5 Travel Tricks & Tips for Travelistas on the Go

Time for another instalment of the Traveling Brown Girls Blog Carnival!

For more info, click here!

I've written a lot of "How to" posts in the past, but this one is going to concentrate on 5 tips for the jet-setting lady, someone who is always on the go! In my opinion, it's all about being organized and planning. Once you're all organized, it's easy to be spontaneous when you get invited to a last minute business convention or you take advantage of a last minute seat sale. Just roll with it, go with the flow and enjoy the journey :)

1) Always keep your toiletry bag well-stocked with must-have items

After a trip, even just a short weekend jaunt, I go through my toiletry bag and see what was useful, what was useless, what I was missing and what needs filling up. My toiletry bag is the easiest thing to pack because of this. I never have to worry about forgetting my toothpaste. You can spend as much time as you want picking out your clothes, but you shouldn't be worrying about where your deodorant is or if you have enough.

2) My father's advice - "carry a quarter and make sure there's always gas in the tank"

Ok, those days of only needing a quarter to make a call home from a payphone are far behind us, but my dad still had good advice! We can update it to "always keep your cell phone charged and paid up" and always have enough gas in your car to drive an hour. That was emergency advice, but it's also helps keep you spontaneous. You'll have a head start getting out the door if you don't have to stop to deal with those little time suckers. 

3) Make sure your passport is renewed way ahead of time

My recent passport issues prompted this tip. There can sometimes be processing delays and had I had something booked, I would never have been allowed to leave the country. Just plan ahead and it's preferable to not wait until your passport is about to expire. If you can do it about 6 months before, it helps. 

4) Have a travel fund

All this exciting jet-setting requires money, so put aside a bit every month in a savings account. The fact is, when all the stars align and you get that great combination of time off work and travel deal, you want to be able to take advantage without putting yourself in the poor house for it. If you always have a little set aside, you'll always be able to take advantage guilt-free when your girlfriends invite you on a last minute get-away. 

5) Trust your instincts

I have been to a few places people consider "dangerous" but I've never actually felt in danger. Trusting your gut or instincts helps keep you out of danger and helps you get out of sketchy situations before it gets worse. Remember, you are strong and capable. Don't let fear stop you. Listen to your basic instincts and then be cautious, but not afraid. You'll go far and see a lot if you stop worrying about being a woman and redefine yourself as a "traveler."  

Be sure to check out all the other great tips from the blog carnival here.

If you're interested in my other travel tips, follow the links below:

• How To Convince People You Can Travel Alone
• How To Prevent Jet Lag
• The Importance of Telling People Where You Are
• How To Pack Light and Stay Healthy
• Tips For The Naughty Bits

CouchSurfing Tips

As I mentioned in my other post, CouchSurfing can be good, fun and sometimes smelly. I've personally never encountered safety issues or had to kick anyone out, so if you follow the rules on their site and trust your instincts, I think you'll find it's a great way to get to know people and a fun way to visit a city.

Here are my extra tips that have worked for me:

Before I host, I clean the place top to bottom. No one wants to stay in a dirty place and two, it gives your guests a baseline that they should try to leave your place at during their stay and when they leave, at the very least.

I hide money and spare keys. I have a safe where all important documents, credit cards, check books, etc go. Yes, I work on a presumption of trust, but I also work to eliminate temptation.
If there is something I don't want to be used, say my favourite body lotion, I hide it also. Otherwise I work on the assumption that everything will be touched and if I cannot be comfortable with that, I shouldn't host.

Some people are ok with this, but I do not give my guests a key to my place. They can be in our space only when we are home. We let them know ahead of time when we are leaving and coming back and they have to work around our schedule. I give them my cell phone number so they can reach me.

I give my guests a section of the fridge for their food and tell them where they can put their bags/stuff. I found from experience, if you don't tell them where appropriate spots are, they don't tend not to ask and then you'll have stuff all over the place, or worse yet, food rotting that should be in the fridge.

I give them a tour of the place and explain how taps and appliances work here (since it's often very different in Europe). This is also a good time to discuss house rules - turning on/off lights, is it ok to listen to rock music at 3am in your place, or whatever specific rules you want followed.

I don't do this, but you have a right to ask to see identification from the surfer you're hosting. In the end, it's your place and you make the rules. If you are not comfortable, don't let them in. Anyone who puts up a fuss about being asked for identification probably is not trustworthy.

Involve your guests in what you're doing. Invite them to watch a local TV show with you. Going grocery shopping? Invite them along. It's a great way to break the ice and have a chat and it's also a cultural experience for them. Make them feel welcome.

I very much enjoy playing tour guide and taking surfers to see sights in my city. I think that's a big part of what makes hosting so much fun.

As a guest, I ask a lot of questions. I want to know if I can take a shower, what time is convenient and for how long. Hot water can be super expensive in some places and it's best to follow the lead of the locals. Take quick showers and don't monopolize common areas like bathrooms and kitchens - especially if other people are getting ready for work.

I unpack only what I need for that day and keep everything packed and in one place, making sure to take up the least amount of real estate possible. No one wants to be tripping all over your stuff, especially if you're staying in a common area and not a private room. The more you can keep stuff consolidated and make it seem like you're not actually there, the better.

Bring pictures of your home life to show your hosts and also small trinkets or gifts of appreciation. You don't have to spend a lot, just stop at a souvenir shop in your home town and bring them some postcards from your city, or a small keychain. Make your guest feel appreciated and not like hotel staff.

Clean up after yourself! If you use a dish, wash it. Wash the whole sink of dishes if there are some in the sink. Little things like that help "pay back" your free lodging. Leave the place better than how you found it.

Say "thank you"! This is a biggie. I had a couchsurfer who didn't say thank you. Ideally, since you're saving so much on lodging, you should have enough money to buy your host dinner. It doesn't have to be an expensive dinner, but you shouldn't be so skint that you can't afford to buy dinner or flowers or a small box of chocolates. That being said, if you really can't, "thank you" goes a really long way. I will forever remember the one who didn't say, "thank you." That's not a good thing!

Don't keep to yourself on your phone or on your computer the whole time. It's tempting when you're homesick to want to talk to home, but you're missing the best parts of travel otherwise. Immersing yourself in your travels or with your hosts can snap you out of your funk a lot faster. I found that even when I found a certain city boring, my hosts made up for it big time. Sometimes the people are better than the place! Get to know them.

Eat outside of the home or buy your own food to cook at your host's place. Do not steal their food! You should ask if they have certain food restrictions before bringing foods into their place. Are they vegetarian, do they have food allergies, do they keep a kosher kitchen?

If you had a good time, start hosting in your city and return the favour. That's what makes CouchSurfing special and the world a smaller place.

Any other tips you can think of?

How To Prevent Jet Lag

I've never been truly jet lagged.

I'm not boasting, it is a fact. A little tired, yes, but never to the point where my body was physically in one place and thinking it was still in another time zone. Call me lucky, or take my tips which were handed down to me from my best friend's dad, who is a pilot.

For this to work, you *must* stick to it immediately. Don't try to do this the second or third day you arrive. It will already be too late!

From North America to Europe:

1) Sleep, eat and drink (water!) well in the days before you leave for your trip.

2) If possible, take an evening flight. If you haven't eaten supper before take off, eat supper on the plane (I know, it's not always appealing), maybe watch a movie, brush your teeth and get ready for "bed" as if you were at home.

3) Go to "bed" on the plane at a reasonable hour, around 10pm local time.

4) You may need a sleeping pill or melatonin pill to help this along. I highly recommend earplugs, a blanket, an eye mask and if you're lucky, lie down on any empty seats around you. If you are lucky enough to lie down, put your seatbelt on loosely around your waist so the stewards/esses won't bother you. You can even stick a "Do Not Disturb" sign to yourself. Trust me.

5) They always serve breakfast too early, but if you're hungry, eat it. If not, keep sleeping. I've often woken up smelling the end of service and discovered I've missed it (because of the Do Not Disturb sign, no one woke me up, HA!). No worries, you can eat something when you land.

6) When you land, it will be morning at your European destination. Have a healthy light snack (fruit, cheese, bagel) and don't forget to stay hydrated. I'll usually have some toast, fruit and a tea (especially if I've just landed in England. Gotta have my first decent cuppa!) and get right to bed.

7) Yes, that's right. Get to a bed and sleep! If you can't sleep, just close your eyes and relax for a few hours.

8) If you're like me, you'll wake up at around lunch time. I'll shower and have lunch and be totally fine for the rest of the trip. Seriously.

9) Go to bed that night at a reasonable hour again and you should wake up in the morning at the correct time for your location.

I'll admit, there could be some glitches with you waking up at 1am local time and confused, but STAY IN BED! Even if you don't sleep, relaxing in bed will help your body recharge and get the point that it needs to sleep now, at this new time. If you stick to this the first night, I promise there will be no more headaches the rest of your trip. Promise!

As you continue east, you'll have to repeat this procedure each time you go over a significant number of time zones. Stick to it! Don't give in to the temptation to run off immediately and see sights. Train your body first so that you can enjoy the rest of your time at your destination.

On the way back, from Europe to North America, it's pretty much the same thing, but I start "living" in the new time on the way back ie. if it's sleeping time in North America, I sleep on the plane. If it's awake time in North America, I stay awake.

-Once landed, eat or sleep based on the local schedule.
-This may mean you have to fight to stay awake until it's a reasonable bed time. If that's the case, go out and get fresh air, walk around. Do not head to bed too early!
-If you go to bed at a reasonable hour, you should get up just fine and rested the next morning.
Admittedly, I often get up a little earlier than I normally would that first morning back, but after that glitch, I'm totally back into my regular routine.

So essentially it's sleep more heading east and stay awake more heading west.

I hope this works for you, too! (Actually, I'm pretty confident it will :)
But if not, comment with your tips/criticisms.

The Importance of Telling People Where You Are

There's no doubt that traveling alone has the asset that you can REALLY get away from it all. You can leave your cell phone at home and there's no way for anyone to know what time you've left your hotel room (or if you even checked in), where you went or where you're going. That in itself can be a freeing experience, depending on what goes on in your personal life at home. BUT BUT But, there should be some precautions you should take. I think at least one trust-worthy person back home should have an idea of your itinerary and even possibly a way to contact you in an emergency.

Smart Tip #1:

If you don't do this already (and you really should be!), take photocopies of your passport before you leave. Leave one copy at home with someone you trust. Take one with you in your luggage. Take an extra with you for when you're walking around town in the foreign country. This is because in some places, authorities have the right to stop people on the street and ask for identification. Understandably, you may not want to carry your passport with you at all times (leave it locked at the hotel). You can provide the photocopy and if they have further questions, they can follow you back to your hotel.

Or, if you lose your real passport, a photocopy *may* help you get out of the country or help you at your country's consulate. Having a copy at home means that a friend can possibly fax you a copy (if you lose everything) and also provide identification to authorities in the event of a disaster and you go missing. Sounds horrible? I know, but plan for the worse, I say.

Smart Tip #2:

Leave a copy of your itinerary with a trusted friend. These usually have confirmation numbers and they may be required to board a train or plane. In the event you lose your papers, you don't want to have to guess what time your plane leaves! A quick phone call will get you the info you need. Also keep copies of departure times and confirmation numbers in your email.

Smart Tip #3:

Agree to email or call your trusted friend at agreed times or dates, just to let people know you're alive. It's nice to go where the wind takes you and to email from a different location everyday saying, "oh, I'm in Egypt now!" but people do worry and it's nice to make sure they don't worry too much. It's for you and your friends and family to work out what works best for everyone's comfort and feelings of freedom.

While I was traveling, I discovered two things:

1) I actually wanted to communicate with the people who worry about me most, more than I valued the idea of freedom/independence. My mother, who is usually over-bearing, respected my desire to be left alone and DID NOT call me this time. It did the opposite and worried me. At the same time, I realized I like hearing from her and it was nice to chat on my cell phone with her while wandering around alone.

2) I had a few vulnerable moments (lost in the dark, feeling ill) where I realized how alone I was and if I fell and died on the street at that moment, NO ONE would know where I was or even WHO I was. It would be days before I would be found or reported missing...who knows? It was at those moments that I realized how important it was for people back home to know I was alright and where I was. Obviously, you can't tell them every minute, but at the very least, the name and address of where you plan to sleep at night and the next plane/train/bus you plan to take.

For my own comfort, I bought a cell phone at my destination so that I could call people and they could call me. I also made a point to email daily. Do what works for you and do it responsibly.

How To Pack Light and Stay Healthy

I got back from a solo trip to Morocco just over two weeks ago, so I have lots of fresh advice to offer from my experiences.

1) Half the clothes, TRIPLE the money!

You've probably heard of the travel advice: spread out all the stuff you want to take with you, half the clothes and double the money. Well, I'm changing that to half the clothes, triple the money.
I bought so many clothes, I had to buy a new suitcase! (Yes, I was trying to "rough" it and backpack, but I had to cave. So many great deals!)

Clothes can often be part of your souvenir collection from a trip and they're often cheaper in developing countries, making them enticing. For me, I really wanted to fit in with the locals and their clothes were suited to the climate.

Also, when it comes to packing, leave home with a few choice shirts and one pair of pants. NO MORE! Honestly, the clothes I wore the most were the ones I spent the most on - tops and socks I invested in that were easily washable and fast-wicking. They were all made from merino wool - very thin, yet can keep you very warm or very cool, depending on the situation. For a two-week trip I had two pairs of the good socks and two good tops. I brought some cheaper socks and tops with me and left them in places along the way to decrease my load. Next time, I will go with four good tops and maybe two or three pairs of good socks AND THAT'S IT! I found it very easy to get my washing done in sinks and baths. Add to that the local clothes I bought and I had enough clothes to last my trip. I only did two "loads" of laundry.

2) When it comes to medication, always take more than you think you'll need.

Before I left, I thought I might be being a little paranoid. I truly planned for the worst. Here's what I took with me:

-one pack of travel-sized Aspirin
-one small bottle of Dramamine
-about 20 Pepto-Bismol tablets
-4 sachets of Gastrolyte
-one round of Cipro (prescribed by my doctor in case of traveler's diarrhea, UTI or other infection)
-my regular daily vitamins (B100 complex)
-three hypodermic needles
-a small first-aid kit
-sleeping pills
-one Diflucan pill
-condoms
-my regular daily prescription medications.

I did not actually follow my own advice and travel with a Plan B this time. Out of all that, what did I actually use? The Dramamine, the daily vitamins/prescription and the Gastrolyte. But I'm glad I was prepared.
I did actually catch an intestinal virus while in Morocco, which made me exceptionally happy to have the Gastrolyte, an electrolyte-replacement drink. It comes in a sachet, in powder form, making it very easy to carry around. You just have to add fresh drinking water and drink it. It did not taste great, even though I had the "fruit punch" flavor. However, after having been glued to the toilet bowl and the bed all morning, it definately helped wonders. I was happy I was "paranoid" enough to have brought it. I still felt sick and weak, but because of it, I felt that I would be strong enough to leave the safety of the guesthouse I was at and head out for real food.

What do I now think I should have brought with me that I didn't? Laxatives.
After getting rid of the virus, I was left with the opposite issue :(
You can't win.

I also had to buy more adhesive bandages because I got blisters (all those new shoes I bought!)

Just goes to show, each trip is different and you never know what will happen or what you'll actually need. Because of that, I think you should always prepare for the worst. Besides, medical supplies don't take up very much room. It's always nice to come home and unpack it all, thinking, "gee, I'm so glad I didn't have to use those needles or something worse."

Tips for the Naughty Bits

I'm usually an advocate in traveling light and buying what you need when you arrive, but there's an aspect to solo female travel that I always want to be prepared for - keeping the reproductive organs happy and healthy.

These tips depend largely on where you're going, but for the most part, when it comes to girly parts, I say you can never be too prepared. This post isn't for the squeamish, as I'm going to talk frankly here, but as a woman, you should put some thought into at least some of my tips to do the best for your health and sanity while traveling.

If you have moral issues concerning emergency contraception, please skip the next paragraph. However, I put this point first because I feel it is a very important consideration to take and not everyone thinks of it.

1) Before you leave, consider getting a prescription filled for Plan B - the "morning after pill" (or other emergency contraceptive).
The laws concerning this pill at your destination may not be the same as where you live now. Also, prescriptions are always cheaper to get at home. Keep in mind that those pills may be illegal at your destination. I suggest bringing emergency contraceptive in the unfortunate event that you are raped, or perhaps the condom breaks or you forgot your diaphragm -whatever it is goes wrong. It will be one less stress to think about during your trip and after your return.

2) Also consider getting a prescription of fluconazole, which is a single dose antifungal pill. In other words, it kills a nasty yeast infection quickly and easily - without messy creams or suppositories. If you can't get your hands on that (or it simply is contraindicated for you) you could just bring a one-day over the counter treatment with you. Once again, though I'm all about adventure, sometimes it's best to stick to what you know works. You don't want to spend your whole vacation wandering around, looking for a pharmacy, then looking for a yeast infection cure in some other language. Also keep in mind that the quality of products in some other countries can be lower (cheaper or toxic ingredients, improper storage, or just expired).

3) Bring your own contraception!
I can't stress this enough. Even if you "don't think anything will happen", you might be surprised by who you meet while traveling and how the rules you usually follow might slide a bit. Do not assume condoms are easy to find in other countries. Do not trust the condoms of your partner - you don't know how they have been stored. Make sure you store yours well (in a cool, dry place, not a pant pocket) and try to keep them in your carry-on (I really don't know if condoms can withstand the cold of an aircraft baggage compartment). I keep mine protected in a cute black pencil case. It's discrete, stops them from getting punctures and is cute enough to walk into a bar with as a purse. (Believe it or not, I also manage to fit a small travel toothbrush and paste, a pair of disposable undies and a panty liner. You never know! Despite all this, I have to admit, I've never managed to hook up with someone in a foreign place, though I know many who have.)

4) Bring your own menstrual gear.
Bring pads, panty liners, tampons, or even better, a reusable cup like the Keeper or the Diva Cup. Bring them even if you aren't expecting your period. The stress of travel and time changes can change your cycle, so you never know. Once again, it's also about not having to waste time wandering around looking for these things when you could be out having fun and exploring.

4b) Probably stating the obvious, but if you take a contraceptive pill, remember to bring it, too! Bring enough for an extra month, just in case you somehow lose your set. Or maybe you'll want to extend your stay.

5) Change your underwear and try to wash daily!
If you don't already, make a habit of it when you travel. It's important to keep things fresh and clean down there, especially in hot, humid climates where there's a lot more bacteria and fungi around. Or you might not have access to clean running water for bathing. If you can't get a shower, try to do a wipe with a face cloth, some soap and clean water.
Just keep in mind that you will probably sweat more while traveling because of things like nervousness and stress, more physical exertion (carrying heavy luggage and walking/hiking) and sitting for long periods in buses, trains and planes.

6) Keep soap samples.
Sometimes you get little single load samples of laundry detergent, right? Keep those for when you travel. They are the perfect size and can be used to do a quick wash of your undies/bras in a hotel sink.

7) Bring disposable undies.
This is more of a "packing light" tip, but I figured I'd add it here. You can get disposable underwear from spas or, in my case, my local Chinatown. They are surprisingly comfortable and breathable. They're fantastic because they come rolled up very small, so they don't take up much space and you can wear them and throw them away after. They're also very light.
Alternatively, you could also buy some cheap undies and throw them away before coming home, but disposables are really the lightest and cheapest out there. I'll admit, they're not very sexy. Maybe that's why I haven't hooked up on my travels....

Comment if you think of others to add and Bon Voyage!