Today’s Gimme 5 is all about travel tips and being prepared. It makes me feel like a boy scout giving the advice to “be prepared.” I guess all the boys’ activities are rubbing off on me!
1. Refill, Restock, ReplaceThe first tip is to check any pre-stocked supplies when you are packing to see if anything needs to be refilled, restocked, or replaced. Or better yet, restock your supplies when you return from your current trip. This tip is especially important if you need medicine on a daily basis. A couple things I never need to replace or stock is shampoo/conditioner or a hair dryer – all of the hotel rooms I have been in lately (read, for the last 7 years) have those items readily available.
I also wanted to share a tip sent to me from Bianca:
“One thing I like to do when I travel (to minimize on the liquids) is to take a snack size Ziploc bag and fill it with cotton balls (I count one for each night I’m traveling and put in one spare) and then I squeeze eye makeup remover all over them. Then I close the bag and let them saturate. Then, while I’m on my trip, I just take out a moist cotton ball and use it to remove my eye makeup at night. No need to bring the bottle of remover!”
I liked this suggestion even though I don’t use eye makeup remover. It applies to all kinds of other liquids that come in bottles that are bigger than the 3 oz. travel size.
2. Label Your Luggage – 98% of bags are black.* Be sure to label your bag with current contact information. (I recently found one bag that I got out for the kids to use and it had a tag on it from when I was in high school.) Labeling your luggage means labeling it on the outside of the luggage, in the luggage, and around the luggage. I always have a laminated business card on each bag, along with a business card or identifying information inside my bag (actually I put a card in each zippered pocket/section), and I also have an identifying handle wrap that is bright blue. This marking or labeling can mean putting some kind of distinctive marking on your bag like colored duct tape on the handle or bottom/back of the bag. These steps help distinguish your bag from others, especially if your bag is black. Or better yet don’t get a black bag in the first place – I can always find mine because it is a dark green!
* I don’t know this for sure. I made it up because it seems like 98% of all bags are black!
3. Carry Cash – I hardly ever carry cash, but I have run into some taxis and restaurants that don’t take cash. I make a point of stopping at an ATM by one of the gates that I fly out of frequently. It can be a very big pain in the butt to ask the taxi driver to stop at an ATM so that you can pay him. Having adequate cash on hand is very important if you travel internationally.4. Mind Your Manners – Shit happens… delays, security snafus, a plane change, a security check where everyone has to deplane with their bags, whatever it is; when shit happens, find something to do that is constructive, helpful, or positive. Listen to music, talk to someone around you, make a new friend, but don’t start complaining or worse, berating an airline employee – none of that will do any good, or make the security check go faster.
5. Be Flexible – I don’t mean do Yoga in the aisle of the plane, even though I have seen that done; what I mean is, shit happens (see #4 above). And when it does, Be Flexible. I once had an entire Bloody Mary spill on me right after I got on the plane – we were climbing in altitude and about three seconds after the stewardess set it down on my tray, the entire drink slid into my lap. Yep, that’s right, an entire Bloody Mary, in my lap. It ran right down my leg, into my shoes, there was ice all over me and the seat, and everything soaked into my pants. I thought I could just wipe the tomato juice off and let my pants dry – and change my (not so) white shirt. Nothing doing – when I got into the tiny plane bathroom, it was clear that my pants were soaked all the way down the leg and were not going to be wearable. I went back out and got a complete change of clothes out of my suitcase. I changed into a different outfit (complete with a sheriff’s badge as I was coming from Texas at that time) and I proceeded to make 5 new friends on that flight.If you have a favorite travel tip – please leave a comment. I look forward to hearing what your favorite travel tips are.
