destination: anywhere

Sex on Wheels

I am not very girly, but I do have a soft spot for designer fashion. Unfortunately, my ghetto bootie doesn’t fit into most of those clothes.  But no bother – I much prefer bags. This one from Alexander McQueen is dee-vine.

I think I’m in love.

Carryon Items

Some handy items that I used a lot on my trip:

Corn bottle: This plastic bottle has a built-in filter, so you can fill it with ordinary tap water and still have filtered water. It saved me from having to buy several bottles of water every day.

Flip-flops: Essential when using communal showers.

Air-compression packing bags: I bought mine at the Rick Steves Travel Store, but you could use any air compression bags. You place your clothes in it, then roll out the extra air to make more room for packing supplies.

Extra camera batteries: I use a Canon Digital Elph SD600, and found a package of two extra lithium ion batteries with a charger that can be used in North American or European voltage. I used up all three during the two weeks.

Overland Equipment “Donner” bag: This is the ultimate travel hangbag. It has two side pockets to hold water bottles, and the front folds down to reveal lots of pockets for camera, pens, etc., and a zipper pouch. I carried a red one, and have used it also on my day trips into Washington, DC. I never felt like it was vulnerable to pickpockets.

TSA-approved combination lock: When you’re sharing sleeping quarters with strangers, you need to be careful with your stuff. Also good for locking up your stuff at the gym.

Kensington international adapter: It has plug-ins for all the different countries in one compact package. It came recommended by Berit at Trusty Pony.

Streetwise maps: These are laminated and fold easily. I had them for London, Paris and Amsterdam. I used the hell out of the London and Amsterdam ones; the Paris map was confusing and cut off part of the city. If you buy a Paris Visite pass for the Metro before you go, they send you a map that’s very good and easy to read.

Toronto!

In 30 hours, I’ll be Canada-bound with my good friend Lori, off to celebrate my 30th birthday with Bjork (oh, the times we’ll have, Bjork and me). I dropped off my dog at the kennel to stay until Monday and get a bath, I’ve packed everything but last-minute essentials — toothbrush, comb, mascara — and my roommate will look after the cats and their neverending need for more food now.

Since I never took a real vacation this summer (because unlike most of Europe, I can’t take off from work for the whole month of August), I’m chomping at the bit to get away and have some leisure time. This trip will also be my Europe “dry-run”, where I test out how much I can pack in my one carry-on and how much I can tolerate sharing a bathroom with strangers.

A couple of birthday shout-outs: to my sister Sarah (Sept. 9), my friend Wassa, my birthday twin (Sept. 8 ), and to fellow blogger Jenn, who’s celebrating her 30th today in Nevis. This weekend, I’ll drink a few (too many) cocktails in celebration for you all!

Hello, Lover

Isn’t she gorgeous? This is my new Canon Digital Elph SD600 — it’s super tiny and super awesome. Before this, I was shooting with a Nikon Coolpix 5MP, and half the time the photos were awful. Pictures were always blurry or overexposed or grainy; I was Photoshop-ing all the time. So far, the Elph has been a dream. I can fit it in my jean’s pocket without looking like a she-male, and even quick snaps on the fly come out clear and crisp. Now all I need are a couple of 1GB memory cards, and I’ll be ready to take a million or so travel pics.

Packing Light

Most travelers will agree that airport security, while a necessity, can make one go mental just trying to remember what is and is not allowed on planes on any given day. One way to sidestep the headache is to ship your luggage ahead of time. These luggage services will send your baggage ahead of you, making sure it arrives at the right destination when you do. I’m interested to see if this part of the shipping industry grows as people grow weary of the hassle of increased baggage restrictions.

Back vs. Roll

Let me be clear on one thing: I am not a backpacking hippie. While a backpack may be the easiest way to roam around Europe for a week, for me, it has an unpleasant association with patchouli and Birkenstocks that makes me want to avoid it.

But this little rolling backpack from Eddie Bauer gives me pause. It’s 21″, so conceivably it’s big enough for a week-long trip (if I wear clothes more than once), but it gives you the option to wear it as a backpack or roll it along like a regular suitcase. At $80 it’s not a bad price, and it’s small enough that I won’t look like I’m trying to hike the Appalachian Trail.

This one goes in the “maybe” pile. One luxury of planning a trip a year ahead is that I get to mull over packing possibilities, aka shop.