Through my travels over the past couple of years I have found that I have curated the perfect Carry on bag. Whether it is a trip thats only 2 hours away via train or a trip thats 12 hours away via plane, I find that having a well packed carry on helps to travel with ease. Below is a picture for my personal carry on that I had for my recent trip to Bermuda. I find that longchamp bags are one the best tote bags to use while traveling because they are lightweight, versatile, and very roomy. The one that is pictured below was bought a couple years back before they revamped their larger le pilage bag, so this one is a bit more roomy than the new ones. Although I do have some friends that have the newer le pilages and they have not had any trouble with the size, but I do wish they continued to make them as large as the bag that I have below. 
Some of the things that I find essential to packing a carry on are your sunglasses, especially if there your final destination is sunny and tropical. You will need a sunhat as well too keep the suns rays out of your eyes. Also I found that the hanging organizer from Vera Bradley helps to hold all of my jewelry that I will be needing for my trip very nicely. Your wallet that will help to hold your boarding pass, money, passport, etc. Chapstick to help keep your lips hydrated during your travels, I personally love the Palmers coco butter formula. A cosmetic bag with all of your makeup essentials, although do check the carry on restrictions for some liquid cosmetics that are over the carry on limit. Headphones so that you can listen to music or watch movies on the plane. I also like to carry a smaller pouch that holds hand sanitizer, hand cream, a small perfume sample, gum and breath mints. I also was gifted this awesome checklist (I believe its from Jcrew) that helps to keep all my items in order and helps me check off if I have everything. Some items that are not pictured that I like to bring are a tablet (ipad, nook, kindle), a book, or anything that will entertain me during my long travels.
Hope this can help you for your future travels! Thanks for reading, and be sure to check back for a pinch of glitz and glam!
xox Trisha
A Pinch of Glitz and Glam 