After being away for nearly three months, home brings many realizations with it.
1. I own a shit-tonne of stuff.
The amount of stuff that I have crammed into my >10’x14’ room is borderline unbelievable. Couple that with the basement crawlspace, one section of which is devoted entirely to housing all the things I’ve accumulated over the last handful of years in anticipation of moving out.
Much of the things are home things, like decorative stuff, art, and textiles. In this way, I’m totally my mother’s daughter, and a textbook Cancer.
I’m not, however, my mother’s daughter in that there is absolutely no cohesion to any of the things I own. At all.
If something meets any one of the following criteria, I will buy it:
-if it’s a bright colour
-if it’s many bright colours
-if it’s black, white or grey
-if it’s silver
-if it’s gold
-if it’s shiny or sparkly
-if it’s glass
-if it's metal
-if it's wood
-if it's old
-if it’s an interesting conversation piece
-if it would look nice on a bookshelf
-if it’s a miniature version of something
-if it’s an oversized version of something
-if it would be fun to take to a party
-if it’s BC Lions merchandise
This theme continued while travelling, and of the above list only one criterion did not come into play while abroad, which is obviously the Lions criterion.
So what did I do?
I bought Olympiacos stuff instead.
So now I’m tasked with finding homes or storage for all the new things I’ve brought home. The biggest undertaking will be for the smallest items, as I bought a royal inheritance worth of jewelry and I have no idea where it’s all going to live. But hey, I’m unemployed! I have time for stuff like this now.
When I finally do move out, I’m going to have go the museum route: paint the walls stark white, throw everything in, and pretend that I meant for everything to be completely disconnected from everything else. It's art.
2. I have a shit-tonne of clothes.
And oh boy, am I excited for them! After three months of one pair of jeans, one cardigan, one sweater and a rotation of a half dozen t-shirts and three scarves, I’m ready to be a real girl again. Wearing the same dozen pairs of underwear for 80 days is a travesty. And when you’re gallivanting around the planet, seeing how much amazing stuff there is out there, your boring clothes make you feel extra boring. I don’t like feeling boring.
3. I am not very good at planning.
I had intended for all my laundry to be washed, folded and put away before my departure. As I quickly ran out of time before I left, things like normal adult responsibilities got shoved aside.
But seeing as how I was employed then, and I am unemployed now, it’s not like I don’t have the time to do it all now! So I guess I am good at planning.
4. Dogs are jerks.
I'm gone for nearly three months (4.8 dog years to be exact), and Jack is more excited to see my dad than me.
Edit: 80 days is not 4.8 dog years, it's 1.53. How I screwed that up so badly is beyond me. But still, more than a year? And all he did was sniff my shoe.
5. Bacon is no more delicious after not eating it for three months.
Because bacon was already at maximum delicious, that's why.
6. Your own bed is so amazingly luxuriously comfy after a three month absence.
Seriously. It was heaven.
Showing posts with label travel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label travel. Show all posts
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Day 80 of 80 – the end is here!
I did it! I’m less than 45 minutes from touchdown in Vancouver and I’m so many emotions right now. I’m beyond excited to see my dad who’s picking me up, I’m anxious to get through baggage collection and customs because they never go speedily enough, and I’m so ready to be home.
What home will bring is a little uncertain, so I’m approaching that with a touch of trepidation. I’m gearing up for what is hopefully a very temporary stint in unemployment and being incomeless, and as soon as new work is found my next up task is to (finally) move out of mom and dad’s. Big changes ahead!
The biggest thing this journey has taught me is that in the grand scheme of life, I’ve won the fucking lottery. To be born Canadian, to speak English, to be upper middle class with a million opportunities at my feet, to be able to quit my job to go travel with parents who are beyond supportive, to have an education, to be what we take for granted as completely average in North America is the 99th percentile to the rest of the planet.
And I hope that when I’m home, that is the lesson that stays with me most. I hope I’m as kind to people as possible, to reflect the kindness that’s been displayed to me for the past 80 days. I hope that I complain less, because I’ve seen what real poverty looks like, what real problems are. I hope that I continue to be able to travel, and that I capitalize on those opportunities. I definitely didn’t earn this trip – it fell in my lap like everything else I’ve been given, like every other trip I’ve been on – but I am still so grateful. The next trip will be one that I scrimp and save for, and earn the hard way.
This planet is so amazing. How incredible is it that we can hurl ourselves through the air in a metal tube going 900km an hour and end up on the other side of the world in less than half a day. We owe the Wright brothers big time.
Time to prep for landing, which means this is cut short. Probably a good thing, because I’m getting teary on a plane. Never a good thing.
I wish I could tell Dan about my trip. He’d be so stoked.
What home will bring is a little uncertain, so I’m approaching that with a touch of trepidation. I’m gearing up for what is hopefully a very temporary stint in unemployment and being incomeless, and as soon as new work is found my next up task is to (finally) move out of mom and dad’s. Big changes ahead!
The biggest thing this journey has taught me is that in the grand scheme of life, I’ve won the fucking lottery. To be born Canadian, to speak English, to be upper middle class with a million opportunities at my feet, to be able to quit my job to go travel with parents who are beyond supportive, to have an education, to be what we take for granted as completely average in North America is the 99th percentile to the rest of the planet.
And I hope that when I’m home, that is the lesson that stays with me most. I hope I’m as kind to people as possible, to reflect the kindness that’s been displayed to me for the past 80 days. I hope that I complain less, because I’ve seen what real poverty looks like, what real problems are. I hope that I continue to be able to travel, and that I capitalize on those opportunities. I definitely didn’t earn this trip – it fell in my lap like everything else I’ve been given, like every other trip I’ve been on – but I am still so grateful. The next trip will be one that I scrimp and save for, and earn the hard way.
This planet is so amazing. How incredible is it that we can hurl ourselves through the air in a metal tube going 900km an hour and end up on the other side of the world in less than half a day. We owe the Wright brothers big time.
Time to prep for landing, which means this is cut short. Probably a good thing, because I’m getting teary on a plane. Never a good thing.
I wish I could tell Dan about my trip. He’d be so stoked.
100 things I learned on my trip
1. Smiling will get you everywhere.
2. I am worth 4,000,000 camels, 100 pashminas and a shop, or two blocks of the pyramids.
3. India is insane.
4. The Eiffel Tower really is all it's cracked up to be.
5. A good book means you never eat dinner alone.
6. Expect to pay as much for tea in Europe as you would for a sandwich in Canada.
7. The best samosas in the world are halfway between Varanasi and the Nepal border, on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere, and cost Rs 2 (approximately 5¢ CDN).
8. The Greek islands are best visited in the summer.
9. The Champs-Elysees is everything that's wrong with humanity.
10. Water purifcation tablets, drops and your own water bottle are completely unnecessary.
11. Going by the meter in a taxi in India means the driver will circle the city repeatedly to make more money.
12. It is fiscally irresponsible not to attend happy hour.
13. Canadians go travelling for a gap year, or take time off work. Americans study abroad for a semester.
14. Europe treats the Euro exactly like the dollar. $3.75 for a hot chocolate at home, €3.75 for a hot chocolate in Amsterdam.
15. France needs a lesson or two in silver quality and pricing from Egypt and India.
16. Dutch is the most hilariously ridiculous language, both on paper and when spoken.
17. Top Deck is a terrible tour company.
18. Gap Adventures is an awesome tour company.
19. India: just as stinky as you'd expect.
20. Never backpack without a sleeping bag.
21. The French love English accents.
22. Blonde hair equals celebrity status in India.
23. Athens' stray dogs are collectively cared for by everyone, and even get regular vet checkups.
24. 9/10 Americans don't deserve their reputation as rude, arrogant, ignorant travellers. But that 1/10, they couldn't deserve it more.
25. 9/10 Canadians do deserve our reputation as kind, grateful, polite travellers. The 1/10 should be exiled to America.
26. Missing your best friend's wedding sucks. It sucks really, really bad.
27. Greece is hoarding the world's supply of tall, dark and handsome.
28. Watching a cremation on the banks of the Ganges isn't creepy at all. In fact, it's beautiful.
29. The French call the Netherlands "Pays-Bas."
30. In the Cairo airport, smiling nicely means they'll let you board a plane with contraband.
31. When presented with a squatter toilet and a western toilet, the squatter will be less disgusting.
32. Every single dog, no matter its breed, colour, size or disposition, reminds me of Jack and how much I miss him.
33. It's not if you'll get sick, it's when, and for how long, and how badly.
34. Scarves make excellent packing material. That's how I justify purchasing more than a dozen.
35. In India, you can spend as much time haggling the price as the actual taxi ride takes.
36. The pyramids really are all they're cracked up to be.
37. Check your tickets. You may have already paid for a ferry ticket when you bought your bus ticket, and don't need to buy another.
38. It is easier to read Greek than to speak it.
39. If you're confused, and someone else also looks confused, they speak English.
40. Apparently "Je ne parle Francais" is code for "I speak French."
41. Losing your camera makes an expensive night out drastically more expensive.
42. Cameras are cheaper at home than abroad. By about $250.
43. The security at the Kathmandu airport is both the most stringent and the most lax on the planet.
44. In some countries, staring isn't considered rude. That doesn't make it any less creepy though.
45. No matter how little English someone speaks, they'll still know how to ask "Boyfriend? Husband?"
46. A leader can make or break a tour.
47. Elephants love love love oranges and bananas.
48. The French actually dress like their stereotype: navy and white stripes and berets abound.
49. Greeks don't understand lineups.
50. A load of laundry costs more than dinner in a nice restaurant.
51. The Mona Lisa is way smaller than you'd expect it to be.
52. Paris' free wifi doesn't work for non-locals.
53. A $300 netbook more than pays for itself in internet café savings.
54. That same netbook proves priceless when it houses a backup of all your photos and you've lost your camera.
55. The Acropolis really is all it's cracked up to be.
56. Haggling something down to one-sixth of its original price isn't unheard of.
57. Canada has the best tasting vegetables.
58. Athens has more history than they know what to do with. Case in point: H&M has a glass floor so you can see the ruins below.
59. The air pollution in New Delhi is equivalent to smoking 20 cigarettes a day.
60. Starbucks tastes exactly the same everywhere.
61. The Euromullet: not just for dudes anymore.
62. A $10 tube of mascara at home is €15 in France.
63. If North America is a year behind European fashion, 2011 will be the year of the really ugly jean.
64. Flea markets at home: great deals abound. Flea markets in Paris: €575 for two chairs, €190 for a non-precious metal necklace, €80 for an ad from an old magazine.
65. The Red Light District in Amsterdam isn't as seedy, dirty, disgusting, dangerous or immoral as some say. In fact, it's none of those things. It's just business.
66. In the Catacombes, being nice to the security guard means he'll take pictures of you with flash.
67. Ferries in Greece are on time about a third of the time.
68. Bollywood films are fantastic.
69. Getting sprayed by an elephant's trunk is the coolest waterfight ever.
70. Six days worth of clean clothes can easily last you two weeks.
71. India is the only country whose airports have reasonable prices for food.
72. Accordions will drown out your headphones, no matter how loud you turn up your music. So will clarinets.
73. 50ml of astringent will last you exactly 80 days!
74. The Taj Mahal really is all it's cracked up to be.
75. Cows causing traffic jams in India is not a myth.
76. Paris has a miniature version of the Statue of Liberty.
77. People are entirely too generous to me.
78. NOFX didn't write Aux Champs-Elysees.
79. Buses in India have air conditioners, but no heaters.
80. Egyptians are crazy for blue eyes.
81. YVR is the nicest airport.
82. A seven hour bus ride is half the price of a three hour train ride.
83. I am incapable of travelling without a purse, and should never again attempt such a feat.
84. Outside of North America, I am taller than many men. In India, I am taller than most men.
85. It is possible to mispronounce "Sam."
86. Being in Greece while your parents are in Chile after a massive earthquake is the lonliest feeling in the world.
87. Woolly mammoth skeletons are just as cool as dinosaur skeletons. Possibly moreso.
88. The Pink Palace is not all it's cracked up to be.
89. Daylight savings time does not happen on the same day in every country.
90. Many of the oil paintings available in touristy areas are actually made in China.
91. Rhinos snort with displeasure when you wake them up.
92. Dining in restaurants for every meal sounds glamorous until you try it. Eating out loses its appeal when it's a necessity, not a luxury.
93. The best tasting meals are the ones put together out of €20 worth of groceries. Saving money is delicious.
94. Lonely Planet books are worth their weight in gold.
95. Paris is home to both the best and worst French fries on the planet.
96. I am incapable of not buying additional luggage to cart around my souvenirs.
97. People really are generally good, and really want to help you.
98. The more you travel, the more you realize you haven't seen even a shred of what there is to see.
99. The world is unbelievably amazing.
100. There really is no place like home.
2. I am worth 4,000,000 camels, 100 pashminas and a shop, or two blocks of the pyramids.
3. India is insane.
4. The Eiffel Tower really is all it's cracked up to be.
5. A good book means you never eat dinner alone.
6. Expect to pay as much for tea in Europe as you would for a sandwich in Canada.
7. The best samosas in the world are halfway between Varanasi and the Nepal border, on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere, and cost Rs 2 (approximately 5¢ CDN).
8. The Greek islands are best visited in the summer.
9. The Champs-Elysees is everything that's wrong with humanity.
10. Water purifcation tablets, drops and your own water bottle are completely unnecessary.
11. Going by the meter in a taxi in India means the driver will circle the city repeatedly to make more money.
12. It is fiscally irresponsible not to attend happy hour.
13. Canadians go travelling for a gap year, or take time off work. Americans study abroad for a semester.
14. Europe treats the Euro exactly like the dollar. $3.75 for a hot chocolate at home, €3.75 for a hot chocolate in Amsterdam.
15. France needs a lesson or two in silver quality and pricing from Egypt and India.
16. Dutch is the most hilariously ridiculous language, both on paper and when spoken.
17. Top Deck is a terrible tour company.
18. Gap Adventures is an awesome tour company.
19. India: just as stinky as you'd expect.
20. Never backpack without a sleeping bag.
21. The French love English accents.
22. Blonde hair equals celebrity status in India.
23. Athens' stray dogs are collectively cared for by everyone, and even get regular vet checkups.
24. 9/10 Americans don't deserve their reputation as rude, arrogant, ignorant travellers. But that 1/10, they couldn't deserve it more.
25. 9/10 Canadians do deserve our reputation as kind, grateful, polite travellers. The 1/10 should be exiled to America.
26. Missing your best friend's wedding sucks. It sucks really, really bad.
27. Greece is hoarding the world's supply of tall, dark and handsome.
28. Watching a cremation on the banks of the Ganges isn't creepy at all. In fact, it's beautiful.
29. The French call the Netherlands "Pays-Bas."
30. In the Cairo airport, smiling nicely means they'll let you board a plane with contraband.
31. When presented with a squatter toilet and a western toilet, the squatter will be less disgusting.
32. Every single dog, no matter its breed, colour, size or disposition, reminds me of Jack and how much I miss him.
33. It's not if you'll get sick, it's when, and for how long, and how badly.
34. Scarves make excellent packing material. That's how I justify purchasing more than a dozen.
35. In India, you can spend as much time haggling the price as the actual taxi ride takes.
36. The pyramids really are all they're cracked up to be.
37. Check your tickets. You may have already paid for a ferry ticket when you bought your bus ticket, and don't need to buy another.
38. It is easier to read Greek than to speak it.
39. If you're confused, and someone else also looks confused, they speak English.
40. Apparently "Je ne parle Francais" is code for "I speak French."
41. Losing your camera makes an expensive night out drastically more expensive.
42. Cameras are cheaper at home than abroad. By about $250.
43. The security at the Kathmandu airport is both the most stringent and the most lax on the planet.
44. In some countries, staring isn't considered rude. That doesn't make it any less creepy though.
45. No matter how little English someone speaks, they'll still know how to ask "Boyfriend? Husband?"
46. A leader can make or break a tour.
47. Elephants love love love oranges and bananas.
48. The French actually dress like their stereotype: navy and white stripes and berets abound.
49. Greeks don't understand lineups.
50. A load of laundry costs more than dinner in a nice restaurant.
51. The Mona Lisa is way smaller than you'd expect it to be.
52. Paris' free wifi doesn't work for non-locals.
53. A $300 netbook more than pays for itself in internet café savings.
54. That same netbook proves priceless when it houses a backup of all your photos and you've lost your camera.
55. The Acropolis really is all it's cracked up to be.
56. Haggling something down to one-sixth of its original price isn't unheard of.
57. Canada has the best tasting vegetables.
58. Athens has more history than they know what to do with. Case in point: H&M has a glass floor so you can see the ruins below.
59. The air pollution in New Delhi is equivalent to smoking 20 cigarettes a day.
60. Starbucks tastes exactly the same everywhere.
61. The Euromullet: not just for dudes anymore.
62. A $10 tube of mascara at home is €15 in France.
63. If North America is a year behind European fashion, 2011 will be the year of the really ugly jean.
64. Flea markets at home: great deals abound. Flea markets in Paris: €575 for two chairs, €190 for a non-precious metal necklace, €80 for an ad from an old magazine.
65. The Red Light District in Amsterdam isn't as seedy, dirty, disgusting, dangerous or immoral as some say. In fact, it's none of those things. It's just business.
66. In the Catacombes, being nice to the security guard means he'll take pictures of you with flash.
67. Ferries in Greece are on time about a third of the time.
68. Bollywood films are fantastic.
69. Getting sprayed by an elephant's trunk is the coolest waterfight ever.
70. Six days worth of clean clothes can easily last you two weeks.
71. India is the only country whose airports have reasonable prices for food.
72. Accordions will drown out your headphones, no matter how loud you turn up your music. So will clarinets.
73. 50ml of astringent will last you exactly 80 days!
74. The Taj Mahal really is all it's cracked up to be.
75. Cows causing traffic jams in India is not a myth.
76. Paris has a miniature version of the Statue of Liberty.
77. People are entirely too generous to me.
78. NOFX didn't write Aux Champs-Elysees.
79. Buses in India have air conditioners, but no heaters.
80. Egyptians are crazy for blue eyes.
81. YVR is the nicest airport.
82. A seven hour bus ride is half the price of a three hour train ride.
83. I am incapable of travelling without a purse, and should never again attempt such a feat.
84. Outside of North America, I am taller than many men. In India, I am taller than most men.
85. It is possible to mispronounce "Sam."
86. Being in Greece while your parents are in Chile after a massive earthquake is the lonliest feeling in the world.
87. Woolly mammoth skeletons are just as cool as dinosaur skeletons. Possibly moreso.
88. The Pink Palace is not all it's cracked up to be.
89. Daylight savings time does not happen on the same day in every country.
90. Many of the oil paintings available in touristy areas are actually made in China.
91. Rhinos snort with displeasure when you wake them up.
92. Dining in restaurants for every meal sounds glamorous until you try it. Eating out loses its appeal when it's a necessity, not a luxury.
93. The best tasting meals are the ones put together out of €20 worth of groceries. Saving money is delicious.
94. Lonely Planet books are worth their weight in gold.
95. Paris is home to both the best and worst French fries on the planet.
96. I am incapable of not buying additional luggage to cart around my souvenirs.
97. People really are generally good, and really want to help you.
98. The more you travel, the more you realize you haven't seen even a shred of what there is to see.
99. The world is unbelievably amazing.
100. There really is no place like home.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
What to pack!
What you should pack on a trip if you are exactly like me. I’ve been keeping track of what’s been useful and what’s been useless so that when I venture off again I’m better prepared, but I figured I may as well post this so that others can possibly learn from my mistakes and wins.
Or I’m bored with talking about my day-to-day adventures and I’m opting to post this instead.
All of this advice is given on the basis that the trip will:
-be longer than two weeks
-involve varying methods of transportation, like ferries and trains
-involve stays at multiple places, with varying levels of accommodation (hostels, hotels, B&Bs, etc)
-not be somewhere tropical. Packing for somewhere tropical is basically “Fill suitcase with bikinis. Board plane.”
Packing tips:
This one was courtesy of Ella, and it’s been great. Pack your clothes in ziplock freezer bags, and sit on them to squish all the air out. It keeps everything small and separate, and makes packing super easy.
Extend that to everything else you can. Makeup cases are too bulky, so leave the case at home and use just a freezer bag. Use another for all the little things that will clutter up your pack (first aid kit, wet wipes, hand sani, etc).
Things that you won’t think you’ll need that you’ll be eternally grateful to have when you need them:
Sleeping bag.
I bought mine in Nepal thinking that I’d have to use it for two nights on a felucca sailboat in Egypt. Turns out I had confused the trip I opted against with the one I opted for and didn't officially need it, but this mistake turned out to be great. I’ve used it multiple times and I’d never take a similar trip without one now. But I’d be smart and buy one at home that’s much better quality (and much smaller in size) than the North Face knockoff I picked up in Kathmandu.
And sleeping bags protect you from cockroaches.
Slippers/warm cozy socks.
Hotel floors are often cold. Freezing cold. Freeeeeeezing cold.
Jewelry.
People recommend not wearing any jewelry when you travel. DON’T HEED THIS ADVICE. If you regularly wear jewelry at home, you will feel naked on your trip. Feeling naked is weird, and it also causes little miniature panic attacks of "omg where's my ring I don't know where my ring is why is my finger naked oh god oh god... oh right it's in Canada PHEW"
Obviously if you’re normally dripping with diamonds you’ll look like an asshole if you’re wandering the slums of India, but if you regularly wear a necklace, earrings and a ring, bring those items, or at least travel-appropriate versions.
I didn’t bring any of the jewelry I normally wear, save for two rings, for fear of pickpocketers ripping it off me. (Someone told me that in India, people will rip necklaces right off you. While I’m sure this has happened to someone at some point in time, I saw nothing that even hinted at this happening regularly enough to warrant not wearing a necklace.)
I’m using my jewelry-nakedness as an excuse for why I’ve bought so much silver on this trip.
Clothes that you normally wear.
This may seem obvious to some/all/everyone but me, but as soon as you start to shop for the trip you’re drawn to polyester quick-dry everything, which is foolish.
You’ll feel like a scrub. And if TLC taught me anything, it’s that no, we don’t want no scrubs. Scrubs get no love.
If you’re going into the jungle and actually need quick-dry stuff, then fine. But if you’re mostly just going city to city, in mostly dry environments, you’ll want all your regular clothes. You’ll be washing them at laundromats anyway, so you needn’t worry about their quickdryness, as it’s a moot point.
Clothes that you normally wear should also include one dressy outfit. I didn't bring anything suitable for a nice night out, and I regret it. Even if it's just a pretty tank and cute flats, do it.
Cutlery.
I made the stupid decision to toss my spork in the package I mailed home from Athens, thinking I wouldn’t need it. Bad idea, especially since it was so tiny and weighs nearly nothing. I still have my Swiss Army knife, so I can do fun things like cut fruits and veggies, but it’s no good for eating yogurt.
So now I’m on a mission to steal a spoon and fork at the next opportunity. International fugitive status, here I come!
Swiss Army knife.
You may not need it often, but when you do, it’s a lifesaver. Get one with scissors and a serrated blade and a sunglass screw screwdriver, and remember to put it back in your checked luggage when trying to board a plane. Oops.
A computer.
My netbook is the best $300 I spent in prep for this trip. If I were going somewhere for only a couple of weeks, I wouldn’t have bothered. But on a long trip where free wifi is readily available, it’s probably half paid for itself in money I would have spent at internet cafes and in the convenience. Plus, it’s little enough that it fits in my purse. Or rather, my purse is huge enough that it can house a netbook. Look at that however you want.
[Post-trip update: it's more than paid for itself in internet cafe savings, and was a lifesaver when I lost my camera as I didn't lose any pictures]
Speaking of purses...
A purse.
I got the bright idea that I could travel without one. I can't, and as a result I bought three on my trip. As practical as a daypack is, sometimes you won't want to look like a tourist (and a backpack looks ridiculous at dinner). Get a big one with lots of internal pockets, and make sure the whole shebang zips up to keep it pickpocket proof.
Lots of extra ziplock bags, in big and little sizes.
If you’re heeding my packing tip, you’ll wear out the bags and need new ones when they get holes.
Ziplock bags are also supremely useful when stealing food from the breakfast buffet. Trust me, you will do it. You are not better than a squished croissant and warm cheese for lunch.
Divacup.
If you are pre-menopausal and have a vagina, you need to go buy this right now. You're welcome.
Other stuff:
-a spare travel lock in case one goes missing (which they can and will)
-a microfiber travel towel (try brand Adventure Towl)
-diarrhoea meds like Immodium (you will get sick and need this)
-yeast infection meds (haven't needed this, and knock on wood I won't, but I'm grateful to have it just in case)
-any other meds you might occasionally need at home (e.g. sinus congestion meds)
-a compass
Other travel tips:
Budget money to mail stuff home.
You will buy stuff. Even if you don’t buy much, you’ll hate packing it around. Two more pounds of stuff doesn’t sound like much until you’re wearing it on your back for an hour hunting for a hotel at night.
A five kilo package from Mumbai to home cost about $70 to ship. It was more (60 Euros I think) to mail a 7kg package from Athens to home. So, not cheap. But worth every penny when you’re suddenly not carrying an extra ten pounds around.
Keep in mind that you’ll sometimes carry around all your luggage plus another four or five pounds (or more) of stuff. You’ll buy stuff along the way, you’ll sometimes have groceries, and you’ll almost always have a litre-plus bottle of water to tote around.
Things that MEC/similar stores sell that look like great ideas but are actually pretty pointless on a typical backpacking journey:
Dry bag.
If you want to carry around a half pound roll of vinyl that isn't even completely waterproof if it gets submerged, hey, be my guest. I saw no use for it.
Freshette / similar "outdoor plumbing" for women.
While great in theory, putting it into practice proved pathetic. I may try it again for camping/snowshoeing, but it wasn't the lifesaver I expected it to be.
Hangin out the passenger side, of his best friend’s ride…
Or I’m bored with talking about my day-to-day adventures and I’m opting to post this instead.
All of this advice is given on the basis that the trip will:
-be longer than two weeks
-involve varying methods of transportation, like ferries and trains
-involve stays at multiple places, with varying levels of accommodation (hostels, hotels, B&Bs, etc)
-not be somewhere tropical. Packing for somewhere tropical is basically “Fill suitcase with bikinis. Board plane.”
Packing tips:
This one was courtesy of Ella, and it’s been great. Pack your clothes in ziplock freezer bags, and sit on them to squish all the air out. It keeps everything small and separate, and makes packing super easy.
Extend that to everything else you can. Makeup cases are too bulky, so leave the case at home and use just a freezer bag. Use another for all the little things that will clutter up your pack (first aid kit, wet wipes, hand sani, etc).
Things that you won’t think you’ll need that you’ll be eternally grateful to have when you need them:
Sleeping bag.
I bought mine in Nepal thinking that I’d have to use it for two nights on a felucca sailboat in Egypt. Turns out I had confused the trip I opted against with the one I opted for and didn't officially need it, but this mistake turned out to be great. I’ve used it multiple times and I’d never take a similar trip without one now. But I’d be smart and buy one at home that’s much better quality (and much smaller in size) than the North Face knockoff I picked up in Kathmandu.
And sleeping bags protect you from cockroaches.
Slippers/warm cozy socks.
Hotel floors are often cold. Freezing cold. Freeeeeeezing cold.
Jewelry.
People recommend not wearing any jewelry when you travel. DON’T HEED THIS ADVICE. If you regularly wear jewelry at home, you will feel naked on your trip. Feeling naked is weird, and it also causes little miniature panic attacks of "omg where's my ring I don't know where my ring is why is my finger naked oh god oh god... oh right it's in Canada PHEW"
Obviously if you’re normally dripping with diamonds you’ll look like an asshole if you’re wandering the slums of India, but if you regularly wear a necklace, earrings and a ring, bring those items, or at least travel-appropriate versions.
I didn’t bring any of the jewelry I normally wear, save for two rings, for fear of pickpocketers ripping it off me. (Someone told me that in India, people will rip necklaces right off you. While I’m sure this has happened to someone at some point in time, I saw nothing that even hinted at this happening regularly enough to warrant not wearing a necklace.)
I’m using my jewelry-nakedness as an excuse for why I’ve bought so much silver on this trip.
Clothes that you normally wear.
This may seem obvious to some/all/everyone but me, but as soon as you start to shop for the trip you’re drawn to polyester quick-dry everything, which is foolish.
You’ll feel like a scrub. And if TLC taught me anything, it’s that no, we don’t want no scrubs. Scrubs get no love.
If you’re going into the jungle and actually need quick-dry stuff, then fine. But if you’re mostly just going city to city, in mostly dry environments, you’ll want all your regular clothes. You’ll be washing them at laundromats anyway, so you needn’t worry about their quickdryness, as it’s a moot point.
Clothes that you normally wear should also include one dressy outfit. I didn't bring anything suitable for a nice night out, and I regret it. Even if it's just a pretty tank and cute flats, do it.
Cutlery.
I made the stupid decision to toss my spork in the package I mailed home from Athens, thinking I wouldn’t need it. Bad idea, especially since it was so tiny and weighs nearly nothing. I still have my Swiss Army knife, so I can do fun things like cut fruits and veggies, but it’s no good for eating yogurt.
So now I’m on a mission to steal a spoon and fork at the next opportunity. International fugitive status, here I come!
Swiss Army knife.
You may not need it often, but when you do, it’s a lifesaver. Get one with scissors and a serrated blade and a sunglass screw screwdriver, and remember to put it back in your checked luggage when trying to board a plane. Oops.
A computer.
My netbook is the best $300 I spent in prep for this trip. If I were going somewhere for only a couple of weeks, I wouldn’t have bothered. But on a long trip where free wifi is readily available, it’s probably half paid for itself in money I would have spent at internet cafes and in the convenience. Plus, it’s little enough that it fits in my purse. Or rather, my purse is huge enough that it can house a netbook. Look at that however you want.
[Post-trip update: it's more than paid for itself in internet cafe savings, and was a lifesaver when I lost my camera as I didn't lose any pictures]
Speaking of purses...
A purse.
I got the bright idea that I could travel without one. I can't, and as a result I bought three on my trip. As practical as a daypack is, sometimes you won't want to look like a tourist (and a backpack looks ridiculous at dinner). Get a big one with lots of internal pockets, and make sure the whole shebang zips up to keep it pickpocket proof.
Lots of extra ziplock bags, in big and little sizes.
If you’re heeding my packing tip, you’ll wear out the bags and need new ones when they get holes.
Ziplock bags are also supremely useful when stealing food from the breakfast buffet. Trust me, you will do it. You are not better than a squished croissant and warm cheese for lunch.
Divacup.
If you are pre-menopausal and have a vagina, you need to go buy this right now. You're welcome.
Other stuff:
-a spare travel lock in case one goes missing (which they can and will)
-a microfiber travel towel (try brand Adventure Towl)
-diarrhoea meds like Immodium (you will get sick and need this)
-yeast infection meds (haven't needed this, and knock on wood I won't, but I'm grateful to have it just in case)
-any other meds you might occasionally need at home (e.g. sinus congestion meds)
-a compass
Other travel tips:
Budget money to mail stuff home.
You will buy stuff. Even if you don’t buy much, you’ll hate packing it around. Two more pounds of stuff doesn’t sound like much until you’re wearing it on your back for an hour hunting for a hotel at night.
A five kilo package from Mumbai to home cost about $70 to ship. It was more (60 Euros I think) to mail a 7kg package from Athens to home. So, not cheap. But worth every penny when you’re suddenly not carrying an extra ten pounds around.
Keep in mind that you’ll sometimes carry around all your luggage plus another four or five pounds (or more) of stuff. You’ll buy stuff along the way, you’ll sometimes have groceries, and you’ll almost always have a litre-plus bottle of water to tote around.
Things that MEC/similar stores sell that look like great ideas but are actually pretty pointless on a typical backpacking journey:
Dry bag.
If you want to carry around a half pound roll of vinyl that isn't even completely waterproof if it gets submerged, hey, be my guest. I saw no use for it.
Freshette / similar "outdoor plumbing" for women.
While great in theory, putting it into practice proved pathetic. I may try it again for camping/snowshoeing, but it wasn't the lifesaver I expected it to be.
Hangin out the passenger side, of his best friend’s ride…
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