Of course the number one fav has to be my iPad. Although it frustrated me often, it is really and truly unsurpassed for keeping in touch on the road. Skyping with my family was fantastic. I even bought a three month subscription to have a local phone number for people to call me and leave a message if I was not at home (online). Then I bought ten dollars worth of credit so I could call anybody in the states on their phone for like 2 cents (I think it was?) a minute. It was pretty fun to video Skype my brother and show him around the hostel where I was staying in Spain. The iPad is just so portable! It worked, with a few glitches sometimes, to carry on my online banking and bill pay too. Can't beat that!
I used iTunes to buy tv episodes when I just got too homesick. For about the same price as a bottle of water (yes, bottled water was expensive, therefore I rarely bought it!) I could download the latest episode of Modern Family. One of the frustrating things was that there were so many sites that were inaccessible from out of the country, no Netflix or Pandora, no Hulu (which doesn't work on iPad anyway since it does not play flash.) None of the US tv channels worked online over there. I am not a big tv watcher, but I did miss having it available at night.
Blogging on the iPad can be a challenge. The only way I could do it was using the Blogpress app which I finally found and had to pay for. I was pretty frustrated as I had already set up a webpage (flash based : ( sadly) and attempted to use facebook, but it just would not work properly. Anyway, after I finally learned my way around Blogpress I was satisfied with the result. It would have been easier to type with a Bluetooth keyboard but I just did not want to lug around one more thing.
Speaking of things I lugged around, let me just say I spent ten weeks with a twenty inch suitcase and a backpack and I could have left quite a bit of that stuff at home and frequently wished I had! There were, however, some things which I found indispensable.
Here we have my trusty headphones which I used all the time, my travel extension cord which allowed me to charge both my phone, iPad, and camera from one outlet (with one adapter attached), Tylenol PM, headlamp for reading without disturbing others or in the absence of a lamp, and my platypus collapsible water bottle which I would not trade for anything. The platypus has saved me a fortune in bottled water costs. It is so durable and tucks away in your pocket. The only downside is that airport security people find it puzzling and strangely disturbing. Don't forget and try to go through with water in it. Fill it at a water fountain on the other side of security and you are good to go. I actually have a larger one that I fill before transatlantic flights so I stay well hydrated and do not have to rely on flight attendants to keep resupplying me.
Always have a protein bar in your purse. I like the Cliff bars, especially the Builder bars with twenty grams of protein. There have been so many times when I needed a meal but was not in a place where I could find anything to eat! (on the bus or train for example) The protein bar can hold you for a few hours until an opportunity for a real meal is possible and affordable! These bars saved me from spending way too much money on crummy overpriced food at tourist prices at some of the sites I visited. I also used them for breakfast along with instant coffee or tea and saved big. Sometimes a mug of hot tea really was soothing after a day out in the rain or if I felt a scratchy throat coming on. I added a little lemonade mix to sweeten it up. Some chocolate kisses really can give you a burst of energy too.
I actually brought this heavy ceramic mug with me from home and was so glad to have it. Along with the immersion heater to boil water I could make soup and oatmeal as well tea and coffee. The mug works fine to drink wine too! Ziplock plastic bags in assorted sizes are a must, of course. They held everything from sandwiches to cell phones. The serrated knife and fork set are made of very durable plastic and are useful for cutting up bread, cheese and fruit as well as spreading peanut butter. I got them at REI and paid a little extra for them. They were so worth it and made eating grocery store food a lot easier. Grocery store = better quality food for way less dinero.
The blue thing on the top is my special travel towel. It is just the right size, not to small, not too big, and dries out very quickly. It folds up small and weighs very little. You really need this if you are staying in a hostel as they don't usually provide towels. On the towel are a set of earplugs. I think everybody knows you must have several pairs of these no matter where you stay. The gray thing is a blow up neck pillow which I often used to supplement the too thin pillows in places I stayed. It really helped. On the pillow you see a little round container with one of my favorite sleep aides in it. It is a solid lavender body scent which I apply before I go to sleep. Somehow smelling the same smell night after night helps me get the message to fall asleep even in unfamiliar places. It is also great if there are unpleasant smells you would like to mask. I remember the hostel that was near a brewery and the hops smelled just awful!!
You probably recognize the duct tape which can basically fix anything. I love my little folding scissors. I never got any grief taking them through security and they sure were handy. The carabiner served well as a keychain but also to secure the zippers on my backpack and /or purse from pickpockets.
The tiny black pouch is actually a travel clothesline with beads instead of clothespins. Very strong and useful, yet super small.
Smallest umbrella I could find was nice to have.
This book is ultra useful. It explains all kinds of complicated things like how to read a train ticket in Italy and how to make phone calls and buy phone cards. I studied it before I left but did not take it with me because it is so heavy and I knew I could download the ebook to my iPad if needed. Rick Steves has the coolest free podcasts available for download from his website. I downloaded a bunch of them and listened to them in the evenings if I had some downtime with nothing to do. It was very entertaining and educational and added to my understanding of the places I went.
Last, but not least, you might recognize these plastic containers as the zippered bags that things like sheet sets and shower curtains come in. I think they work as well as the costly packing cubes you can buy. They keep my socks and other clothes from getting spread out all over the suitcase and easily transfer to drawers where they protect your undies from cooties. I like to have my trusty red bandana with me to remind me of my roots and also to serve as a washcloth, hand towel, tablecloth on park benches, headband, and a multitude of other uses. Once in England we were attacked by swarms of gnats out on the moors. I wore it outlaw style to protect my face and be able to breathe.
Well!I guess that about covers it for now!
Location:Austin
