I wouldn’t say I’m a travel expert, but I have flown out of the country enough times to have my airline essentials down to a T.
- Eye mask: these are a MUST. Granted, most airlines will give you them on the plane (if you’re flying long distances), but a lot of the time my flight is at some awkward time in the early morning, and I need to be able to doze off in my chair, before I board. Plus, I’m always loosing these, so I wouldn’t hurt to pack an extra!
- Backpack: the brighter the better (if you know me, you know I’m prone to wander & get myself lost…this bright color will make me easy to find! haha). For a long time I would pack my carry-on items in my largest over-sized purse. But have you ever weaved your way around a city (once you’ve arrived to your destination), hopped on a bus, climbed up and down stairs to the subway, all with your piece of luggage and that over-sized purse that keeps slipping off your shoulder every 5 steps??? I have learned that it is TEN million times easier to have everything in a backpack.
- Scarf: this is mostly for the plane ride. Even though it will be bloody hot once I get to Taiwan, we all know that planes are freezing. On the plane, I use my scarf for: a pillow, a blanket, a shawl, a skirt (one time I spilled tomato juice all over my shorts, and hadn’t packed any spare clothing in my carry-on…it worked!)…and the list goes on.
- Orthotics: this is something I wish someone had told me about long ago. I love to wear sneakers, don’t get me wrong. But this trip will be HOT, so I am mostly wearing skirts and dresses. And I just need to wear my sandals too! I bought some orthotics from Costco, that came with two kinds: one for sneakers, and one for sandals/flats! They do WONDERS on my feet, since we all know cute sandals and flats have almost NO support, and my feet would be killing me by the end of day 2.
Also, as you can see I’m wearing an oversized comfy tee (XXL from the Gap!) and leggings. These are pretty much my PJ’s these days, and you better believe that I’m not going to try and pack my PJ’s on my carry-on, only to try and change in those tiny bathrooms on the plane! Wear your comfy PJ’s on the plane, people…it will make dozing off so much easier.
My mother, who started traveling the world on a back-packing, train-sleeping, year-long trip to Europe (when she was 19!), has taught me a simple trick to pack quickly, without forgetting anything!
Think about everything you need, starting at the top of your head, then working down to your toes. For example:
Head:
- hair…so I need shampoo + conditioner, brush, style products, hair ties & bobbies, etc.
- ear…phone, phone charger, earrings…
- face…face wash, makeup, toothbrush, face lotion, etc.
Body:
- underwear, swimsuit, bra (don’t forget that one!)
- shirts, shorts, tanks, skirts, dresses, workout clothes, etc.
- accessories…necklace, bracelets, watch, etc.
- lotion, shaver
Toes:
- socks, sandals, shoes
- orthotics!
- you get the picture….
There are my travel tips & essentials…what are some of yours?? I want to know because I loving learning new travel tips from fellow travelers! I’ll try and blog a few times a week, while I’m in Asia, but no guarantees… if anything, I’ll be back the end of May! Orevuar mon ami! -hugs, hanalei.
And eating more things like this:
In case you don’t understand what’s going on here ^^, that is frozen milk shaved ice with fresh mango & strawberries with condensed milk poured overtop. Mmmm…
(The blouse + belt were found at Goodwill while we were thrift shopping on Haight Street)
