My Emergency Kit

Hey Travel Gurus!

Traveling forces you to be smart and tactical with how you compress your life’s needs in an itty bitty suitcase. Even more difficult is discerning what items you may need in a tiny to go kit, which can prepare you for all of life’s emergencies. However, if you include method in your last minute packing madness, I am certain that you will be able include the right things in your emergency kit. To help, here are things I’m sure to include in my tiny travel kit.

This bag is usually one I will bring on the plane or in the car with me to provide me with what I need when I need them. For that reason, make sure to look up liquid container guideline for airplanes ahead of time so you aren’t greeted with a trashcan for your expensive perfume to be thrown in – take it from someone who’s witnessed the horror herself.

With guidelines and space concerns in mind, my emergency kit it pretty basic, consisting of items that are multi purposeful and can be used interchangeably. Facial wipes are also good as hand wipes when as a clothes stain remover when I forget my Tide to go stick. Sunglasses are also a must since it takes your eyes a while to adjust to the bright sun after being tucked away in a dark plane. Phone necessities such as a portable charger and headphones are always with me. A good book to read is also a great thing to bring for when your smartphone on airplane mode just doesn’t provide you with enough entertainment. I keep Band-Aids and Neosporin with me just in case of any minor injuries. A toothbrush and toothpaste can also come in handy, especially when you’re on a very long flight and especially when your mouth is full of braces and wires like mine.

 Cosmetic wise, I tend to keep things quite basic since I am traveling hours on end with a bunch of people who are as disgruntled and unobservant as me. When I do opt to take makeup alone with me, I choose items such as a basic lipstick that can be used as blush and an eyeliner that can double as an eyebrow filler. Makeup wipes are also a must as sleeping in an airplane seat is already uncomfortable enough without lashes smothered in dried mascara. I also make sure to bring along lotion as the high altitude exponentially increases my tendency for dry and cracked skin.

Remember, this is just my personal preference and what makes your emergency kit yours is what special and personally valuable things you keep with you on your journeys.

Thanks for reading!

Taz

Who to Bring on Your Next Trip

Hey travel gurus!

If you’re planning an upcoming trip that isn’t just a solo ride, you’re going to have to make some serious selections about who you are willing to spend a week in paradise with. The truth of the matter that without the right people, your trip just won’t feel right and bringing the wrong people can turn your whole trip sour. So to help make your selection process easier, I am here to provide you with a list of the main three criteria you should consider when picking the perfect people for your perfect trip.

11.)    Are these people ones you are willing to connect with and build memories with? In most cases, when you travel somewhere, it won’t be somewhere where there will be routine visits. Even if you end up visiting the same place next year, you won’t be the same person and won’t be experiencing it the same as last time. When you travel with people you can’t unwind with, you waste a whole trip’s worth of fun and memory-making. Make sure the people you travel with are ones you’re willing to make an entire trip’s worth of memories with.

22.)     Will they affect your mood positively? The equation of emotional well-being also applies to your traveling endeavors. It's well-known that hanging out with negative people will inevitably make you a negative or negatively-feeling person. Human interaction is an important way to enhance an experience such as traveling and doing it with bitter people will only make it a bitter experience. Bring along people who are happy and nonjudgmental and will push you to have the best experience you can possibly have. When you're traveling there's no need to add on any extra stress like putting up with others' poor attitudes. Good vibes always.

33.)    Will they contribute anything meaningful to this trip? If these people are not meaningful to you, chances are the trip won’t end up being sentimental either. Bringing someone that means a lot to you will make the whole trip mean more to you and increase the bond you already have with that person. Whether this is your soulmate or preciously obnoxious family, traveling with people you love creates even more reasons to love them.

Hope this helped make your selection process for your upcoming trip easier and realize who is deserving of a trip with you.

Thanks for reading!
Taz

Where Should You Travel Next

Hey Travel Gurus!

Travel is an essential part of breaking out of your routine and is important in revitalizing your boring life. However, the problem may not be that you can’t travel, it might in fact be you don’t know where to travel. Have no fear,this topic of discussion has been chosen to help you find an idea of where to travel next with three easy and helpful tips from yours truly.

Think about where you want to go. Though this seems pretty self-explanatory considering the name of this list, it is extremely important to think about, and a much overlooked step. Think about the types of places you have been. Do you want to re-experience a previous trip? Or do you want to be bold and experience something that you have never tried? Do you want to plan you trip around the mainstream attractions of a place or would you rather take the cultural backstreets? Are you looking for a relaxing getaway or an exciting thrill? Whatever your preferences and objectives of your trip, you need to make sure you're picking a place that meets the criteria you're looking for. You are after all spending precious time, money, and energy towards your trip, so you should be sure that you get what you were looking for.                            

Consider your situation. If you're a parent of 3 kids, you should probably reassess if a high thrill expedition through the Amazon jungle is the smartest choice for a vacay. This step is crucial because even if you were to pick the perfect vacation spot, the trip can easily turn sour if it doesn't suit everyone and their needs. Think about everyone's physical abilities and their situations. If traveling with a family, choose a family friendly destination that can appeal to all (cruises are a great choice for families) and if traveling solo, pick a place you see yourself being able to enjoy. Also to keep your budget in mind as this will affect the number/types of places you can travel to. Consider all disabilities and food restrictions when picking where to stay to make sure that the trip is enjoyable for all.                
               

Try something new. Travel is supposed to be a fun experience and you can’t achieve much amusement from doing the same type of thing over and over again. Chances are, you’ll end up regretting the things you didn’t do versus the things you did.

Stay snazzy gurus, and keep exploring the world around you.

Taz

Why I love Travel

Hey Travel Gurus!

I often find myself pondering over the Meta questions in life like how has every single decision I’ve ever made brought me here, to this exact situation. And my current situation is eating a tub full of Ben and Jerry’s, watching How to Get Away with Murder and trying to think of an adequate blog post. In other words, I started out my thought process for this post in a rut. However, I came up with the bright idea of writing how my love of traveling has brought me to this exact situation and explicate in blog form, why I truly love travel.

From my years as a wee little tot, I have been exposed to the world around me. I was enamored by the fantastical tales of the Disney classics, had the opportunity to express my creativity through dress up and was brought up in a household with parents who love to have as much fun as I do. From the start, I was encouraged to explore and was rewarded for being curious – except when I crossed the line of course. I could not stay in one mental spot for a long time and so I enjoyed external stimulation. Trips with my family fulfilled that for me.

I was with the people I cared about most in settings I had no knowledge of. I was able to experience new things, see views I couldn’t even imagine in my wildest dreams and share memories with people that annoyed me enough to earn my love. For that reason, travel has always had appositive connotation in my mind and special place in my heart.

I love travel because I love to be informed. I like learning about the way people think and act and seeing firsthand the land other people like me grew up to love. I like learning about the planet I will spend the rest of my life on – plausible – and experiencing all of its hidden wonders firsthand. I like breaking out of the monotonous routine society has imposed on me and being able to let my mind wander as I wander through the natural scenery that makes up our world. I love travel because it fulfills my most ravenous curiosities and desires, while still leaving more to be wanted. No matter where I go, I will always have my mind set on my next destination when I return.

Taz

How To Travel with Dietary Restrictions

Hey Travel gurus!

As much as traveling is about going out and exploring the world around you, it’s also about tasting the world around you. Food is great, and that is not the argument. Food is an amazing window that can allow you to delve into and learn all about the culture that devised the dish. It teaches you about regional tastes, available resources, how much a community is willing to waste and give a unique experience you can’t authentically achieve anywhere else. However, a large portion of today’s population has some sort of dietary restriction whether it be allergies, lactose intolerance or religious rulings. This of course does not mean you can’t enjoy the food your trip has to offer, you’ll just need to plan ahead and inquire a bit more.

Planning ahead is vital to people with food restrictions who want to make the most out of their trip. Look up where you’re going and whether or not the region is generally accommodating to your needs. When there, ask locals or research restaurants that are able to cater to your needs and whether or not they offer a substantial amount of menu items to choose from. And in the rare scenario that you fail to find a restaurant that offers quality food that fits your dietary need – like I said, rare – try and plan ahead by bringing along some of your favorite foods from home or make your own meal using local ingredients.

If you have a health related food restriction, it is seriously important to make sure you what you’re eating. If you’re at a restaurant, make sure to inquire about the specific food item you cannot consume and if the ingredient is already incorporated into the dish, ask if the chef could make an exception and cook a special meal, excluding the food item. Most restaurants are very accommodating. This goes for religious restrictions as well. Just make sure you ask, are informed and ready to handle the situation.

And if you’re dietary restrictions are economic in nature, have no fear, there’s always a way to save money. The main tip on saving money on food is avoiding touristic areas.

I hope this helped you and your taste buds be ready to fully experience the adventure you’re about to embark on, and relieved you of the stress of worrying what you’ll eat.

Thanks for reading!

Taz

My Top 10 Favorite Travel Blogs

Hey travel gurus!

In this vast and complex virtual world known as the internet, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that I am not the first person to thing that a travel blog would be a good thing to offer to the masses. In fact, looking at other travel blogs is what helped inspire me and narrow down my topic. Just like you, I love reading about what other people have to share to the world about their own travel experiences and even pick up new tips and trick from them. So here is a list of my top 10 favorite travel blogs and why they caught and continue to catch my interest and attention, in no particular order.

1.     Fathom Away. Fathom Away represents the epitome of artistic blogging. With their amazingly fantastical and crisp original photos, each blog post is enhanced with a visual representation hard to come by anywhere else.

2.     Adventurer Kate. A solo traveler, Kate entices her readers with her amazingly daring trips she enjoys experiencing on her own. She is incredibly inspiring to readers everywhere worried about traveling alone and provides honest and advice and down to Earth recounts of her adventures.

3.     Mallory on Travel. Blogger Mallory is an avid photographer and makes the most out of every day and not so everyday situations by framing it in the perfect picture. She expertly draws in the reader by photographing all of the situations life puts her through.

4.     XPATMATT. XPATTMATT follows the incredible adventures of traveler, writer, and photographer, Matt Gibson. His literary and visual skills combined with the amazing travel opportunities he gets makes for a very captivating blog.

5.     My Itchy Travel Feet. This blog stands out from the rest with its intended audience being senior citizens. Though not at that life stage myself, it encourages me and interests me to learn about how travel can still be possible – and fun – in your latter years.

6.     Go Backpacking. This blog is an informative guide for independent travelers looking to experience it all while still maintaining a reasonable budget. The very helpful tips and amazing photography included makes it a very obvious choice for this list.

7.     Travel with Bender. This final blog makes the cut for its expertise in travel, especially concerning family travel. The down to Earth style and easy format makes it easy to navigate and learn tips for your future family vacations.

I hope you all enjoyed this post and are encouraged to explore the travel blogosphere a bit more. It’s an amazing thing when we all connect.

Taz

Things I Can't Travel Without

Hey travel gurus!

          

Traveling requires preparation and a good sense of what your necessities are. Packing what you need versus what you want – both physically and mentally – can make all the difference in how you experience your trip.

          

The essentials – My suitcase varies moderately depending on where I’m going, but the core of my reasoning never changes. I always make sure to choose climate based clothes. For colder places such a ski resort, I might choose to pack two coats, two snow pants, a hat, gloves and a couple outfits as well as pajamas for time I spend not on the slopes. If I’m visiting my parents’ home country of Tunisia, I know to dress for hot tropical weather year round, especially during summer. This means lots of light blouses, flowy maxi dresses, sandals, sunglasses and good quality jeans. A camping trip might solicit a backpack, trek sneakers, durable clothing I’m willing to get dirty and cozy pajamas to spend my night around the fire in. Even if your destination is different, base your packing around the climate. No matter where you’re going, never forget hygiene essentials, such as hairbrushes, toothbrushes, shampoo and conditioner, especially if you’re not staying at a hotel, and even then, we all now hotel replacements are just not the same. Another thing to plan ahead for is whether your home for the trip offers a washing machine. This can cut your clothing load by half as you’ll be able to clean your clothes throughout the trip, and nobody in a foreign location is going to notice if you wore that red sweater twice. Just saying.

Important keepsakes – For me, I keep a journal and Polaroid camera with me on all trips big or small, to document the amazing and even not so amazing trips I get the chance of experiencing. This allows me to have a physical version of all my past trips and allows me to remember details I might have otherwise forgotten. My journal/scrapbook is very important to me and has great sentimental value. If this kind of thing isn’t important for you, try to find something that means a lot to you, to make your trip mean a lot more.

A good attitude – without the right mindset you’ll waste a trip feeling rotten and have bad memories to look back on. Make the most of your time and don’t sweat the small stuff and you’ll have a great time and a trip more worthwhile.

Hope this helped get your preparation on track. Stay snazzy gurus!

Taz

How I learned Two Foreign Languages

Hey Travel Gurus!

              One question I get a lot based on my background is how many languages I’m able to speak. This is usually followed by question in the likes of how in the heck I learned three languages. While I learned English through the natural scientific process of encoding stimuli from my environment to a language pattern, my secondary languages couldn’t have been learned as proficiently as they are without travel.

              Aside from English, I am able to speak both Arabic and French, the main languages of my parents’ home country of Tunisia. However, it hasn’t always been that way. Being immersed into a new, foreign, setting my parents wanted to make sure that they would raise kids that appreciated and had a direct line to their ancestral heritage. This determination soon manifested itself into hour long lessons with my mom on weekends and the interjection of Arabic in the house whenever possible. This definitely helped, and while I was able to carry out fairly detailed conversations with my relatives on my trips to Tunisia, it was quite obvious that I wasn’t as skilled as I could be. This was to be expected however, living the majority of my life, in school, with my friends, watching TV or even being with my parents when they weren’t in Arabic mode didn’t allow much room for foreign language retention. I was a rope and my American surroundings were winning the game of tug-of-war.

 The breaking point for my parents was taking my younger and even less fluent brothers to Sunday school only to find that they didn’t even know the Arabic alphabet. Inspired by a family’s friend trek to Turkey for two years so their children could learn the language and culture, my parents organized an impromptu vacay to Tunisia, to take place immediately after the end of that school year. Only I wouldn’t come back home to Vermont, rather Cedar Rapids Iowa where my dad had procured a promising position at Rockwell Collins.

          Fifth grade had soon come to a close and while I was excited to see the beautiful country my parents grew up in again and spend more time around my extended family, I couldn’t help but feel anxious on missing out an entire year of – arguably the most socially groundbreaking – good ol American public school. How would I recover? Would I forget English? How could reintegrate myself in a whole new state? And perhaps the scariest, how in the h e double hockey sticks, how could I keep up my academic success in school that teaches a language I only barely know the slang version of? (The Arabic language varies drastically from its pure form from country to country).

          Soon I found myself in an average sized middle school where I was to be in a class a grade below mine, due to my lack of abilities. Students schoolwide were enamored by the foreign girl from America who knew perfect English and had a weird accent when she talked Arabic. It would take me a while to socially adjust, but I hadn’t even begun to think of that when the very weirdly-sounding bell called for first hour, but first, the national anthem in which the whole school would gather around the courtyard to pay salute to the massive flag. Walking in, the classroom was bit shabbier than in America, but nothing traumatizing.

          To put it bluntly, these months, although very foreign at first were some of the best months of my life. I made so many new friends I still keep in touch with today, learned real life street skills in a country where independence was encouraged from a young age and increased my adaptability. I could go on and lose myself in this blog post and write about all the new and exciting things I experienced but that would lose the focus of this blog post. Or would it? I think it’s important to understand that the language and culture shock I went through – relearning all subjects I know in Arabic, experiencing a different education system, differentiating between social and formal situations and learning second year French right off the bat when all I knew was “bonjour”– gave me a chance to learn the language with such depth and at such a rapid rate that I couldn’t have achieved anywhere else.

          For those with the resources contemplating a year in a foreign country, just do it, take a leap of faith. You may want to run back after your first couple days but give time, you will emerge a new person with an understanding of a new language you can’t learn in a classroom.

         

So au revoir, salam, and goodbye.

Until next time,

Taz

YOLO, So Travel Solo

Hey travel fanatics!

              See how I changed it up back there? That can be a good thing and changing up your life’s routine to incorporate travel can be a great thing. However I’ve noticed a trend in many members of my family and dear friends in which they believe that to truly enjoy travel, they have to do it with a significant other or someone meaningful. BULL 💩!!! Although I’ve emphasized in previous blog posts that it is nice to travel with those you love, I’ve realized that I have neglected talking about the most important person you can travel with – YOU! – and this was probably misleading.

The truth of the matter is that you are an amazing person, even if you fail to see it sometimes. Traveling alone can be almost be a spiritual awakening. Putting yourself in a foreign situation, left to your own devices and being left to constantly self reflect and with no pressures to conform to your peers’ standards can teach you things about yourself that you didn’t even know you possessed. Even if – especially if – you aren’t happy with the person you currently are. Learning about yourself, what drives your actions and realizing your full potential in my opinion, can best be done by putting yourself in a new and almost primal situation, which traveling can often do. Especially when you’re younger and not yet completely brainwashed by society order or bound by strict adult responsibility, utilizing this free time to realize who you are as a person without societal shaping is crucial.

Traveling by yourself can be very fulfilling and can give you skills and knowledge you can implement throughout the rest of your future.  Adapting to new situations, thinking on your feet, developing street smarts, broadening your sense of the world and its culture, interacting with other human beings, being content with staying alone with yourself and your thoughts, and loving yourself are all vital abilities to have in today’s world and can be learned firsthand by traveling by yourself. Without having to worry about the needs and emotions of another person that shape your decisions, you’re free to explore your interests and discover new passions.

Honestly today’s society places too much emphasis on relationships, and especially at such a young age, people learn that their self-worth is dependent on another person. If you are not truly happy and confident in yourself and don’t know your capabilities, how can you take on the emotional burden of understanding and being responsible for another person’s feelings? Without the proper time to know yourself, your wants, or being emotionally autonomous I personally believe that relationships become more of a show or game and lead to people needing another person to love themselves.  

This isn't to negate or mock people in relationships. It's just a reminder for those out there who think being in a relationship is the only to be happy that you don't need a significant other to enjoy all of life's adventures.

This post might have taken a deep turn so I’m just gonna stop rambling, but I just want you to realize that as amazing as another person may be, you can be your best travel partner. Laugh, let go and learn to be comfortable to dance on your own.
Hope this helped!

Taz