"I travel a lot; I hate having my life disrupted
by routine."
and...
Every single trip I learn something
about perfecting the art of travel.
In this day and age, however, travel will
never be perfect.
"Travel is glamorous only in retrospect."
Which brings me to my first suggestion.
You cannot arrive at the airport too early.
Until you've been caught in a ridiculously long
security line, scared you are going to
miss your flight, you may not realize this.
Often, a nearby gate will have a shorter
security line.
I have a new ap which helps in determining that.
It is: iFly TSA.
The gates are rated green, yellow, or red.
Madeline and I used this on our recent trip.
We had to walk quite a distance, but the
line was much shorter than at the close gate.
We had to walk quite a distance, but the
line was much shorter than at the close gate.
The BIG thing I learned about on our just
concluded trip is Uber.
Madeline has used Uber a lot in Austin.
Me--never. Until DC.
It was excellent. We used it many times
and never had a bad experience.
The cars are much newer and nicer than cabs.
It cost us almost $30 to travel to the
National Cathedral in a taxi,
and only $10 to Uber back!
For those of you who don't know (like I didn't)
you put the ap on your phone, put in all
your information, so that no money changes
hands in the car. No tip! No getting out your card!
And I got a detailed receipt for each ride
on my email. I cannot recommend this enough.
At least in DC it was great.
One exception was the ride to and from
the airport. We did taxi for that.
It is just so routine for them, and they are
more accustomed to the luggage.
It is just so routine for them, and they are
more accustomed to the luggage.
Just thought of something...
I loved the fact that the taxis in DC had
flashing signs which said,
"Taxi for Hire"
unlike New York where I can NEVER
remember if the light on or the light off
means it is available!
Trust me, you do not really want my packing hints.
Over the top, perfectionist, obsessive hints.
But I will say--my clothes not only get there
in perfect shape, they arrive back home the same!
It involves lots of time
and plastic dry cleaning bags.
You might like this one:
If you might bring home breakable souvenirs,
be sure to include some bubble wrap for them.
Oh, and you should like this one:
Use those free shower caps you get to cover
the bottoms of your shoes in your suitcase!
Speaking of free things...
Always gather the little toiletry items from
your room and bring them home.
They are great to give to the
Arlington Pregnancy Center to be
included in baskets for their clients!
An unusual habit I've developed over the years
is to make a different kind of list
after I get home from a trip.
It started when I found this:
Although in retrospect it's fun to remember
scouting Barcelona desperately trying to describe
these when you don't speak the language,
or
feeling like your cruise is totally and forever RUINED
because you forgot this indispensable item,
you don't necessarily desire to repeat the mistake.
So my last step in getting ready for a trip is
making sure I'm not leaving at home one of the
items I've left in the past.
items I've left in the past.
(By the way--as to the comb--I went to the
salon onboard the ship. A new stylist had
just boarded, and she had an extra she sold me!
Whew. The trip was saved.)
Here's an idea just for you girls.
We have to carry a pretty big purse for all the
travel essentials. Right?
But once at our destination, I hate to tote that
big thing on day jaunts.
This, therefore, is what has happened to me:
I have had to buy smaller bags here, there, and
everywhere!
Now, I ALWAYS pack one or more small purses
to lighten my load upon arrival!
Here's an idea just for you girls.
We have to carry a pretty big purse for all the
travel essentials. Right?
But once at our destination, I hate to tote that
big thing on day jaunts.
This, therefore, is what has happened to me:
everywhere!
Now, I ALWAYS pack one or more small purses
to lighten my load upon arrival!
This tip is a repeat--a unique repeat.
I always carry one of these on cruises:
If I have a room with a view, I like to go up
to the buffet, get food and drink,
and return "home" to dine at lunch.
Ships do not furnish trays, so I bring my own!
Yes, people look at me strangely on the
elevator, but they are just jealous!
Pack carefully--AA managed to break my tray
when I flew to London!
One of the first things I do when I unpack
on a cruise ship is stand my cosmetic brushes
in a drinking glass.
A room steward taught me this.
This was in my little 99 sq. ft. room.
Organization necessary!
Oh! And look on the shelf right above!
There are my Q tips in the Barcelona box
I told you about above!
It's probably 15 or more years old now
and deteriorating!
Okay, that's all the "major" tips I have for now!
So...it's your turn.
Tell me what floats your boat
when it comes to travel!
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