I spent 22 hours on planes with a carry-on bag and a backpack. Here are 5 items I regret not packing and 7 items I'm glad I brought.

• I've never traveled abroad before. My return was almost 12 hours after I left for Paris.

• I took a carry-on bag and backpack with me on the plane.

• I was glad I had a toothbrush and headphones.

I traveled abroad for the first time on a 10-hour flight to Paris, France, and was a little nervous about what to bring.

I used to fly across the country five or six times a year before moving to California.

It was still difficult to fly to Paris for 10 hours.

There was a window seat on the plane. I didn't have a carry-on with me, but I stuffed everything I needed into a backpack so I wouldn't disturb others. The backpack was placed under the seat in front of me for the duration of the flight.

I wish I'd packed, and I'm glad I kept my backpack.

Bose noise-canceling headphones made me happy.

Bose headphones are worth a lot of money. The loud sound of the plane is greatly reduced by my over-the- ear headphones.

I was taken aback by the amount of background noise that was blocked out by the headphones.

I made sure to have a backup pair of wired earbuds on hand, for when I needed to charge my wireless ones or in case I had issues connecting my phone to my computer. Air France gave ear plugs to everyone.

The iPad mini was the item I used the most for in-flight entertainment.

I like to be prepared for long flights with hard copies of books, an iPad full of downloaded audiobooks, and a journal in case I feel like writing. This is usually not the case.

I liked my iPad mini so I kept the books in my backpack.

I'm always trying to catch up on TV and movies, and this was the perfect opportunity to download some series I had been wanting to check out.

I didn't want to be spoiled online after I left. I didn't have to worry about a cord getting in the way of my small quarters because my headphones connected to the iPad.

My wrap made me feel more comfortable.

I don't like packing things that are too heavy. When I travel for more than two hours, I use the slim neck-support travel pillows from Trtl.

I like bulkier neck pillows because they're soft around your neck, lightweight, and don't take up a lot of room in your bag.

The pillow wasn't designed to be used with headphones or a mask.

It made for an uneasy situation. The travel pillow and headphones tried to be close to my ear as my mask poked me in my eyes.

The toothbrush made it easy for me to keep my mouth clean while on the plane.

I didn't think it would be easy to grab my toothbrush, toothpaste, and other items during a flight.

Since we were given a dinner meal shortly after take off and a breakfast meal before landing, I didn't want food particles to sit in my mouth for a long time.

I had a prepasted toothbrush with me, even though I didn't have a toothbrush.

I didn't know how it would work or how effective it would be, but I used it for the first time. It was perfect for on- the-go use.

When I wet the brush, there was more than enough toothpaste on it to complete the task. It was easy to brush with.

I'll use the toothbrush on my next trip because it's reuseable.

I had a few hair bands to keep my long hair out of my ears.

When I was on the flight, I used my ties to avoid getting my hair into my food or drink.

The hair ties kept my hair from getting caught in my headphones or from being a static mess when I put my travel wrap around my neck.

I only needed my phone's charging wire, even though I packed two portable charges.

Since someone was picking me up in France when I arrived, I needed to make sure I had phone access after a long flight and was prepared with two portable Mophie charges on hand.

I only needed my wire to plug in because Air France had charging stations all over the place.

If my seat outlet wasn't working, I had the portable chargers to make sure they worked.

I brought some wipes with me to clean the entire plane.

In addition to a small hand-sanitizer bottle, I brought these travel-sized disinfecting wipes to give a quick wipe over the seat belt, chair, armrest, screen, table tray, and anywhere else I may touch.

Since I had a window seat on the way there, I wiped the wall and window down as well. I knew I would end up leaning against those areas.

I had enough wipes for both flights.

I made a few crucial mistakes, even though I made a lot of smart decisions. My biggest regret was that I didn't pack melatonin on my way there.

Since Paris is nine hours ahead of Los Angeles, it's going to be hard for me to adjust. It was necessary to get some rest. Since it was my first time abroad, I found it hard to relax.

I didn't have a sleep aid to fall back on. I was unable to rest on my flight. When I had plans for the day, this was not good news.

I was thrown off for the next few days because I stayed awake for over 30 hours.

I had to get some melatonin for my flight home. It made it easier for me to sleep.

I wish I had a bigger bottle on hand to keep liquids cooler.

I love Yeti's insulated tumbler because it keeps liquids cool or hot for hours on end, but it fell out of my backpack while I was on the road.

It fell out when I returned to the US. Water spilled all over the floor when the lid came off.

One of my larger, more fail-safe water bottles would have been better for me. Even if they slipped out of the pocket, they wouldn't have spilled and I'd have had more water to drink.

I should have been wearing shoes on the plane.

I was going to be in Paris for a few days at Disneyland and thought it would be a great opportunity to wear Vans.

A lot of suitcase room is taken up by the sneakers. I wanted to wear them on the plane. I could swap them out for my sandals if they became uncomfortable.

I realized I wouldn't be able to unlace my Vans while sitting in a window seat.

I think this was short-sighted. I didn't swap the sneaks for sandals before I boarded my flight.

Since my luggage was taken the moment I got to my hotel to be dropped off, I was forced to wear them for the rest of the day.

I put the Vans in my luggage on the plane. I have learned that I should always choose comfort over fashion on flights.

I was surprised to receive a blanket in the economy.

I assumed that if you sat in first class, you would only receive blankets and pillows.

I put a thin blanket in my backpack so I wouldn't get cold.

Air France provided everyone on the plane with pillows, blankets, and free headphones, and I was amazed when I got to my seat.

I didn't use the blanket because I didn't get cold, but if I'd known Air France gave out these amenities, I wouldn't have brought my own blanket.

I wish I didn't bring an unfinished coffee because there wasn't a large cup holder to hold it.

I brought a full cup of coffee on the flight because I thought I would be able to fall asleep later if I kept myself awake for the first part.

When I arrived at my seat, I realized I wouldn't have a large cup holder to hold it. I didn't finish the drink because I am a slow drinker. It was necessary for me to hold it in between my legs for most of the flight.

I didn't have to bring drinks with me because I was offered water and coffee plenty of times.

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