Travel Essentials

Today, I drove to Buffalo, NY for the day to run some errands- refill medicines, mail a package, shop at Target :) The 90 minute drive each way gave me plenty of time to think. As I was roaming the aisles of Target, I started to pick up things I knew would be essential to our stay here and abroad, and it got me thinking....what do I classify as a travel essential?

Whether you are headed out of state or out of the country, here is a list of items I think are important or have found to be useful in our travels:

• Neosporin- I read an article before we moved naming Neosporin as the single most important travel item to have. I found this particularly odd until I read the reasoning. It is an antibotic ointment that can cure almost anything- burns, bites, rashes, scrapes, large gashes, the list goes on. Since medical facilities are different in every location, being able to treat things from minor weird bug bites to slicing your finger while cooking, is crucial! Neosporin can keep you relatively safe, infection free & healthy.

• Skype- Can NOT live without this amazing program. We can video chat with all of our friends and family back home or we can make phone calls from our computer for very cheap rates- cheaper than cell phone plans anywhere. We not only used Skype on our travels- as well as since we've moved here- but we also used it every week when we were in the States to talk with Dan's parents! Weekly Skype dates to check in are always a great taste of home and family! 

• A Blanket and/or Pillow- I am someone who needs the familiar around when I am away from home. My pillow is a personal thing that comforts me and makes any bed feel better. Sometimes there is not a feasible way to take your personal pillow on a trip with you. Planes make it difficult unless you pack it or lug it around all of the airports getting your pillow case dirty :( For a quick fix to the pillow issue, and a better item for a myriad of situations, I suggest a blanket. When I graduated from high school, a family friend gave me a fleece like blanket with my initials on it. It has become my bit-of-home. It has been on every trip with me since the day I left for college. It's not like a baby blanket- a security thing I can't sleep without. It is more the cure-all. I have used this blanket as a pillow for 10 days in Greece, a bed on a wood floor in Chicago, and now in Toronto it is my comforter during the summer (the one here is too heavy for the heat). I literally don't know what I would have done in a lot of situations if we hadn't had this blanket as an option. It also helps that it is familiar and reminds me of my home(s).

• A Family Picture- very rarely will you find me without a picture of my family, Dan, or Finnegan. Since we are living in a furnished apartment here there was nothing of ours to make it feel like 'our home.' When we moved, I decided to pack a few framed pictures to set around the house so we could have a personal touch so far from home. Even if I am traveling, I will keep a photo or pictures on my phone to remind me of the people I love. Again, another warm & fuzzy for comfort. 

• Tennis Shoes- not a lot of explanation necessary. I think sneakers or running shoes can fix anything. You can tour, walk the city, run/workout some emotions all in these shoes. You never know when the moment will call for it, but it's best to have your tennies on hand. 

I am sure these items are nothing new- except for maybe the Neosporin- that you didn't already use or think of. This list could be pages long after my experience here, but as traveling becomes more frequent for us and the rules get stricter, essentials are really the only thing that makes the suitcase anymore. In each country, you will probably run out of a product or item you love and not be able to find the exact thing on the shelves, so my last essential is patience. Adapting is half the fun. (I am clearly not so great at it yet. I drove to Buffalo, NY to go to a Target! It's the little things sometimes!)

Hopefully this list will come in handy for you on one of your travels- maybe even when you come visit us! Everything around you may be different when you leave the States, but it's best if you keep a little bit of the familiar around :)

This post was clearly a product of my little trip today, but more so for days like today when I miss a lot about the States and my family that I remember I have those "home" items here for comfort.