recent return

I just returned from a 3 week excursion to Thailand last month, with a lot of new experiences to share.

The best part about the trip was the weather. One bag travel is sooo much easier when you can pack smaller less bulky items.

Some of my lessons learned on this trip:

1. The Diva cup is a life saver. I was thinking of writing a full review of this product at some point, but for your own curiosity I am only going to link to the product here. You can read more about it until I get over my initial embarrassment.

2. I bought some shampoo upon arrival instead of lugging a bunch of smaller 3-1-1 bottles with me on the plane. This was smart.

3. Biggest lesson learned: If you don't bring a product - make sure they have it there upon arrival!!! Thailand is notorious for skin whitening lotions!!!! They have NO affordable normal lotion available. All of the supermarkets sell skin whitening lotion. Bizarre? Maybe if you're not Thai. Also, their toothpaste is different. Let me just say - it tastes salty. I was ecstatic to find a bottle of "western" style toothpaste.

4. I had to do laundry 3 times while there.

Washing clothing in the sink turned out to be futile. I was unable to dry my clothing in 100% humidity. A wet shirt hanging on a clothesline will still be a wet shirt hanging on the clothesline - 2 days later!!! But of course this doesn't matter, because with humidity like this, whatever you put on (even if already "dry") will be already wet feeling.

best skin lotion for travel

Clinique's Moisturizing Gel is by far my favorite moisturizing product.

Plane dehydration, travel weariness, stress, etc. can be very detrimental to the health of your skin. This gel works wonders!







You can buy it in a travel sized tube - which lasts!





http://www.sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P204206&categoryId=B70

The reviews don't lie. 213 reviews (as of 12/20/09) that rate this product at 4 1/2 stars!

I always carry this with me in my 3-1-1 baggy. It's an absolute must!

Unprepared?, Improvise!!

Okay, I had no idea that Phoenix was going to be this cold. I knew cool, but not as cold as home!

Good news is, I was able to improvise.

This trip was for 2 days.

All the clothes I brought with me was:

1 skirt suit

1 black shirt

sleeping pajama shorts

a tank top

1 pair of stretch jeans

1 workout outfit

1 pair of sneakers

1 pair of heels

1 pair of flipflops (okay I was being optimistic here)

1 scarf

socks

leg warmers (for my suit when leaving philadelphia) - HUGE life saver!

As a warm outfit back on the plane, I have decided to improvise. I"m wearing the same black shirt from yesterday, with my purple scarf, and my grey suit jacket with jeans, socks and sneakers! When I get home - I have a big winter coat, gloves, etc in my car. So all is good!

Happy Holidays Everyone!

Not exactly toasty but at least I"m not going to freeze!

Travel Tip of the Month: #2

Tomorrow I leave for Phoenix on a 7am flight. Of course, Philadelphia weather is nothing to be desired right now. I just got back from the gym, and had to navigate through puddles and cold, almost frozen rain mid-December. Going from one climate to another is absolutely a nightmare for a one bag traveler. Especially when there are unexpected conditions for not only when you depart, but also when you arrive.

One important thing to do is of course 1. Check the weather, but in addition to this you'll want to have some things with you to make sure that you're braving the elements. When in doubt with rain, and I know I'll be doing a lot of outside maneuvering, I bring my umbrella. My umbrella is pint sized (literally!) and can fit in the front pocket of my airboss bag. This may seem like a no brainer to you. Of COURSE pack an umbrella when it's raining, duh! But there are other things that you may not have considered.

How about those shoes? I usually travel with only a pair of sneakers and a pair of heels. As a woman, these two are essential travel necessities. Well, Let me remind those of you who haven't been in the rain recently in sneakers... They get soaked to your socks!!! And rain can ruin a good pair of heels. So what to do?

Wear a pair of hiking/trail sneakers. These babies are made for rugged weather, and you can wear them when you work out. Absolutely brilliant isn't it?

I recommend anything keen. They are waterproof, stylish and functional.


See photo in this post.

To buy, try zappos!
http://www.zappos.com/keen-targhee-ii-walnut