How to

I am so excited to share with you my latest travel gear purchase because I have never seen anything like this before!  As you can imagine my travel gear collection is quite extensive which has a dedicated closet in my home.   I have extremely stringent criteria for any new travel gear to ensure it will stand the test of time.

Without further ado let me introduce you to….my new travel gear item is The Grayl water filter.  You may recall from previously posts that I am a strong advocate for always carrying a packable water bottle so that you can get drinking water anywhere and most importantly save your money for margaritas.  Well that solution does not work in all countries especially where the tap water is not safe to drink.  In most instances the locals are immune to the many issues associated to the water and it only affects us delicate travelers. You may be familar with a few terms “Montezuma’s revenge” or “Delhi belly” for common illness that many travelers endured from drinking water or food washed in the local tap water.

Alas, the Grayl water filter eliminates 99.9999% disease-causing bacteria, virus protection and protozoan cysts in addition it has been tested according to NSF/ANSI standards 42 + 53.

The water filter is extremely easy and quick to utilize transforming stream or tap water into pure drinking water in mere seconds.  This avoids the countless trips to the local corner store then carrying heavy bottles of water back to the hotel.  In addition you no longer have to continual monitor your remaining water supply.  There have been numerous times I was ready to collapse into bed after a long day of travel only to realize that I don’t have any water left.  Ugh another journey out to search for water!   While the Grayl device is a little expensive I anticipate that after 3-4 trips it will have paid for itself and the luxury of convenience is worth every penny.

Seek your adventure!

Well friends,  I am guessing that most of us over the age of 25 have daily medications that you take even if that might only be vitamins. For many years I had been traveling with the 7 day pill organizer which worked perfect for short trips.   However for longer trips I would load up the 7 day pill pack then carry extra medicine to refill at some point during the trip.  UGH!  Who wants to be spending precious vacation time in a hotel room reloading pill organizers?

So I got creative and got super organized!  I now fill a teeny tiny plastic bag for each day with any pills that I need to take; which makes them very transportable to take anywhere including the airplane.  You can even find teeny tiny plastic bags with different designs if you need to keep morning and evening medications separated.   I previously carried a small bottle of aspirin, Alleve, Tylenol, etc when I travelled or even on a daily basis in my purse.   I have even replaced that small bottle with these teeny tiny plastic bags to save space.

I have found that these teeny tiny plastic bags can be recycled to be utilized for many other purposes:

• SD card or SIM card
• hair ties
• stamps
• foreign coins
• little sea shells
• hydration tablets

Please remember that medications should always be packed in your carry-on luggage!

Seek your adventure!

I just returned from an amazing trip to Romania, Moldova and Bulgaria this past weekend which reminded me to share my routine to avoid jet lag.   Anytime I am going to cross 4+ timezones I have a process to avoid jet lag that what works for me.  Keep in mind that everyone is different but this process could become your solution to avoiding jet lag.

When I was living in the UK I would get terrible jet lag from traveling back to the US or vice versa.  Over the years I have learned a few tricks along the way to eliminate the sleepy, dizzy and nauseous feeling so common place with jet lag.    I am not completely immune to jet lag.  There are rare instances when I fall victim to jet lag; for example when returning from Bali to Chicago which involved over 42 hours of travel crossing 14 timezones.

So here is my typical process for US to Europe transatlantic assuming an overnight flight.

24 hours before the flight

• No caffeine at a minimum of 24 hours before the flight but ideally 36 – 48 hours prior to travel
• Eat only healthy foods 24 hours before travel; absolutely no sugar, alcohol or heavy meals

Day of departure

• Get up earlier than normal
• Get some physical exercise: long walk, bike ride, yoga, etc
• Keep yourself hydrated and increase amount of water consumed early in the day
• Consider taking an aspirin an hour before departure; consult your doctor for advice based on your medical history
• Eat small and light meals or snacks throughout the day.

During the flight

• Stay hydrated during the flight and bring your own water bottle on the flight.  I never board an airplane without my own water bottle.
• Wear compression socks
• Try to keep moving.  It is becoming more difficult to get up and walk around on flights but at a minimum do some leg exercises in your seat just to keep your legs moving
• Limit your alcohol ideally only 1 drink but definitely stop at 2 drinks
• Continue to eat small and light meals
• Bring your earplugs, eye mask, inflatable headrest, etc to attempt sleeping as much as possible on the flight
• Consider taking some homeopathy pellets to help get your body back on track or even JetZone homeopathy chewable tablets

Upon arrival

• Keep moving!  It is your first day perhaps in a new city so go for a walk.
• Continue to eat small and light meals
• Enjoy some caffeine to help get you through the day
• Get your body adjusted to local time; stay awake as late as possible on your first day
• Go swimming if your at a hotel that has a pool and utilize the jacuzzi to loose your muscles or consider taking a bath.

For the return journey from Europe to the US transatlantic I would suggest following the same steps with one very important difference.  On a day flight back to the US do not sleep on the flight except for a brief 20-30 nap.  Be sure to set an alarm to ensure you don’t nap for too long.

Do you have any routines to avoid jet lag that work for you?  Please respond with your comments or send me an email at 1girlwhotravels@gmail.com.

Seek your adventure!

I have a confession to make; I hate to iron.   I know my local dry cleaners will get my clothes pressed to perfection and why would I want to compete with that.   I do not iron at home so there is no way that I am going to iron my clothes while I am on vacation.    When I am packing I try to bring clothes that are wrinkle-free so that I do not have to worry.

However there are a few occasions when you may need to travel with dress clothes perhaps a business trip, a wedding, or even a night on the town.   In last week’s post I shared my strategy for how to avoid wrinkles with good packing solution.   Yet now you have arrived and the worst has happened….the dreaded wrinkles.  UGH!

What is a girl to do?

My secret answer is simple and does not cost you anything.  Take the dress clothes into the bathroom and hang them on a hook somewhere while you are in the shower so the wrinkles are naturally steamed out.  I have on occasion been known to run the water a little longer if necessary.  I realize of course this may not be the best solution environmentally but I am obsessive about minimizing unnecessary water usage at home; so 1-2 times a year to steam my clothes I think we are even.

In the event that this solution did not work there is always the hotel laundry service or the local dry cleaners down the street.

Seek your adventure!