What Not to Wear

I will start by saying that I have never been outside of the U.S. That being said, I have little to no idea of what is worn in Europe. I have heard and read opinions all over, but these are at times conflicting. I think that my best bet as of right now is to chalk it up to common sense. If I imagine that I'm packing my suitcase to stay with my grandparents or relatives then I feel like I am able to really narrow things down. After taking the somewhat unpredictable weather into account everything becomes much clearer.

• The Do-Not's:
•  Political shirts probably are not the best idea
•  American flag shirts can be left out of the suitcase
•  Any sort of crude humor, "funny" shirts may be a bit offensive.
• The Do's:
• Neutral colored clothing
• Layers for the unpredictable weather
• Weather-resistant jacket and shoes
• Comfortable clothing is the priority 

Looking like a tourist in inevitable. I (we) can try as hard as possible, but such a large group not to mention the endless picture taking, will clearly mark us as tourists. This isn't necessarily a bad thing; this may lead to interesting conversations with locals, or perhaps recommendations on things we should see or do that may be less known. It also may make us targets for theft or danger. I think this is a risk anywhere that people may travel to, even in their own country. I don't think that it should hold anyone back, it should just call for extra precaution. Our group is like a little "travel family", so it's our job to keep an eye out for one another and stick together; if we do this I think we'll be just fine.