One Girl and a Big World

Welcome back to the blog everyone.

I know it has been a long time since I last wrote, but with college finals now completed, I have a good four weeks of much needed rest and free time.

This blog post will discuss some hacks I have developed after years of travel and I think it will be a fun one.

Hack #1: I refuse to pack over the absolute necessary. My family first developed the skills to pack everything into carry-on luggage when we began traveling Europe in 2015, but when I moved to Dublin for study abroad year, I traveled to Amsterdam and the Channel Islands with only one backpack. For me, it makes traveling so much easier if I carry less items with me, especially if I travel alone. It also helps me keep better track of all my belongings. The less I need to worry about, the more I enjoy my trip. Even if I need to take more than what I can carry in a backpack, I still chose to bring little enough that it will fit in a carry-on luggage. This hack leads me to my second trick…

Hack #2: Strategically planning the type of clothes to pack. A person is not able to fit everything into their backpack without some strategy. Shoe wise, I would always travel with my Timberland boots on and my lightweight slip on shoes (Hey Dude’s) in my backpack. Clothes wise, I would pack lightweight clothing. For example, athletic joggers and leggings made up my bottoms, and long-sleeved t-shirts would make up my tops. I know, not the most stylish, but they are practical and they don’t take up much space.

Hack #3: Transforming my backpack from luggage use to tourist use. Since I would only carry one backpack, I had to come up with a way to have my backpack serve two purposes. When I left for Ireland, I took along with me a good quantity of Ziplock bags. As such, I would place my clothes in Ziplock bags and when I would arrive at my hotel, I would simply take out the bags and my backpack was freed up on space! I know that this style of travel is not for all, but for anyone seeking to learn how to travel more lightweight, I hope this can be of some assistance.

Hack #4: Fast walking (a sorta hack?). Now, I am not very tall, I am only 5ft. 3, so my legs are rather short. My training in fast walking first began in 2015 when my mom developed a strict regime of fast walking in order to see all of the sights during our first trip to Europe. I must say, I may be short, but I can get places on foot pretty quick now. In terms of airport travel, I learned to walk fast to make my connection flights (I have had some CLOSE connections) and to navigate between crowds of people quickly and efficiently (in this case, being small does help haha).

Hack #5: Drinking electrolytes before flight. I have found that I usually get very dehydrated after a flight. As such, I have begun drinking electrolytes about three to four hours before my flight. I have found that doing this helps my body respond better to the dry airplane cabin air and I also do not feel as tired or drained after my arrival.

Hack #6: Enjoying the slowdowns. I have been on over a hundred flights in my twenty years of life. In those those hundred flights, there have been a good few setbacks regarding immigration or flight delays. Worrying about situations rarely ever improve the circumstance. I have found that it is better to stay calm and know that you will get to where you need in due time. It makes the trip so much more enjoyable and if you let it and you never know who you might begin a conversation with during a long immigration line or a flight delay.

That’s it for the day! For anyone traveling, I hope that some of my suggestions will make your travels a little bit more enjoyable 🙂