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Saturday, April 5, 2014
Wednesday, April 2, 2014
10 Ways to Stop Stressing Out When You Travel
I know with a busy life, finding time to plan
and travel might be really hard to do. I find that travel is necessary for me to unwind from work and
life in general. It reboots me for life. April is Stress Awareness Month, so
what better way to go into it than by a series of anti-stress travel posts?
Yeah, I couldn’t think of one either!
1.
Create a travel budget
You know that travel is not ever cheap – unless you
just stay home – so when you have picked your destination, look at what some of
the current prices are on things you will need to go there (airfare, hotel rates,
activity tickets, meals) to approximate how much your trip will cost you. The
further out you plan, the more time you have to find deals. This is the time to
budget how much you can save each week/paycheck/month in order to make your
goal. Other ways to save
money for your trip.
2.
Start planning 6 months
out (if possible)
The longer you have until your trip, the easier
it is to spread out the planning and the more time you’ll have to save money
and find discounts. Not sure where to start with finding things? Here are a few
websites
that can help you find must-dos at your destination.
3.
Delegate
You don’t have to plan your whole trip yourself.
In fact, doing that can be very stressful. If you aren’t traveling alone, give
your companions jobs to do or ask your family to make a list of things they
would like to do, so you can make sure everyone has a good time.
4.
Make a packing list
Making a packing list can really help you from
overpacking. You won’t end up packing the night before and just chucking
everything in and taking three suitcases. Just remember, someone has to carry
those and the more bags you take, the more you have to pay in baggage fees. A packing
list can help you streamline your packing and only take what is necessary. Here
are tips on how to perfect
your packing list.
5.
Clean your house
When your house is clean before you leave for
your vacation, you know you won’t be coming back to unnecessary work. Ever
spent your whole trip thinking about the mess in your kitchen? Enough said.
6.
Just take a carry-on
It’s easier to travel when you don’t have too
many things to keep track of, plus you don’t have to pay baggage fees or wait
around at the carousel before you can get on with your vacation. Mix and match
clothing, take only two pairs of shoes, decant your toiletries, plan to do
laundry and bring multipurpose beauty products. Those are just some of the ways
to pare down your necessities. Here is a way to pack minimal, but still maximize
your travel wardrobe.
7.
Get to the airport early
Don’t stress out by rushing. Plan to get to the
airport two hours early. You might run into bad traffic, long security lines or
any number of other hurdles. You can also end up with better
seats on the plane, making your flight less stressful, too.
8. Do your research
Know the basics at your destination, like which
language they speak, how to get to your hotel from the airport, laws and
customs that would be nice to know so you don’t get in trouble. Things like
that. It’s never smart to go in blindly, even if you plan to just “wing it”
once you get there. You can avoid spending extra money this way and saving
time, as well as feeling more comfortable as soon as you get there.
9.
Make reservations and
buy tickets ahead of time
Not only can this help you to spread out paying
for your travel, but if there are things at your destination that you
definitely want to see or do, then buying tickets and making reservations can
eliminate heartache and sadness. While you may like to fly by the seat of your
pants when you travel, not having a plan for some stuff will cost you extra
money, if you can even do it at the last-minute.
10. Create an itinerary
Yes, I’m a crazy organized traveler who likes to
have a daily schedule, because I don’t want to miss anything on my list. Though
I have stuff on my list that are maybes that I can use to fill-in free time, if
I have it. You don’t have to fill every free minute with activities, but if you
have a lot of things you want to do, then you may need to make a schedule in
order to fit things together (not everything is open on all days or all hours).
You’ll find yourself not stressing out on
your trip, since you already figured out how to do it before you left (and have
tickets/reservations if possible).
What are some of your favorite ways to travel less stressfully?
Monday, March 31, 2014
Review: ECBC Tomahawk Messenger
As you know, I visited Phoenix to attend the International Travel Goods Show and was overwhelmed by the selection of bags that were hitting the market in the coming months. One of the new brands I encountered was ECBC. They sell a variety of TSA-friendly bags that allow you to get through security without taking your laptop out of your bag before you put it through the X-ray machine.
Finding that there aren’t that many bags that can work for business travelers, moms and men all at once, the Tomahawk Messenger seems to be a great fit for every traveler. The bag features – as all their bags do – multiple pockets for those who love who loves technology and needs to carry everything with them. The laptop pocket can hold up to a 17” laptop, but it has an insert to make it perfect for a smaller size as well, so it doesn’t jostle around while you’re running from gate to gate.
Got a ton of paperwork you need to bring with you? The inside pockets are large enough to hold legal-size files, all your travel documents or a selection of your favorite magazines. In the front, there are pockets for all your electronics, from your smartphone to your iPad, plus you can keep your passport, tickets, money and any other necessities right at hand and super organized.
My favorite part of this bag, as is my usual problem with messenger bags, is the top zipper, giving you easy access to everything inside. If you’re running around with kids, you don’t want to be fumbling around trying to get everything out they want. Though I like the security of the flap with snap-in buckles, it can be a pain if you have to get in and out of your bag on the go, which makes the zipper an genius addition. Everyone’s going to love this feature.
Hate it when your bag gets snagged on everything as you’re walking around? The buckles on the Tomahawk are fantastic because they are adjustable, based on how full the messenger is, and they are hidden between the material of the front flap. It would take a lot of effort for someone to actually try to steal anything out of this bag.
Keep your cell phone and hydration right at your fingertips with the included pouches on each end of the bag. I like to keep my phone out of reach from everyone, so I used the zipper compartment in the flap to store it, with other things I want to use more often, like a scarf to use if the airplane gets cold.
The zippers on this bag are heavy-duty and hidden behind a rubbery material, which makes them water resistant as well. In fact, all the material of this bag is water repellent, so in the event you get caught in a downpour, your electronics (and everything else inside) won’t get wet and ruined.
As you can see, there is plenty of room in the Tomahawk. I was able to use it for my laptop and cord, Kindle, iPad (in case), cell phone, 3-1-1 bag, snacks, random reading material and a spare pair of shoes. The bag wasn’t totally full, so it holds quite a bit. Use it as a diaper bag, and weekender or to drag all your work with you from the plane to the office.
No matter how much you stuff in the Tomahawk, the wide shoulder strap won’t cut into your shoulder. It is heavily padded where you need it to be and the length is easily adjustable with a sturdy seatbelt-like mechanism. Make it longer to wear it crossbody, or make it shorter to wear it as a shoulder bag. The bag also has a nice padded handle on top to carry it as a briefcase. You don’t have to carry the burden of all your stuff though, as this bag has a great trolley handle slip pocket to fit right onto your roller bag handle.
So, if you’re looking for a large multipurpose messenger bag for your travels that can help you get through security a bit faster and with more convenience – every little bit helps when you’re in a hurry or have little ones traveling with you – then the Tomahawk is a great addition to your trips and possibly even your daily commute.
More information:
How big is it? 22.5” x 13.5” x 4.5”
Colors it comes in: Black and Grey (shown)
How much is it? $139.99
Other specs: Body made of 840d HD ballistic nylon, lining made of 210d double diamond ripstop nylon
Disclosure: I was provided with the Tomahawk Messenger for the purpose of this review, but all opinions are 100% my own.
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