I don't claim to be a highly experienced world traveler or to know everything there is to know about every country. But I will say that I've had some travel experiences that might not be exclusive to just me. And there might be some that you need to be prepared for. I could keep them all to myself. But I like you, so...
TRAVEL TIP 1 :: AVOID AIRPORT SECURITY AWKWARDNESS
I have always felt a bit awkward going through security. I try to plan my outfit ahead of time so that I'm wearing shoes that are easy to take off, minimal jewelry and my belt packed in my carry-on. Despite my careful and, might I add, courteous planning, I still feel as though I need to rush through because the mile long line of people behind me are all glaring because I'm moving at a normal speed.
I wore a maxi dress the last time I flew, figuring it would be comfy to wear on a long plane ride, I could keep my legs warm but also pull it up a little (not a lot) if I got hot, and the flowy-ness of it would mask the obscene amounts of bloating that happen when I travel. What I did not figure on is that if you wear a maxi dress the TSA Guy will ask {in a booming voice} "Can I get a woman over here for a pat-down?" And then you proceed to spread your legs one out in front of the other while the mile of people behind you {who are already annoyed that you didn't sprint through the x-ray machine} are starting an uprising, and the TSA Woman checks to make sure you don't have a full-sized can of hairspray taped to your upper leg. I guess if there was a flat hair emergency, she'd expect that I'd lift my dress up and flash everyone to grab the can.
Which makes me think that the people who are in charge of the "What Size Items You Can Take On A Plane" are all bald men with dentures. No full-sized bottles of hairspray? Mousse? Face wash? or even Toothpaste? How are we as women supposed to have fabulous locks, a glowing complexion and fresh breath while in the fashion capitols of the world?
Anyway, I think what is even more awkward than the pat down, is when the guys take their belts off. Think about that for a moment. Because what normally happens after a guy takes his belt off? Their pants quickly follow. And that's just too intimate and awkward of a thing for me to watch. So I blush and avert my eyes! And I *know* I'm not the only one who does this... right?
In a nutshell: Wear flip flops, pack the belt, ignore the annoyed people behind you that have annoyed people behind them too, and NO! - you don’t need to show your boarding pass again. Put it away. Take a deep breath. You’re going somewhere fun.
I have always felt a bit awkward going through security. I try to plan my outfit ahead of time so that I'm wearing shoes that are easy to take off, minimal jewelry and my belt packed in my carry-on. Despite my careful and, might I add, courteous planning, I still feel as though I need to rush through because the mile long line of people behind me are all glaring because I'm moving at a normal speed.
I wore a maxi dress the last time I flew, figuring it would be comfy to wear on a long plane ride, I could keep my legs warm but also pull it up a little (not a lot) if I got hot, and the flowy-ness of it would mask the obscene amounts of bloating that happen when I travel. What I did not figure on is that if you wear a maxi dress the TSA Guy will ask {in a booming voice} "Can I get a woman over here for a pat-down?" And then you proceed to spread your legs one out in front of the other while the mile of people behind you {who are already annoyed that you didn't sprint through the x-ray machine} are starting an uprising, and the TSA Woman checks to make sure you don't have a full-sized can of hairspray taped to your upper leg. I guess if there was a flat hair emergency, she'd expect that I'd lift my dress up and flash everyone to grab the can.
Which makes me think that the people who are in charge of the "What Size Items You Can Take On A Plane" are all bald men with dentures. No full-sized bottles of hairspray? Mousse? Face wash? or even Toothpaste? How are we as women supposed to have fabulous locks, a glowing complexion and fresh breath while in the fashion capitols of the world?
Anyway, I think what is even more awkward than the pat down, is when the guys take their belts off. Think about that for a moment. Because what normally happens after a guy takes his belt off? Their pants quickly follow. And that's just too intimate and awkward of a thing for me to watch. So I blush and avert my eyes! And I *know* I'm not the only one who does this... right?
In a nutshell: Wear flip flops, pack the belt, ignore the annoyed people behind you that have annoyed people behind them too, and NO! - you don’t need to show your boarding pass again. Put it away. Take a deep breath. You’re going somewhere fun.
TRAVEL TIP #2 :: KNOW YOUR ARM STRENGTH
Transportation in most other countries is not like it is here in the US. We have the Department of Transportation to make sure each light on a taxi works, for example. If you're in El Salvador, you might find yourself in the backseat of a 'taxi' that has a piece of plywood under your feet. You don't look down lest you get dizzy watching the street fly by, and your childhood fantasy that you would one day be Wilma Flinstone does not adequately measure up to this moment. Your feet straddle the large hole as you grip the broken door handle with one hand, and reach outside and hold the door closed with the other. You pray that the ride isn't too long because your arms start to shake and you wonder how much longer you can hang on. Meanwhile, your friend is in the front seat talking to the driver and laughing with him.
Had I known this trip would require Hulk-like biceps, I would have done intense training ahead of time. And maybe fantasized more about being a Jetson.
In a nutshell: Research your transportation options ahead of time. Be confident when declaring your destination and agreed upon fee for transportation {in the native language if possible. Practice that sentence and “Where’s the bathroom?” repeatedly before your plane lands}. This successful endeavor will get your whole trip off on the right foot. {And in some cases like the ‘taxi’ mentioned above, your literal foot.}
Transportation in most other countries is not like it is here in the US. We have the Department of Transportation to make sure each light on a taxi works, for example. If you're in El Salvador, you might find yourself in the backseat of a 'taxi' that has a piece of plywood under your feet. You don't look down lest you get dizzy watching the street fly by, and your childhood fantasy that you would one day be Wilma Flinstone does not adequately measure up to this moment. Your feet straddle the large hole as you grip the broken door handle with one hand, and reach outside and hold the door closed with the other. You pray that the ride isn't too long because your arms start to shake and you wonder how much longer you can hang on. Meanwhile, your friend is in the front seat talking to the driver and laughing with him.
Had I known this trip would require Hulk-like biceps, I would have done intense training ahead of time. And maybe fantasized more about being a Jetson.
In a nutshell: Research your transportation options ahead of time. Be confident when declaring your destination and agreed upon fee for transportation {in the native language if possible. Practice that sentence and “Where’s the bathroom?” repeatedly before your plane lands}. This successful endeavor will get your whole trip off on the right foot. {And in some cases like the ‘taxi’ mentioned above, your literal foot.}
TRAVEL TIP #3 :: NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF "THE PRACTICE PACK"
6 months from now you and your spouse/friend/travel companion will jump on a plane and the airlines will gouge you because you have 160 pounds worth of Necessary Stuff in two checked bags and 140 pounds of more Necessary Stuff split between 2 carry-on bags.
For instance, 2 sizes of curling irons {one for dressy/curly hair, and the other for everyday/casual hair}, 4 pairs of jeans, 5 tanks, 4 sweaters {just because you're traveling in the summer doesn't mean that a freak snow-storm couldn't pass through}, a large umbrella, wellies, loafers, sneakers, heels {dressy and casual}, iPad, iMac, iPhone all their corresponding cords. And that is just your Necessary Stuff - it doesn't include your spouse/ friend/ travel companion's Necessary Stuff or either of your Extra Stuff!
You'll exit the plane slowly because your legs are stiff from being cramped in 7 inches of space because the guy in front of you insisted on keeping his seat fully back in the reclined position for the full 10 hours of the trip, {You're lucky if he doesn't pass gas the w.h.o.l.e. time. True story. It happened. Worst flight of our lives...} dragging the majority of your earthly {Necessary & Extra just-in-case} belongings behind you. You rejoice and do a happy dance when you see your Stuff because it made the 3-layover journey with you. And then you proceed to lug everything out into the new world you're about to explore, but end up spending the majority of your time finagling your bags of Stuff between cities.
After a few days and the realization you've been wearing the same outfit and wondering why you brought so much Stuff with you, you think, "There's got to be a better way!"
There totally is!
It's what my Love and I have dubbed, "The Practice Pack", and here's how it began...
We found smaller versions of all the "family sized" items we needed and brought them with us. So instead of brushing my hair with an adult sized hairbrush, I spent $5 to buy a mini-brush {that looks like it could double as a toothbrush} and spent 3x as long trying to brush my long locks. And spent $20 on a small foldable travel hairdryer that basically blew a light warm breeze. I realize I could have nixed these travel-sized items for the ‘real thing’, but then I would have to take out a pair of shoes or an outfit. Since I didn’t really have a hairstyle at the time, it was ok. The last time I traveled, I made room for the ‘real thing’!
Since we had such a small space, we brought just a few outfits with us {but went crazy with 5 pairs of undies!}. We figured we'd wash our undies in the small bathroom sinks of our B&Bs. {Heads Up - washing undies in a sink and letting them air dry make them stiff and slightly uncomfortable at first. But that’s ok - we’re being efficient, fellow world travelers!}.
So we splurged on 2 carry-on sized backpacks. Me, being obsessively organized, didn't want to wait until the night before we left the country to see if all our Stuff would fit into these bags. So I proudly announced to J that I was going to Practice Pack, for I had to make sure not only everything would fit, but that my bag wouldn't be too heavy for me to carry. Really, I was doing it as a service to him so he wouldn't have to carry my bag. ;)
We packed up and walked around our neighborhood talking about what adjustments we needed to make. There were a few stares, but nothing too bad. It was when we told our friends and family what we did that the mocking started. But I ignored them. I, a girly girl, had managed to fit 18 days worth of items* {very tightly} into 1 bag. I had just conquered the world!
You really should do this. And yes, you might get mocked. You might be stared at or thought of as weird by your closest people. But just think of the upside ... you'll run off the plane with your backpack and be super mobile. You'll spend your time exploring new cultures and places instead of lugging around bags of Stuff that you don't even need!
In a nutshell: Don’t over pack. Period. It’s about the experience, not the wardrobe. When you look back at pictures years from now, you won’t regret having had extra time to see the Alps - you will regret the Chevron patterned pantsuit.
6 months from now you and your spouse/friend/travel companion will jump on a plane and the airlines will gouge you because you have 160 pounds worth of Necessary Stuff in two checked bags and 140 pounds of more Necessary Stuff split between 2 carry-on bags.
For instance, 2 sizes of curling irons {one for dressy/curly hair, and the other for everyday/casual hair}, 4 pairs of jeans, 5 tanks, 4 sweaters {just because you're traveling in the summer doesn't mean that a freak snow-storm couldn't pass through}, a large umbrella, wellies, loafers, sneakers, heels {dressy and casual}, iPad, iMac, iPhone all their corresponding cords. And that is just your Necessary Stuff - it doesn't include your spouse/ friend/ travel companion's Necessary Stuff or either of your Extra Stuff!
You'll exit the plane slowly because your legs are stiff from being cramped in 7 inches of space because the guy in front of you insisted on keeping his seat fully back in the reclined position for the full 10 hours of the trip, {You're lucky if he doesn't pass gas the w.h.o.l.e. time. True story. It happened. Worst flight of our lives...} dragging the majority of your earthly {Necessary & Extra just-in-case} belongings behind you. You rejoice and do a happy dance when you see your Stuff because it made the 3-layover journey with you. And then you proceed to lug everything out into the new world you're about to explore, but end up spending the majority of your time finagling your bags of Stuff between cities.
After a few days and the realization you've been wearing the same outfit and wondering why you brought so much Stuff with you, you think, "There's got to be a better way!"
There totally is!
It's what my Love and I have dubbed, "The Practice Pack", and here's how it began...
We found smaller versions of all the "family sized" items we needed and brought them with us. So instead of brushing my hair with an adult sized hairbrush, I spent $5 to buy a mini-brush {that looks like it could double as a toothbrush} and spent 3x as long trying to brush my long locks. And spent $20 on a small foldable travel hairdryer that basically blew a light warm breeze. I realize I could have nixed these travel-sized items for the ‘real thing’, but then I would have to take out a pair of shoes or an outfit. Since I didn’t really have a hairstyle at the time, it was ok. The last time I traveled, I made room for the ‘real thing’!
Since we had such a small space, we brought just a few outfits with us {but went crazy with 5 pairs of undies!}. We figured we'd wash our undies in the small bathroom sinks of our B&Bs. {Heads Up - washing undies in a sink and letting them air dry make them stiff and slightly uncomfortable at first. But that’s ok - we’re being efficient, fellow world travelers!}.
So we splurged on 2 carry-on sized backpacks. Me, being obsessively organized, didn't want to wait until the night before we left the country to see if all our Stuff would fit into these bags. So I proudly announced to J that I was going to Practice Pack, for I had to make sure not only everything would fit, but that my bag wouldn't be too heavy for me to carry. Really, I was doing it as a service to him so he wouldn't have to carry my bag. ;)
We packed up and walked around our neighborhood talking about what adjustments we needed to make. There were a few stares, but nothing too bad. It was when we told our friends and family what we did that the mocking started. But I ignored them. I, a girly girl, had managed to fit 18 days worth of items* {very tightly} into 1 bag. I had just conquered the world!
You really should do this. And yes, you might get mocked. You might be stared at or thought of as weird by your closest people. But just think of the upside ... you'll run off the plane with your backpack and be super mobile. You'll spend your time exploring new cultures and places instead of lugging around bags of Stuff that you don't even need!
In a nutshell: Don’t over pack. Period. It’s about the experience, not the wardrobe. When you look back at pictures years from now, you won’t regret having had extra time to see the Alps - you will regret the Chevron patterned pantsuit.
* If you're interested in know what basics to pack for an extended trip, here's what we did. And I had no regrets! Well, except for the fact that I kind wished I had fancier shoes. But that would have been pointless because walking in high heels on cobblestone streets would have been dangerous. Maybe once I live in Europe for a while I'll get used to it. If the Italian Ladies do it every day, surely I could eventually do it.
- 1 pair of jeans
- 1 pair of pants
- 3 dressy-ish Ts
- 3 long-sleeved shirts
- 1 jacket
- 5 pairs undies + 5 pairs socks
- 1 extra pair of shoes {comfortably cute ones for me, and sneakers for J}
- a fabulous scarf {for me, obviously!}
- I had about a week's worth of shampoo and conditioner, knowing that it would be fun to buy more at a local store {and figuring out the language in order to buy the right ones!}.
- make-up... I kind of brought the majority of it. I just had to make the space!
- a travel-sized hair dryer
- 1 curling iron
- 1 travel sized hairspray bottle {again, I could shop for one!}
- 2 converters
- small bottle of Woolite
