This blog is dedicated to all my travels around the world. You will gain insight on my feelings as I visit different places. I will share my preparations and tips for making the best of international travel. I hope that I will inspire you. Feel free to ask any questions in the comments section of each post.
"The widely and extensively traveled is wiser and more knowledgeable than the gray haired (who scarcely traveled)."
My new travel buddy drools and wears diapers. In the past few months I experienced my first trips with my newborn son. We went to Houston for 3 nights for our first roadtrip when he was 3 months. He slept the entire 3.5 hour drive and most of the drive back to Dallas. He did the same for our second trip to Houston (1 night), which made it an easy drive for me. His first flight (at 3.5 months) was to my favorite American city, New York. Again, he slept the whole way there and most of the way back. Before driving and flying, I fed him and changed his diaper to make sure he was comfortable. The motion put him to sleep. There were some significant changes to the way I traveled with him versus my previous solo trips.
I overpacked. I took everything that I thought we would need and more just in case. I took my biggest suitcase to Houston (the 1st time) and NYC, which led to #2.
I checked a suitcase. I'm team carry-on, but I needed more space for all the stuff I took. Plus, it was easier to check the bag instead of trying to navigate in the airport with a baby.
The baby bag was my carry-on bag. I put a few essentials, including a change of clothes for me, in his bag to lighten my load.
In the airport, I alternated between wearing him on the front and pushing him in the stroller while carrying his backpack.
I borrowed a pack and play in each location.
I felt very vulnerable. I feel this way whenever I'm moving around with him, and even more so in new places. I hated that I needed help going up and down stairs for the subway, but New Yorkers helped me most of the time.
Lessons learned:
Pack less. My second trip to Houston was lighter, because I understood what I could leave at home and it was a shorter trip. I should have diapers and formula delivered or purchase upon arrival, when possible.
Travel where I know people who can help me. I'm grateful for friends and family who took care of us.
Go with the flow. Don't try to do too much.
NYC is not suitable for people with mobility issues. Elevators and ramps were not always available.
Here's an update on my packing list for Operation Let Go.
One of the straps on my backpack was ripped apart when I landed in Krabi. Amazon gave me a refund, and I ordered a new one.
My Fitbit charger broke when I pulled it out of my bag. I ordered a new one on Amazon after an unfruitful search in Bangkok.
I ordered hiking boots after I arrived in Chiang Mai, but they were returned before I wore them.
I was given 5-finger "Vibranium" shoes that replaced my running shoes, swim shoes, and hiking boots. I only carried those shoes and flip flops.
I needed safety equipment and camping supplies for my volunteer work in Indonesia. I added the following: safety glasses, work gloves, quick dry cargo pants, mosquito net, inflatable mattress pad, compact sleeping bag, and steel toe boots. It took some very creative packing to fit everything in my bags. I wore the boots in the airport so I wouldn't have to carry them. I walked like Herman Munster in those heavy boots.
I mailed some souvenirs and clothes home while in Ft. Cochin and Mumbai to make room for other things I might find along the way.
I bought another sarong. The versatility is amazing. It can be used as a towel, a bed cover, a headwrap, a dress/top, a covering for temples, a blanket, and more.
compact towel
Returns
FAMU hoodie that I only wore on planes, but it would have been nice to have it in South Africa
Cotton yoga pants - too hot
2 Tank tops
Extra underwear and socks - I only needed socks for my boots and on long flights.
Tankini - I wore my one-piece swimsuit if there was a swimming opportunity.
I am grateful for my boyfriend. He was my courier. I had Amazon packages delivered to him, and he would bring them to me when he visited. He also took all my unwanted/unnecessary items back home to lighten my load. Thank you, JaVar!
For weeks leading up to my trip, people asked me if I was
packed and ready to go.Although I had a
general idea of what I would take with me, I did not physically organize my
things until the night before I left.Note to self: never do that again.I was busy packing and cleaning up to the
minute it was time to go.In fact, when
I arrived at the airport 90 minutes before the flight, the attendant asked me
why I arrived so late.I was already
frustrated, and that is not what I needed to hear at that moment.I packed 2 carry-on size bags – a backpack
and a small rolling suitcase that could fit under the seat.Everything I needed for the foreseeable
future was in those 2 bags.The ticket
agent told me that Qatar Airways allowed carry-ons based on total weight, not
size, so I had to check my backpack.I
was upset with myself for making an assumption instead of checking the luggage
policy first.I prayed that my backpack would
arrive intact in Chiang Mai at the same time that I arrived.
Lessons learned:
Pack early and plan to do nothing but relax the day of the flight
Check the luggage policy for each airline
Remain calm
Pinterest was a great resource for packing tips, which
helped me to determine what to bring on this journey.Check out my final packing list.I’ll post updates along the way about what
worked and what didn’t.
Pile before packing
All the clothes to be rolled
First aid plus
Contacts in an old first aid kit
Clothes
5 tank tops
4 t-shirts (plus travel shirt)*
1 workout shirt*
2 long sleeve shirts*
1 hoodie (travel)*
1 pair of jeans (travel)
3 shorts
3 yoga pants
1 legging
1 dress
4 sports bras (1 for travel)
1 regular bra
4 pairs of socks (1 for travel)
8 panties
2 period panties
1 sarong
1 visor
2 swim suits
Note: Nothing on this list requires ironing. All of my bottoms are black, except for jeans and leggings, so I can mix things up. *FAMU gear
1 Neti Pot with salt and baking soda (in contact cases)
cloth for glasses
Hair
2 loc socs
1 latch hook
1 hair toothbrush
1 swim cap
2 microfiber towels for hair
rubber bands
bobby pins
scrunchie
Cleaning
Clorox wipes
Wet Ones hand wipes
1 bar Fels-Naptha laundry soap
Purell wipes
Lysol spray
Toiletries
toiletry bag
1 mirror
2 contact boxes (8 pair)
16 daily contacts (8 pair)
1 pair bath gloves
1 pair glasses
1 washcloth (packed inside Neti Pot)
1 soap bar
1 Diva Cup
Pantiliners
2 razors
Soap bar
toothpaste
moisturizer
body oil
floss
1 sewing kit
safety pins
tweezers
nail files
nail clippers
Bags
1 purse
1 day bag
1 shopping bag
1 clutch
1 waist bag
1 backpack
1 rolling suitcase
Miscellaneous
1 solar charger
Matches
1 luggage scale
1 poncho
1 inflatable neck pillow
1 running belt
1 swim goggle
Travel adaptors
Mosquito repellent wipes
2 head lamps
Earbuds
Phone holder/stand
Laptop and charger
10 Ziploc bags (quart and gallon)
3 compression bags
2 journals
1 umbrella
1 flashlight
Incense
1 armband for phone
Snacks
1 hand fan (manual)
1 fan (automatic)
Binoculars
super glue
I forgot to bring my peppermint castile soap, which I use for hair, body, laundry, cleaning, etc. That soap is good for everything and lasts forever! I also realize after walking around in the rain that I need some waterproof boots if my feet are going to remain comfortable during rainy season. I'll get the soap and boots next week with my special delivery.
"When did you fall in love with Hip Hop?" That was the tag line over a decade ago from the movie, Brown Sugar. A couple years before that movie came out, I fell in love, but it wasn't with Hip Hop. It was like a blind date. A few people told me we would be good together, but I was skeptical. Then, I saw some pictures, and I was hooked. It all began in "the year 2000", back when people said "the year 2000" in common conversation because we were astonished by the futuristic sounding 2000s. I was a college student who was excited about the new semester and the many amazing things to come. I remember sitting with my eyes glued to the TV one night watching the opening ceremony of the Games of the Olympiad, or the Summer Olympic Games. That was the night I fell in love... with Sydney. I knew from that moment that one day we would be together. Fourteen years later, we will finally meet in person.
I am off to the land of Oz better known as Australia. I'm so excited about finally realizing my dream. While I'm in Australia, I will visit Cairns and Uluru (Ayers Rock), in addition to Sydney. I packed my luggage (no checked bags), and I'm ready to go. How did I fit 10 days worth of clothing and toiletries into a carry-on bag? I used a packing list and tips that I found at http://herpackinglist.com/ to customize my list of necessities for the trip. I rolled my clothes into a compression bag, and I am also taking an extra bag that I can fill with my travel finds. The biggest challenge for me so far has been packing for different areas of the country with a variety of climates. This is the end of winter for the southern hemisphere, so the temperatures are chilly compared to the 90 degrees plus that I'm accustomed to this Houston summer. I am preparing for temperatures ranging from 50 degrees to the mid 80s, so I have long-sleeved shirts, tank tops, shorts and pants that I can layer depending on the climate. See my packing list below.
My trip will include stops at the Great Barrier Reef and Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park, as well as a tour of the Sydney Harbor, and a view of the sunrise and sunset at Uluru. I plan to take lots of pictures without losing my camera this time around. I can't wait to experience the land down under and share my perspective with my friends and family.
Packing List
o3 Basic Tank Tops
o3 Basic T-Shirts
o2 Nice Shirts/blouses
o3 Dresses - 1 black
o2 Pairs of jeans
o1 Shorts
o1 water proof jacket/poncho
o1 Medium/lightweight jacket/cardi – autumn,
spring & summer
