I Stayed in an Airstream Trailer and It Was Awesome

It's true. We were on the East Coast a few weeks ago and on our Washington, DC portion of our trip, we scoured Airbnb for affordable places to stay. We found a place that offered everything we were looking for (kitchen, WiFi & TV) in Arlington, it just happened to be an Airstream Trailer in someone's backyard. Now, I have touted my love of Airbnb before, and I recommend it highly. Not only can you save quite a bit of money over traditional hotels and even vacation rentals, but you feel more like a local and you usually have a kitchen to make meals and sometimes laundry facilities.

Now, staying in a trailer in someone's backyard may not sound like much fun to you, but I thought it was awesome. I have always wanted an Airstream of my own and now I definitely do. I found it small enough to feel cozy, but large enough for the two of us to feel comfortable. The bed was surprisingly comfortable and actually better than the one we slept in when we stayed in a timeshare accommodation in Williamsburg. The shower was a bit of a squeeze, but bigger than you would think. 

If you ever feel at home in an airplane bathroom and kind of want to build a similar one at home with a bit more functionality, an Airstream has you covered. Every space is usable, with hooks, towel racks or storage everywhere. I felt right at home, and our hosts couldn't be nicer. We were in a fantastic neighborhood that was quiet and close to a ton of ethnic restaurants. 

Meaza'a Ethiopian Cuisine - totally worth a visit

On the advice of our renter, we drove up the street to an Ethiopian restaurant. I had never had Ethiopian food before, except at a food cart festival, but I was quite surprised by how good it was. It was probably a good indication of the cuisine quality that we were two of only four white diners. I feel like if an ethnic restaurant is packed with people of that ethnicity, it probably means it's pretty authentic. 

Anyway, back to our trailer and our adventure in glamping: We used the tiny, but efficient kitchen to make breakfasts (including coffee) and to store our groceries. The couch was super comfortable and a great place to use our phones while they were charging. I was amazed that even the Airstream had more outlets than a standard hotel room. There was another convenient outlet under the table, perfect for plugging in our laptop while in use, and ones next to the bed and built-in shelves to place your items while they were plugged in overnight. 

I was even able to test out the outlet in the bathroom where I used my flat iron to try to make myself look presentable for the day. While it doesn't seem like there was much counter space, it was more than enough for our toothbrushes and other necessary toiletries. Everything else stayed in our toiletry bag, which I hung on a towel bar, so it was out of the way, but also really accessible. 

So, would I do it again? I certainly would! If you would like to stay in an Airstream in Arlington, too, you can request it on our host's Airbnb page. And if you want to try Airbnb and get $25 off your stay, sign up here for free.

Have you ever stayed in on offbeat vacation rental or want to give a shout out to a great Airbnb host?

Prepare for Life's Unexpected Turns

Insurance is boring...and choosing the right benefits can be confusing. Unfortunately, this makes actually signing up and picking the right benefits for you and your family seem very daunting, so some of us just don't do it. Those of us that do may not be spending enough time and effort on it. Did you know that nearly half of millennials spent 30 minutes or less preparing for and selecting their benefits in 2013. I know we're all pressed for time, and probably planning your next vacation seems a lot more fun, but if an unexpected medical emergency happens, you aren't going to be going on that trip, because you're going to be emptying your pockets to pay for that instead. Ouch, right?

Many of us aren't prepared for medical bills - and those can be super expensive - and are living on a tight budget the way it is. Aflac knows that. In fact, studies show that 35% of millennials have $500 or less to spend on emergency medical, which probably won't go that far in reality. Maybe you had that cushion and had to spend it on some other emergency, like taking the car in for that wonky noise it's been making or having to replace your broken hot water heater. Being a parent and/or homeowner is a seemingly neverending parade of bills. With Aflac, you can be more prepared for the curve balls life throws at you.

As a young person trying to get your life together, make ends meet and still be able to work some fun into your life may be difficult to figure out how to do. You're probably already spending most of your paycheck on student loans, credit cards, and other regular bills, so cramming in another large bill, like an unexpected medical bill, might be an impossibility. Paying late or not at all can negatively affect your credit score, making it really hard to get credit for things you need like a mortgage or a car loan. In fact, 15 percent of millennials said high medical bills had negatively affected their credit scores, and 16 percent said they’d been contacted by collection agencies about outstanding medical bills. Some of us are just One Emergency Away from Financial Disaster, and that's something to think about.

Life isn't always sunny and perfect.

As a freelance writer, it's clearly important to me to know what my bills will be every month, as my income can fluctuate. Having something like a large medical bill can really ruin my day, because where is the money to pay that going to come from? Luckily, my husband has a great job and we could make it work, but many people aren't in our same situation. Though a third of us feel like we're more prepared for our medical open enrollment this year than last, that still means over 65% of us are still confused by it all. Want to avoid the devastation of a hefty hospital bill on your already tight budget? Then you need to invest in your health. What can you do to be more prepared this year?

• Think of health insurance premiums as a monthly budget essential like rent, rather than a discretionary expense, like entertainment. My motto has always been to expect the best, but plan for the worst. I'd rather pay for insurance I don't have to use than need insurance and not have it. Wouldn't you?
• Educate yourself about how your insurance deductible works. Choosing a plan with a low monthly premium and a high deductible may give you more money in your paycheck, but could also result in unaffordable payments if you need medical care beyond covered preventive services. This is one of the most difficult things to figure out when you're already on a tight budget, but a lower deductible is always a good thing when an accident happens, especially when you have kids and those accidents seem to happen more often.
• If your company offers a health savings account as part of a high deductible health plan, contribute as much as the plan allows so you’ll have money set aside to help meet the deductible and other payments. These accounts are generally pre-tax, which means your contribution goes further and you might not notice the hit to your paycheck quite as much.
• Consider adding voluntary insurance products for more financial protection. Accident and Critical Illness plans work hand-in-hand with major medical plans, providing benefits to help policyholders with health-related costs their primary insurance may not cover. Those policies can also be used to help with out-of-pocket costs and other expenses that continue to roll in even if you’re too ill or injured to work.

Continue exploring new frontiers by being prepared and not dipping into your travel budget when you don't have to.

Maybe you don't feel like adding an extra insurance product to your medical package is something you can easily pay for, but with Aflac, the younger you are, the lower your premiums will be. As a freelance writer, I'm lucky to be able to work from anywhere, so if I break my leg, I can still write; however, many are not in my same position. Even stay-at-home parents don't have the same luxury, because who will take care of their little ones if they're incapacitated or have limited mobility? Having the option of getting in a little more help would be invaluable, wouldn't it? If you're auto-enrolling each year without really looking at your benefits, it's time to change that. your life doesn't stay the same year after year, which means your benefits could use a thorough once-over to make sure they are still right for where you are in life.

In 2014, Fortune magazine included Aflac on its list of Most Admired Companies for the 13th time, ranking the company number one in the life and health insurance category. They have a presence in all 50 states, in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, and the company is also the number one life insurance company in terms of the number of individual policies in Japan. The offer accident, dental, life, vision, cancer, hospital intensive care and more voluntary insurance policies. So, wherever you live and whatever extra coverage you need, there is a plan that'll work for you.

When's the last time you really looked at your benefits? Or when was the last time you needed coverage you didn't have?

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

How to Survive with Fewer Things When You Travel

What if I want woolly socks?

What if I want to wear a Hawaiian shirt?

What if I need extra boots?

What if I need more pajamas?

What if I'm asked to a gala and I don't have a tuxedo?

What if I go sailing and don't have the proper shoes?

What if I want to go spelunking and I don't have ropes?

Will people know where I'm from? Better pack four or five more Oregon shirts!

Yes, some of these questions are totally ridiculous, but if you're an overpacker, it might be hard to figure out which ones. This post was really inspired by my husband who was coming up with outrageous reasons one would need to have a bag they could fit into if they weren't moving to a new country. Every time I go to the airport, I tend to see at least one or two ladies (and sometimes guys) hauling a bag so large that if it didn't have wheels, they wouldn't have gotten it out of the house. It always makes me wonder what on Earth they could possibly have in there and need for a normal vacation. 

Eric calls it overpacking due to a fear-based lifestyle. All those 'what-ifs' up there were his (joking) way of identifying an overpacker's train of thought before traveling and when they purchase said huge suitcase. I used to be a chronic overpacker, but I never had a suitcase that I could live in. So, what causes people to pack so much they need such a large bag? Are they uncomfortable with leaving home? Do they worry what will happen if they don't bring half their house with them? Do they freak out if they forget something and then have to figure out where to get it in a foreign place? I have no idea, but what I do know is that not having all your creature comforts is part of the wonderful things about travel. Bring the bare minimum of stuff you need to be comfortable and feel free from your other belongings. 

Here I am with everything (minus my purse) that we brought with us for a two-week vacation. That's not just my stuff, that's our stuff. I don't want to bog myself down with too many bag or heavy bags or have so much from home that I never need to leave my room. The only things I brought that were not totally necessary was a movie I had from Netflix (for downtime) and a bag of tea, sweeteners, oatmeal and rink packets. I could have purchased these at my destination, but they took up little space and it was more about convenience. I don't need a whole box of sleepy time tea or a huge thing of sugar/sweetener when I travel. I might need these things in transit and not everyday, so I don't want to waste money at the store buying them with my normal trip purchases (usually eggs, bread, butter, bananas and milk).

Maybe some travelers feel like so much a fish out of water when they are in a new place that they feel they need to feel like they're at home to enjoy their trip. I'm not sure. I just know that it's much easier to be comfortable in a new place, to me, if I get out and see what the locals are doing and get a lay of the land. I don't expect my destination to be like home, nor do I want it to be, otherwise, why travel at all? I choose some of my favorite pieces to travel with, a few pair of good shoes and a couple optional articles, like some accessories I love, a scarf and a packable jacket I may need if it gets chilly. Enough to feel like myself, but not so much that I feel overwhelmed by everything I've packed and that it all is appropriate for the activities I have planned. I don't need a sparkly dress with me if I know I will mostly be visiting museums. I also don't need high heels for walking miles and miles everyday.

Think about what you'll be doing and not so much the "what ifs', because, chances are, you may not even get to everything on your list of things to do, much less those what if opportunities. After walking for 8 or more hours during the day, are you really going to want to put on some fancy shoes that are barely comfortable for an hour when you have just been sitting on your couch all day? Bring some flats or wedges that are cute, but go with everything you have brought with you, so you can look dressed up and not want to cut off your feet.

In lieu of a formal dress, that you may only wear once (if that), why not pack a pair of black jeans? Not only will they work for everyday wear, but can look dressy and work with any number of different tops. Of course, if you travel with an LBD that you wear during sightseeing (I have a great one from Lucy), then you can dress it up with a few well-placed accessories to take it from day to night, like I did with this GoLite dress.

The more you think about it, the easier it is to travel lighter and still have many of your favorite items with you on your trips so you aren't feeling so much like you're out of your element and not quite yourself. You can still have a clothes personality with fewer items. For more help on how to stretch your wardrobe, check out this post. Figure out what you absolutely can't live without - maybe it's simple and useful like your iPad, maybe it's something more basic and personal like your fuzzy slippers - and then leave the rest at home. For me, it's my iPad mini, netbook (gotta stay connected), warm socks or booties for the room and a few random snacks from home.

What can't you live without when you travel?