Itchy Toes - a Travel blog

Sitting frozen in front of the computer, my palms were getting sweaty. My pinkie finger was immobilized, unwilling to stretch out over the comma key to hit enter. To go, or not to go. I went through the motions, checked the schedules, found the cheapest flight, planned an itinerary, staked the options. It was now do or die.

With a muffled scream that sounded more like a cat being smothered, I pressed enter. Lo and behold, that weekend, I was off to Thailand. I had several options, and was more excited at the fact that I was traveling alone than anything else. Though I would have enjoyed company, there was an allure traveling alone held. The freedom to slack off, to just aimlessly wander, to sit down on the sidewalk and watch people. To have nothing to lose, and strike up a conversation with the person on the street, or next to you. To have no one else to blame but yourself when you get lost. I knew I was meeting up with my sister for a couple of days when I got to Bangkok, and I had been planning on meeting up with some friends when I got there. But for now I had plans. It didn’t matter that I may not see all the great tourist spots. I wanted to sit and watch people. I wanted to take public transportation. I wanted to walk and walk and walk. I wanted to converse with cab drivers (if language permitted). I wanted to haunt the bazaars. I wanted to take the train. I wanted to visit the local universities. I wanted to eat street food. I wanted to hear stories.

Little did I know that each leg of my trip would hold a story. I would get to do whatever I wanted to do. I would get to visit the places I wanted to go to. But months after I arrive back home, it would still be the people I met that I would remember most vividly.

The key to any great trip is good packing. Depending on your destination and the activities you look forward to doing on your trip, you have to pack the right clothes and the right amount of it and, of course, the right pair of shoes. When you’ve got what-to-bring sorted out, packing becomes of primary importance.

I have always referred to the opening scene of The Accidental Tourist (sorry, never read the book, so I refer to the movie), when i pack. Remembering the very instructive voice of William Hurt:

“The…traveler should bring only what fits in a carryon bag. Checking your luggage is asking for trouble. Add several travel-size packets of detergent so you won’t fall into the hands of unfamiliar laundries…Always bring a book as protection against strangers. Magazines don’t last and newspapers from elsewhere remind you you don’t belong…And most importantly, never take along anything on your journey so valuable or dear that its loss would devastate you.”

I have found this advice timeless and practical. I have learned a couple of tricks from my long history of traveling (thanks to my backpacking days) and I always found them to be the best way not to go insane on a trip.

Here’s what I do:

1. First, what to bring. The key is bringing a few key pieces like clothing, shoes, toiletries, and something you can’t live without. Depending on the kind of trip you’re taking and your destination, you should determine what these key items are. Eventually, these items will be the staple of your travel experience.

2. I put all my travel stuff in separate ziplock (freezer) bags.

3. I sit on these bags for vacuum-packing, except when they contain shoes and underwear bra. In the case of the latter, I just squeeze the bag gently to let the air out and seal it.

4. I then put them in a huge garbage then into my travel bag (could be a suitcase or a backpack). You never know when your bag gets caught in a heavy downpour and gets accidentally dropped into a puddle or a river. Of course you don’t put anything liquid (shampoo, lotion, etc.) inside this bag because it will defeat its purpose, which is to prevent your stuff from getting wet.

4. Of course, your first line of defense for your things is a good and reliable bag. I invest in a good heavy-duty travel bag because I never want my things damaged or strewn all over the place.

It’s difficult to get packing right on your first few trips. Some people actually need days, even a week (or more?) to pack for an overnight trip. But once you get the hang of it, you will be able to focus on your trip and not what’s in your bag.