Finding the right noise canceling headphones has been the bane of my travel existence for a decade. I’ve been challenged to find the right mix of size, functionality and battery life. I started with some massive Sony over-the-ear headphones that, while decently effective, took up too much space in my “personal item” bag. Fast forward…
If you like to spend as much of your travel budget as possible on adventures and as little money as possible on everything else–especially food–this is the post for you! Our personal travel style is to splurge on tours and experiences and then skimp on everything else. Food, in particular, can blow a budget quickly,…
Hello, old friends. It’s been a while since I’ve written here, and you can likely guess why. March 2020 is a month that will forever stand out in my memory. D and I were talking about booking our next getaway, but little thing after little thing kept preventing us from firming up the details. That…
While no two trips are alike, there are a few, stalwart items that I can’t live without on the road. Some are expected (noise canceling headphones), but some, like the one I’ll share today, are not. Today, that item is: carabiners. I’ve been a fan of carabiners since middle school, when it was “cool” to…
Finding a good carry-on suitcase is a monumental task, and Delta’s tighter restrictions on the size of carry-on luggage five years ago led me on an Odyssean-like journey to find a new one. Ultimately, I selected the Lipault Paris 22″ Upright 4-Wheeled Carry-On (now called the Original Plume Spinner 55/20). After more than 5 years and nearly…
There are SO many conferences in my industry that take place in Vegas. And once you’ve been there for work, it’s easy to see why. The resorts can hold a lot of guests, have great meeting spaces, and offer tons in the way of entertainment and dining. However, I can say without a doubt that…
Nothing beats a good crossbody bag when you’re on the road. Smaller than the typical purse that I carry day-to-day, a solid crossbody has been a staple addition to my packing list for nearly every trip I’ve been on in the last 10 years. My go-to bag has been a delightful little Marc Jacobs red…
Google “travel backpack,” and one of the first results you’ll see is for the eBags TLS Mother Load Weekender. The bag comes in many different “versions,” from a full-size, junior, wheeled and more. I bought the Convertible Junior, and this review would have been totally different if I had written it a month ago. The…
As the end of Summer inches ever closer, I find myself simultaneously trying to soak up every last drop of sunshine where I live while daydreaming about chasing the warm weather to an island somewhere. This summer baby just can’t take the cold without the occasional escape. Of course, my personal travels tend to be…
If you adventure hard enough, you’re going to want (and need) at least a small medical kit with you. I personally measure the awesomeness of a trip by how many bruises I get (and how f*ed up my mani/pedi is at the end). Bonus points for breaking skin. Even if you don’t intend to adventure…
Well, ladies, it’s come time for me to say goodbye to my beloved Lole Lily travel tote. This amazing bag has flown across the continent (and ocean) more times than I can count over the last three-and-a-half years. Though I’m saying goodbye to her, don’t take it as an un-recommendation. I’ve loved my Lole Lily as much as…
Do y’all ever get attached to a bag so much that you just can’t let it go? Even though you KNOW it’s time? Because same. Nearly four years ago, I landed on the Lole Lily tote for my go-to travel tote, and I’ve been carrying it without fail all these years. In fact, I loved…
My love for solo travel knows no bounds—the freedom and empowerment of escaping to a far away destination alone is simply exhilarating. But after leaving my plus one stateside for my last two adventures, I knew it was time to take the plunge into traveling as a party of two. I’ve said it before, and…
September 2017 was a heartbreaking month in the Caribbean, with two Category 5 hurricanes razing island after island. If you watched the news reports in the U.S., you’d probably think that there are hardly any inhabitable enough to visit yet. At least, that’s what I thought as I stared longingly at my travel bucket list–a…
There are so many costs involved in traveling—from airfare to hotels, ground transportation, tours, food and souvenirs, and they can add up quickly. I’ve been lucky enough to book most of my hotel and airfare expenses using points and miles—and ever since I signed up for the Chase Reserve card last year, I started adding…
Suitcase Confidential 