Though most of my friends and family are already on summer break, I'm still anxiously anticipating the arrival of summer (only a few more days). Since I can't yet write about the trips I'm embarking on this summer, I'll fill you in on some of my favorite travel tips for long getaways!
1. Packing
Some people are like my sister and have a Pinterest board and a few weeks dedicated to packing. Other people are like me and pack the night before or day of leaving. Either way, I think it's really important to remember that wherever you are going, the people and stores there are likely to have whatever you forgot. And if they don't have it? It's not a necessity.
For trips that last longer than a week, pack some Wool-lite or another detergent that you can activate in the bath tub. A lot of blogs recommend to pack things by outfit, but I do not think that's necessary. Instead, pack a few outfits together, and then make sure the rest of your pieces will work with one another. Having versatile options will make your outfits better, especially on longer trips, because you will never have to wear the exact same outfit twice.
Nobody wants to waste their time on vacation in a laundry mat, and that's why I recommend washing your clothes in the bathtub and hang-drying them overnight. You can even do this in the sink. If your trip isn't long enough to have a laundry experience, make sure to organize your bag in such a way that will separate the dirty clothes from the clean ones. I, personally, always pack a few garbage bags in my luggage to keep track of this, even on the trips where I plan to do laundry because some things will not be able to be cleaned thoroughly in a sink.
You'll really hate yourself if you run out of memory on your phone or camera while on vacation. Bring a backup SD card for your camera, and if you have a low-storage phone, backup all of your photos to a computer (or the cloud) before leaving and delete them off of your phone. If you can't do that, I'd recommend purchasing a backup drive, but they can be a bit pricey. Here is the cheapest (quality) one I found.
2. Traveling
Long airplane, train or car rides can be the worst. If you're heading somewhere that's in a different time zone, plan a flight during their nighttime hours and try to sleep (take some melatonin if necessary). If you're an antsy person who can't sleep on a plane, try to stay awake until at least 8 p.m. when you get to your destination. Caffeine can be your best friend.
If you're traveling by train or in a car, sleeping can also be a good idea, but it's also fun to interact with the other passengers on the train or your friends and family in the car. Some of my favorite memories as a kid are from long car rides when my sisters and I would play the "alphabet game" (where you try to find road signs and other things outside of the car that start with each letter of the alphabet, in alphabetical order). If you're the driver of the car, make sure you're awake and alert! It's OK to ask your passengers if you can take a break or if someone else can drive, especially if it's allowing for a safer ride of yourself and your passengers. If you get car sickness (I'm all too familiar with this one), try having some ginger candies. Do not read or play games on your phone while in the car, it will only make you more nauseous! Car rides aren't my favorite, but they can be the best thing ever if you have good people with you to keep you entertained.
3. Outings
When you go sightseeing, the last thing you want to happen is for your anger out of pure hunger to ruin the amazing thing you're seeing. Keep some granola bars and water with you at all times if you want to avoid the "hangries," and everything should be good.
If your traveling with a group, make sure to respect everyone's wishes for the outings. Maybe you personally don't care all that much about seeing that one sculpture, but to your fellow traveler, it could be the highlight of their trip. If you really wanted to see something, you wouldn't want the rest of your group complaining about it the whole time you were on your outing to see it. Respect is the key to group traveling. If you have it, your fellow travelers should, as well. Save your anger for when you return to your room and vent it out in a travel diary (another thing I highly recommend keeping).
Overall things
If your destination is outside of the U.S., I highly recommend converting your money before departing from your destination. You can usually do this through your bank, but be aware that it could take a few days to process. The fees rack up if you use a card the whole time, unless you have a card specific for traveling.
Have a positive attitude! Instead of working or having a dull summer, you're somewhere that isn't home! Be thankful for your opportunity. Not every day is going to be sunshine, but your attitude can change everything.
Be honest with yourself (and your group, if applicable). If you're not feeling it that day, take it easy, but, don't do irresponsible things like get drunk every night and then complain every day that you're hungover. That's your own fault.
I hope these tips have helped, even with just a small aspect of your summer trip(s)! Happy traveling!
