6 Month Travel Diary

I won't lie and say that I wasn't intimidated about taking a six month journey around the world for the most part, all on my own. It was a trip that started with some pessimism and a lot of hesitation, but that all changed when I arrived at my first destination. Solo traveling has become something of the past. I was impressed to find so many female solo travelers along my route. It has truly inspired me to go places I never thought possible.

Over the next few weeks, I'll be posting the details of my travels. Stay tuned....

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Travel Apps

For starters, I've MAXED OUT the memory on my phone. So out of necessity I had to find essential travel apps that were truly worth it to land a spot on my phone. The Convert app will convert currency, temperature, weight, and just about anything else you can possibly think of while traveling. Flight + is a paid app ($1.99) that allows you to organize your itineraries. The app includes a map, real time updates of flight times, gate/terminal info, and seat maps. The app is also compatible with TripIt. 'Trip Wallet' is an expense tracker. MapsWithMe is a free app that works without Wifi, as long as you download the map in advance (Wifi). And of course, Kayak, it's essential to track the price of your flight prior to buying. 

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Travel Guides 101

Wallpaper by Phaidon (my fave): Covers all the hotspots for the trend loving globetrotter. Comes with pics, table of contents, and a map!
Frommers: They don't spare any details for any budget traveler. Make sure to get the most up to date edition or else the admission prices and hours of operations of the attractions will be rendered useless. No pics, but useful city and metro (if applicable) maps.
Luxe: These handy accordion file like guides cater to one group, those ready to drop some serious cash. Sorry no pics.
Eyewitness Guides: From an English publishing house, these books are known for their amazing pics and details of attractions.
Lonely Planet: For backpackers and those traveling on a budget. How much for one night at that hostel? $10?? Some pics.

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Little Lifesavers

I bought the Apple iPad Camera Connecter Kit thinking that it would be convenient to upload pictures to the iPad for viewing. It's been more than just convenient to upload photos, but actually a life saver. While traveling through Southeast Asia, 8gb of memory in my SLR proved to be insufficient. I didn't want to panic, but Sanur (Bali) did not leave me with many options to purchase additional memory cards and I hate the feeling of being unprepared during a trip. In came the Camera Connector Kit to the rescue! I uploaded a few hundred photos to my iPad and cleared out 3gb on my memory card. It saved me from having to delete photos or have to reconsider every shot. I don't think it's ever possible to just take one shot of the perfect picture. That's $29 well spent!

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Travel Essentials

Every person has his or her travel essentials. Mine is dedicated to those long 12+ hour flights.

Here's the list:
-Travel pillow- You can get one of these anywhere, I actually got mine at Century 21. This is truly an essential item to have on the plane because some airlines just don't provide you with enough pillows or cushion on the seats (Air India!).
-Slippers- Some people just use flip flops, but I find that ballet flats work best because we all know how cold it gets on a plane.
-Facial Spray- I've tried countless hydrating mists (Evian, Avene, La-Roche Posay...) and the only one I find myself using over and over again is Clinique Moisture Surge Face Spray. To bring it on the plane, I put the spray in a Muji travel bottle. They make the best travel containers by far!
-Moisturizer- I'm dedicated to using La Mer forever, so I bring it with me everywhere. Of course on the plane you can't bring anything over 3oz, so I bring the petite version.
-Facial Towelettes- I like the Yes to Carrots towelettes in Cucumber. You can get these at Target.
-Emergen-C- The air quality on the plane is horrible and the last thing you want to happen is get sick on the plane cause someone is polluting the air with their germs. There's no guarantee fix to this problem, but you can try your best to defend those germ by drinking a few packets of Emergen-C while on the plane.
-Water Bottle- The water bottle pictured above is by Platypus and it's from REI Sporting Goods. I find it very convenient to travel with a soft bottle cause that means less weight. On long flights it can be bothersome to ask the flight attendant for water every 10 minutes, so I try to carry a water bottle on the plane and have them fill it up for me.
-Playing Cards- N/A to those traveling alone. Pictured above are playing cards made by Chumbak from India.
-Nutrition Bars- Luna Bars or Clif Bars, whichever you prefer. I actually didn't like the Vanilla Almond flavor (pictured above). Since I sleep A LOT on the plane, I might miss a meal or two and wake up hungry so these come in handy.
-My Iphone- I need music! Plus, you need to drown out those crying babies and annoying kids!!

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