carry a small bottle, however, those do fit. If you have any recommendations for reusable, compact water bottles you can carry in your handbag, please leave the links in the comments! I’m in search of a new one.

Thanks for Reading!

Be sure to comment and let me know what some of your handbag or on the go essentials are! Are you someone who carries a handbag, or do you just carry your phone and wallet with you when you’re out and about? Let’s chat!