“You know more of a road by having traveled it than by all the conjectures and descriptions in the world.“ William Hazlitt
- Make sure to sit in an aisle seat on long flights, so you can easily get up to stretch and walk.
- It helps to have your own earphones if you want to watch an inflight movie. Yours may be much more comfortable than those available on the plane.
- Take time to write about your day every evening, so you will have a record. If you are on a long trip, it will be easy to forget what you did or saw if you don’t write it down as it happens.
- Your family and friends will appreciate “coming” along on your trip as they read about your travel adventures.
- Make sure to stay in daily touch with at least one relative or friend via Skype. It will help you avoid feeling lonely or homesick.
- Don’t pack more than you can or will actually wear during your trip.
- When you are counting out how many vitamins or pills you need, make sure to multiply the days you will be traveling by the number of pills you take in a day. You don’t want to be caught short. Having to FedEx a renewed prescription is very costly.
- Even warm climates can get cold at night. Make sure to pack something warm to wear.
- A good pair of slippers is a real relief after a long day of standing.
- If you are good to the housekeeping staff, they will usually be very good to you.
- A Kindle or a Nook is a treasure if you are an avid reader. Many books are free or less than $1 or $5, so it is very affordable. In many cases, you can also borrow books from the library. Just make sure to power it up before you travel.
- Make a list of all of the people for whom you would like to bring back a gift, so that you don’t overbuy or overlook anyone.
- Schedule with someone to give your house a good cleaning before you return from a long trip.
- Send your clothing to the hotel laundry before you travel home, so you arrive with clean clothing.
- If you want to keep your clothing relatively wrinkle-free, roll them up together. Lay down pants, then long sleeved items, then other items. When they are all lying on top of each other, roll them together and then fold the sleeves flat across the fold. My world-traveling friend Diana taught me that.
- Put your clothing and papers into plastic garbage bags. That way they won’t get wet if your luggage sits out in the rain.
- Carry a sheathed sharp knife in your non carry-on luggage. That way you’ll be able to cut up fruit in your room.
- Make sure to bring an extra pair of glasses if you rely on glasses to see!
May your learning be sweet.
Deborah