Are you interested in knowing how? These are a few of my travel jewels that I must have for every vacation.  You may find them to be helpful as you prepare for your own journey.

  

✔️PACK LIGHT

I know, I know this may seem foreign to us and damn near impossible for a vacation. But trust and believe, it is possible, especially when your checked-in luggage doesn’t make it with you to your final destination. Then, you’ll consider packing lightly to 1) carry your luggage as a carry on 2) save room for all the goodies you’ll bring back (clothes, shoes, bags, fabric, etc.)

✔️ACCESSIBLE PASSPORT

Do yourself a favor and make at least 2 copies of your passport. Why? It is best to leave your passport behind in your locked luggage or in a safe that’s secured in your hotel room. The last thing you want to happen while in a foreign country is to lose  your passport. Honey, can you imagine that happening?!?!  Neither can I. That’s why I leave mine behind and carry my photocopied passport along with my drivers license.  I don’t have time for the drama.

✔️ CATCH SOME ZZZ’s

If long flights frightens you to an anxiety attack or you’re just an antsy person, you may want to consider getting the pharmacist recommended ZzzzzQuil. Those babies changed my life during an 18 hour flight to Thailand.  After I watched my movies, read my book, and  ate up all of the airline’s food and snacks, I realized I was STILL in the air. I became a little anxious. So I popped my ZZzzQuil and was dead.  And once I was revived with life again, I had only a few hours remaining before reaching my final destination.

✔️CAPTURE IT ALL

Write. Take a picture.  Grab a pamphlet. Ask questions. Repeat. It’s that simple, guys.  I hate to be the barrier of bad news but at some point in our lives, our memories will fade. Our pictures online may soon drift away too. That’s why I follow my formula.  I capture every moment through my camera lens or pen. I store every unspeakable and lively moment in my travel journal.  Val once asked, “when do you find time to write while traveling.” Well, while everyone slept at 5 am in the morning, I would reflect on the day before and relive the experience in my journal. At the end of a day’s adventure, I would review all of my pictures and write. It was therapeutic for me and entertaining for my family and friends to read my daily travel stories each morning.    And if you’re fancy like my sister, you’ll print off your stories and create a book. (By the way, that was one the best gifts ever.)

✔️ NEVER LEAVE THAT ALCOHOL

& I’m not talking about tequila, vodka, or whiskey.  I’m talking about rubbing alcohol. YES! It’s so important to have this while traveling. I pour my rubbing alcohol in 2-3 travel sized bottles to use as my cleaning tool for my hands, especially when participating in outdoor activities. It kill germs immediately.

✔️ GOT PILLS?

What if you get sick? You’ll need your medication. Since my illness in China and I was left with no medication, until my British friend/medical student saved the day with some familiar medicine,  I always pack my pain relievers, vitamins, airborne, and etc. for my vacation.

✔️SMACK ATTACK

You better pack your bug spray! You’ll need it, otherwise you’ll risk paying a ridiculous amount for some OR even worse, be a victim of a smack attack.  AND TRUST ME, it’s not the most desirable relationship.

Well, those are my top 7 must haves for traveling abroad. What’s yours?