Favorite Things:
Travel Edition
I love to travel, and I’m always thinking of ways to make traveling and packing easier and more efficient.
This year we have some big trips coming up: Greg and I both are going with Cate and some of her classmates on a Reformation Tour through Germany and bits of France and Switzerland during Spring Break. Right after school is out, we are again accompanying our oldest daughter on a mission trip to Costa Rica with our church. Then for her last Fall Break we are joining our friends who will also have a high school senior on a Caribbean Cruise.
Of course, different trips require different bags and strategies, but here are some general travel accessories I really love.
Baggallini anti-theft crossbody bag – I really love my other off-brand crossbody purse, but the zippers are super secure and I wanted something slightly different to travel. This seems like it’s just right for that. For something bigger than this small purse, I think my Kavu sling bag.
Camera backpack – Cate has been wanting a waterproof backpack to carry her DSLR camera body and lenses plus other items. She ended up getting this one.
Capital One Venture credit card – This is a great card to use for travel expenses because the rewards points are good and allow you to “erase” travel purchases. You can also book hotels and other travel reservations directly through the Capital One website and get special deals. When we signed up for TSA Pre-Check, the fee was reimbursed when we used this card. (Also, sign up for TSA Pre-Check if you’re ever going to fly!)
Packing cubes – This is the first I’ve used packing cubes, and I just couldn’t justify the price of expensive ones. These had good reviews and seemed like a good place to start. I bought three different colors.
Reusable shopping bags – I really like these because they are thin, basic, and easy to wash. They’re great to carry along to separate dirty clothes or move other items if you aren’t staying in one location, which we don’t on many trips.
Silicone travel-sized bottles – I like to take travel-sized toiletries so I can put them in my carry-on bag, but these made more sense to reuse for trips.
Other travel extras
Book light – I read on my Kindle a lot when I travel, but I wanted a book light just in case I wanted to read on the airplane or in the hotel while everybody else wanted the lights out. I like this book light because it charges and doesn’t require batteries.
Line-a-day journal – Document everyday life whether you’re at home or on the road.
Kindle Unlimited – I downloaded the maximum number of books included with this subscription so I have plenty of options. I’ll reload it as needed. Y’all know I’m a fan of the waterproof Kindle Oasis.
*****
Speaking of travel, here is a helpful post: How to Take the Trip. Plus, here are some of our recent favorite trips, if you’re looking for inspiration: