Centara Ras Fushi Maldives Pool

As the end of my temporary life on the road grows close — I think I have about two months left if that — I’ve been thinking a lot of deep thoughts. Very deep thoughts. Have I learned anything? Do I do anything differently? Should I do anything differently? And why, when I have so many amazing places I could write about (Chengdu! Xi’an!!), do I just want to write about what’s been going on in my head? It’s always the type of blog post I’ve preferred writing so…here you go…some stuff I’ve been thinking about these last few months…

(Read more about why I left London in September here.)

Always Wear a Bathing Cap If…

Let’s start with the mundane but important. IF you color your hair and go swimming in a swimming pool, you are really really dumb because now you’ll have to color your hair again. Chlorine undoes hair dye. I did not realize this until this year. I know. I’m dumb. Getting my hair colored in Shanghai, Hong Kong, and Chiang Mai was actually pretty fun, but I think I will get one of these for future swims.

Scene of the Crime: The Train from Suzhou to Yichang

Buy a Bike Lock for Train Trips

If you travel on long-distance trains in China (or anywhere really), lock your bag to the overhead rack. Or else someone is going to grab your bag and rustle through it. Like what happened on my train to Suzhou to Yichang when I stopped a robbery. Seriously. (Experts recommend a bike lock like this one.)

Keep Your Personal Belongings Close

Related to the above but totally different…Don’t ever put your backpack with your laptop and valuable shit in the back of a taxi. I’ve had more than one situation where for oddly strange reasons that still are unclear to me, my taxi to or from an airport has had to pull over for seemingly arbitrary checks where the entire world turns out to investigate the trunk of the car. Worse still, there have been so many times where my drivers have decided to get gas while I’m in the car and this always seems to involve some sort of opening of the trunk. Keep your good stuff with you. Not in the trunk.

Distracted Driving is Everywhere

If you are hiring a driver or guide for the day, you might want to make a point of asking the travel agency for a few things upfront and being very very clear about them: you don’t want anyone one who is very tired and no one who is going to check their phone constantly while they drive. My closest brushes with death have all occurred in the last eight months, as drivers have nodded off and/or been distracted by their phones. (Just happened AGAIN in Belgrade on Monday. For the love of god. I practically had to hit the guy.) Would you report something like this? Especially in a low income country where it could cost someone their job?? This is the thing I wrestle with.

Instant Noodles FTW

Instant noodles are amazing. The world needs more instant noodles. I’ve made so many meals out of instant noodles these last few months. They are perfect solo dinner food. Buy some fresh broccoli and cut it up and instant noodles are even better. Instant noodles are cheap and delicious. High in sodium yes but delicious. And so many varieties! They are my new favorite breakfast.

Plastic on the Beach in Koh Lanta

There is Too Much Plastic in the World

Everywhere guys. Everywhere. There’s so much plastic. I can’t even put this into words. In Koh Lanta Thailand, where I started my trip back in September, I would take walks on the beach every morning — when it wasn’t pouring rain (don’t visit Thailand during monsoon season) — and I was devastated by the amount of plastic that appeared on the beach each morning. (Despite the numerous resources devoted to cleaning up the mess daily.) Oceans everywhere are full of plastic. Beaches everywhere are full of plastic. We need to get rid of plastic. Struggling with where to start? First step: Get rid of your shower gels. Switch back to old school soap that comes in a paper wrapper. And definitely stop drinking bottled water and buy a Lifestraw instead.

F*ck ATM Fees

The global banking system is messed up. I know I’m stupid for not having a US Schwab checking account with no international ATM fees but hey changing banks has high switching costs. (This is how they get you!) I don’t even want to know how much I’ve paid in ATM fees over the last eight months. Too much. ATM fees are stupid. I KNOW it doesn’t cost $10 for me to get money out of my US bank account from the airport in Macau. Is there a petition I can sign here about ATM fees? Can I become an anti-ATM fee influencer? Help a gal out.

The Only Way to Get Instagram Followers is To Buy Them

Speaking of influencers…I’ve hashtagged the shit out of all my Instagram photos over the last eight months — 30 hashtags on most pics which is the max — with very meager results. (Give us a follow love will ya?) This says a few things to me: 1. My photos are shit. (Not denying that.) 2. No one is following anyone on Instagram via hashtags these days 3. The people that have many many followers on Instagram were either early adopters OR have purchased Instagram followers. (Maybe both.) Real authentic growth is not easy. Unless you become famous (rare) or post a gazillion times a day (who has this much time unless you hire a virtual assistant) or play follow/unfollow (again who has this much time) or join one of those crazy Facebook groups where you all agree to comment on each other’s photos which to me is just like…stupid.

Everyone Loves Bieber

Despacito is still everywhere. I have heard Despacito within 24 hours of arriving in every country I’ve been to in the last eight months. I still sing it. I think it’s a good song. (Dude the video has over 6 BILLION views on Youtube! And it’s not even the version with Bieber.)

Da Nang Beach, known as China Beach to Americans during the Vietnam War

We are So So Doomed to Repeat Everything

We all need to know our history better. In Da Nang, Vietnam, the kind young man waiting on me was university educated but knew nothing about the French occupation of Vietnam. (“I only know about the American war,” he said, as we were discussing Bahn Mi. And just in case any Americans are perplexed by that statement — he means the Vietnam war, not the US Civil War.) In Taiwan, while I was enjoying my beef noodle breakfast, an older woman approached my breakfast table and demanded — demanded — my answer: “Do you think Taiwan should be a part of China?” I really just wanted to eat my beef noodles but I listened because I was woefully uninformed about Taiwan’s past. (The BBC has a good brief but imperfect explanation. ) In Belgrade, I tried to unsuccessfully explain to my bartender why the U.S. Confederate flag was not something to be proud of and he should get rid of it. (“But musicians use it,” he kept arguing.) During this same trip, one Belgrade tour guide told me very clearly and specifically, “Kosovo is Serbian.” She reminded me so much of the Albanians who had told me with the same certainty just last year, “Kosovo is Albanian.”

My breakfast fruit plate in Unawatuna, Sri Lanka

Eat All the Fruit

Enough about politics. Let’s talk about food. In my opinion, we — and I say this meaning Americans and Brits — don’t appreciate fresh fruit enough. Some of my sweetest moments have been when someone has presented me with a plate of fresh cut fruit for breakfast or for a snack. Fresh oranges and fresh strawberries — there’s nothing better. Especially with a squirt of lime. Also, dates are underrated as are most dried fruits. Nuts are also underrated. Eat all the international nuts. (A sad moment, in Egypt. When we complimented the crunchy peanuts from Esna — a higher roast, apparently. “You know who used to have the best nuts?” our guide asked. “The Syrians. They really had a way with nuts.”)

Elephants are Amazing

I have such a newfound respect for the elephant. They are so smart! They have memories! They know stuff. I thought this recent news story was a perfect example of elephants knowing what is up.

F*ck the Patriarchy

Arrrggghhhh. Many parts of the world are run completely by men. Except in Vietnam and China — they feel refreshingly equal — and perhaps Thailand although I have so many questions about sex workers in Thailand. Bali? Mostly men except in spas.  The Maldives? All men. Sri Lanka? All men. Egypt? All men.  It kinda kills me that economies are reducing their capacity for a whole shitload of stuff by so much by keeping women in the home — today, in 2019. 2019! Make the pie bigger people!!! Get a bigger table! Get a bigger table with more chairs!!!

There are Racists Out There

I don’t want to even tell you these stories but you know when you’re on your own and have to talk to strangers a lot, 90% of strangers are totally cool but 10% of them are f*cking racists. You want to know why Brexit happened? Why Trump happened? Because there are racists out there. Travel is good because it forces us to talk to other people and understand how they see the world. And let me tell you — some people have a pretty messed up view of the world and/or think the world owes them an awful lot.

The World is Full of Disappointing Croissants

Trying to buffer the racist thing so let’s talk about…CROISSANTS! There are so so many disappointing breakfast buffet croissants everywhere in the world. Why???? Why??? Don’t even offer a croissant if you can’t do it properly. I can’t wait to go to Paris next week and have some real croissants.

Potable Water is a Gift

The ability to drink water straight from the tap is a gift. Appreciate it. Every day. It might not always be there. I am happy to write this from Belgrade where people look at you funny when you ask if you can drink the tap water. “Why of course you can,” they answer. Little do they know. When I explained to my Chinese teacher in Shanghai that I thought it was odd that the water in the world’s most populous country wasn’t potable, she looked at me like I was the crazy one. “No of course not. You should always boil it,” she said.

Tampon Display in Suzhou China

Tampons are Also a Gift

So many pads in the world, so few tampons. I would die if I had to wear pads all the time. In China, they actually put tampons on DISPLAY to help people understand what they are. In other countries — I’m looking at you Egypt — it’s nearly impossible to find tampons. Do you know what I was looking forward to about Serbia? I had a feeling I’d be able to easily buy o.b. tampons. (The best.) I was right and man have I stocked up. (o.b. are even hard to find in the UK. I used to import mine from Germany via Amazon.)

People are Beautiful

I mean, if there’s anything that will convince you of the existence of some sort of higher being, it’s the beauty of people all around the world. I love how both Vietnamese and Egyptian young men take the same care with their hair — closely shaved sides and all the gel at the top — from so many miles apart. In Laos one night at the bar before dinner, my server was so distractedly sexy that I actually announced to my friend Jen in full earshot of the man…”Um he’s so distractingly sexy.” In the Maldives, on a day trip to an all-inclusive resort, I met a group of young Malaysian girls away on a girls’ weekend — stunningly butterfly-like in their pastel colored floor length ensembles and hijabs during the day, returning to the boat in the evening like slick Bond girls in their full-length snorkel gear and head coverings. The Maldivan and Bangladeshi boat crews — themselves also distractingly sexy — were entranced.

The World is Also Full of Disappointing Pillows

When you go to bed tonight, ask yourself if you like your pillow. If you could be cozier. More comfortable. When was the last time you replaced your pillow? If it was more than two years ago, buy new pillows!!! I have been so dismayed by the quality of pillows I’ve encountered around the world. I think I’m going to start a new index — the #hotelpillowindex — and start rating hotel pillows and become a hotel pillow influencer. Because so many hotel pillows are so so disappointing. And part of me blames this on our own shitty pillows at home. So go buy yourself some new pillows. You deserve them. Your head deserves them. And they are not expensive. Like $25 each. Buy these if nothing else.

Conclusion

Not sure I can top ending on shitty croissants, tampons and pillows. But this is what I’ve been thinking about these last few months. What have you been thinking about?? Tell me.

The post 19 Lessons I’ve Learned from Traveling these Last Seven Months first appeared on Passport Delicious | Solo Travel Blog | Solo Female Travel.

Digital Nomad Tips: Find a Great Coworking Space like Livit in Sanur, Bali

Digital Nomad Tips & Advice from Other Nomads

I often joke that nobody likes advice. But I’m not really even joking. People hate advice. WHY though? Advice is helpful! Why try to figure something out on your own when lots of people have been there before you?? So before I set out on my new digital nomad lifestyle in September — if you missed it, I left London and am working from the road these next few months so I can save up for a down payment on an apartment — I asked other digital nomads for their advice. Here are some of the awesome digital nomad tips I received:

Choose Smaller Towns When You Consider Your Destination

Michelle C from Intentional Travelers shared this advice which I’ve been thinking about a lot as I’ve realized busy digital nomad hotspots like Canggu and Ubud in Bali aren’t really for me:

Since becoming digital nomads in 2014 and trying out various places to live and work abroad, we’ve learned an important lesson. Some of the big “digital nomad hubs” are not really our style. We’ve learned to be discerning when getting destination advice from our fellow nomads. Everyone has different tastes and different needs, so different places suit some travelers better than others. It’s important to think about your own values and personal preferences and weigh that against any recommendations you receive. We figured out what we like through trial and error.

We found that we tend to prefer staying in smaller towns with a well-preserved local culture. Many of the places we like have a decent sized expat retiree population because, like us, these folks often seek out places with an affordable cost of living that still has ample amenities (like wifi!).

Save Money as a Digital Nomad through House Sitting

Rob Tullis, his wife Tracey, and Son Makai from Expat Experiment are a Canadian family who have been traveling nomadically since April 2014. Their passion is sharing what they learn about the places they visit and the challenges and rewards of living an unconventional family life. Here’s are their digital nomad tips about house sitting:

The best way to save money while traveling the world as a digital nomad is saving on accommodation given that it is the largest ongoing expense.  Many digital nomads travel to ultra cheap locations in order to find the least expensive place to live. We have a different solution: house sitting!

Over the last 4 years we have saved tens of thousands of dollars by looking after other people’s homes and pets all over the world. We have visited Canada, the USA, Mexico, Belgium, France Spain, the UK and many more, never having to pay for accommodation. The last time we were in Europe we spent 5 months traveling through different countries and only paid for 5 nights’ accommodation. One of the biggest advantages of house sitting is that the home owner usually has great internet, so no more trying to find a co-working space or a cafe that has fast internet. This makes earning a living online much easier.Another benefit is you get to choose the amount of time you want to spend in a location.

If you want to slow travel, you can find longer house sits, if you want to see more, you can choose shorter ones. We have had sits that are as short as 2 weeks and as long as 6 months. House sitting is a great way to save money and see the world as a digital nomad!”

Live in Barcelona!

Ella Travels is French and has lived in many cities in many European countries. She enjoys responsible travel and writes about her travel experiences on her blog, Worldtravelable. She very highly recommends Barcelona for digital nomads. Here’s why:

1. Lifestyle: The weather was my number one reason to move to Barcelona. After living 6 years in rainy Ireland, Barcelona was such a great place to live! I discovered a very different lifestyle. The good weather allows you to spend a lot of time outside. The beach is easily accessible from the center. So if you want to get inspired while working, or simply take a break, just get your laptop and sit at one of the “chiringuito” available at the beach or one of the numerous terraces of the hotels with great views of the city.
2. Public transport: Barcelona has probably one of the most extensive public transport networks in Europe. You have everything you need to move around:sirport, train, metro, bus, tramway, Ferrocarril (local train). And it’s also very cheap. A T10 cost just about 10€ and allows you to do 10 single trips.The best thing is that you can use up to 3 different types of transportation within one single trip as they are all integrated.
3. Entrepreneurial spirit: The city encourages business minded people to meet, collaborate, learn, get informed. There is so much help offered and the best of all: It’s totally free!
4. International environment: There are people from all over the world living in Barcelona. The foreign community is getting bigger and it feels like a big family!
5. Health: If you eat the Mediterranean diet, do a lot of sport outdoor thanks to the great weather, you will see how healthier you will feel! And Spain has a very good health system in place. If you can’t have access to it, you can pay for a private insurance. It’s not expensive and easy to find

And don’t worry about what you hear on TV! The situation is quite under control with Catalonia. Just try Barcelona out a couple of days and you will quickly feel it’s actually the best city to live in, especially as a digital nomad!

Go with The Flow

Todd and Julie Bonner of www.TREKKN.co currently travel the United States and Canada full-time in their RV with three older kids, tracking down and enjoying every possible U.S. National Park. They wake up every day in awe of the fact that this is their life and with the intention to deeply enjoy whatever the journey brings. Here are their digital nomad tips which I’ve found particularly pertinent as I’ve tried to slow down:

When it comes to living the digital nomad lifestyle, you have to learn to go with the flow if you are going to have any chance of experiencing the type of life you set out to create.

Things rarely go exactly as planned on the road, so having a plan B for things like internet connection and a workspace are a must.

But more importantly, loosening your grip on your need for perfection, or for things to look just how you might prefer, is absolutely essential to both your sanity and your overall happiness.

Ironically, if there is one thing that will torpedo your efforts to live a fulfilling and adventurous life on your own terms, it is demanding from life that your own terms and expectations are always met.

Loosening your grip gives you the opportunity to experience something far better than what your own strong preferences or demands might have led you to.

The Importance of Networking

Jodie from A la Jode had super great digital nomad tips about networking and making sure you have a support network:

Networking is something most of us dread, and networking as a digital nomad comes with its own challenges. But whether you’re looking for business contacts, travel buddies or life-long friends, getting to know people when you’re in a new place (constantly) can be tricky. Luckily, the thing that gave you the freedom to live as a digital nomad can also help you meet other digital nomads, travellers and locals. Yes, I’m talking about the internet!

Finding ways to meet people in the local area – and then repeating the whole process all over again when I moved – was the only thing I hated about this lifestyle for the first few months. But then I realised the answer was in my hand all along: Facebook. Or more specifically, Facebook groups.

Now, before moving somewhere new I always type the name of my next destination + words like “digital nomads”, “expats” or even interests such as yoga/writing/business meetups into the search bar. It can take a few attempts, but I’m yet to travel somewhere without a Facebook community of real people waiting to hang out when I arrive. And even if you don’t meet up with any of the group members, they can always point you in the direction of events or classes where you will meet some new friends.

Try Lithuania!

Mary is a travel blogger from the Philippines who has been working online and travelling at the same time for a little over three years now. She’s been to 20 countries and is not planning to stop anytime soon. You can follow her blog A Mary Road here. She has suggested Lithuania as a digital nomad destination…here’s why:

Lithuania is the 4th place I’ve lived as a digital nomad, I have been nomading for 3+ years now. I’ve lived in the top digital nomad places like Thailand and Vietnam – which was both amazing, however, it was too hype and mainstream. If you are looking for a less popular place with not so hot weather, in Europe but not crazy expensive, Lithuania is the place.

• Cost per month: $500 – rent, bills, grocery
• Travel: cheap flights around Europe
• Cities that are digital nomad friendly: Vilnius, Kaunas, and Klaipeda (by the Baltic Sea)
• Internet speed: minimum of 20mbps in the apartment, 10mbps in cafes
• Coworking spaces: Yes
• Best time to go: May-September if you want to avoid the winter

The young locals speak amazing English, the foreigner/expat network is in medium size and very helpful, and they also organise a lot of activities and events. I even met digital nomads in the hostels in Vilnius. The cities of Lithuania are not full of tourists even in the peak season, it’s very walkable, and the traffic is almost non-existent. The local government, especially in Klaipeda, is working very hard to make the city freelancer and digital nomad friendly. I cannot rave enough how I love living here as a digital nomad. I’m leaving soon and it’s the first country I actually feel very sad to leave.

Staying Fit on The Road

Rebecca Carr believes we are all born to move!  After over 15 years teaching and researching gymnastics and natural movement and raising three “natural movers” of her own, she has a lot to say!  Rebecca created InnateMoves.com to teach and inspire you to find freedom in your body to move the way nature intended! Here are her tips for staying fit as a digital nomad:

As a digital nomad, planning your next adventure can make you feel strapped to your laptop! Avoiding being on your computer too long is key to keeping your fitness levels up, and getting to explore new places.Let go of the idea that you can only work while in front of your laptop. Utilize audio recorders on your phone for notes while you are traveling from place to place. Go for a walk or hike to explore your area while taking audio notes for work or listening to podcasts of your upcoming destinations or work-related material.

Plan your work, or computer, time. Knowing that you only have two more hours to finish up an article or to find your next week’s hotel will put the pressure on to get it done. When your work hours are over get up and move around. Just the act of getting up is motivating!

Time you do need to spend on your laptop need not be sedentary time. You can set up a movement-friendly work station in most hotel rooms. Simply put your computer on your bed or a coffee table. Sit down, squat, or stretch while you are working. Try changing positions often. You can also try putting your laptop on a higher table. This works better than the floor when you are at a coffee shop or restaurant! Just stand instead of sitting to work.

Make sure to wear comfortable movement-friendly clothing and try to take a yoga mat when traveling. This way you can stop and get in a few stretches, yoga poses, or push-ups wherever you are!

Buy a Laptop Stand

As I’ve been traveling around to all the different coworking offices in Southeast Asia, one thing that’s struck me is the number of people using laptop stands. I had never considered one of these before but now I totally get it. These stands pull your laptop up to eye height and help you avoid “tech neck.” Honestly, this is one of my best digital nomad tips for you…protect your neck!

Digital Nomad Tips Summary

Thanks everyone for all your great digital nomad tips to help me along my digital nomad journey. If anyone has any other tips, please let me know in the comments. 

You Might Also Enjoy

• Krista’s Tips for Becoming a Digital Nomad
• My Favorite Travel Sites
• Packing for Long-Term Travel

The post Digital Nomad Tips from Other Nomads first appeared on Passport Delicious | Solo Travel Blog | Solo Female Travel.

A late nomad lunch in Ubud, Bali

Krista’s Tips for Becoming a Digital Nomad

On September 7th, I put the remainder of my things in storage in North London, had a hasty late lunch at — surprise — St. John, and left London for life on the road. How long will I be gone? Most likely through March or so at which point DECISIONS MUST BE MADE. Or should be made. Or will hopefully be made. (You can read more about why I decided on becoming a digital nomad here.)

Maybe.

It’s been four months since I handed my keys to the alarmingly attractive flat inspector (WHY NOW GOD?) but it feels like four weeks. I’m constantly amazed at the end of every day how quickly time has evaporated. I feel so busy but yet as my (often) sorely neglected website asks…what have I been doing?

To be fair, I’ve been working. Working-working. I got bills to pay. The point in becoming a digital nomad is not to embark upon a life of leisure but rather to take advantage of lifestyle arbitrage and reduce my expenses by living in low cost-of-living countries. I am joining the ranks of the Financial Independence (hope to) Retire Early Movement. To give you some idea of what’s been going on…I worked on Christmas Eve. I worked on New Year’s Eve. I worked on New Year’s Day.

I am very rarely never not working.

The prospect of retirement looms large and my nest egg is hungry.

In some ways, these last four months have been everything I have ever wanted. I am surprised sometimes by how easy it all feels. I don’t miss London THAT much, which is what I feared the most. I don’t miss anything really, except for drinking water straight from the tap and the ability to throw toilet paper in the loo, directly. Ah, and the ease of purchasing tampons because if there’s just one small thing we women in Western countries should be thankful for, it’s tampons. (OK okay, I miss my friends and family too!!! Of course I do!!)

At the same time, I’ve made mistakes. Stupid ones. Some of you will laugh at my mistakes in that smug sort of way, not believing that I would be THAT unprepared or that uninformed or that…out of it.

These mistake-y experiences alone have become one of the main lessons of these last four months…

Given so many of our own stupidities, who are we to judge anyone, really?

If I have any one resolution for all of us in 2019 it’s that maybe we should all be…kinder. (Exception: Racists. No one should be kind to racists.)

I meant to write this blog post about becoming a digital nomad after one month on the road. But that wasn’t really enough time. So then it was going to be two months on the road. Then three months. But finally, now on the 4 month anniversary of my new life and becoming a digital nomad, here are my tips for surviving.

Always Have a Backup Connection. In Fact, Have Two Backup Connections. Or Three.

As a digital nomad, the internet is your friend and your enemy. Sometimes, I’ve been amazingly lucky, like in Thailand when my tiny 3 star hotel had a 60 Mbps connection that never wavered. Other times, I’ve been damned. Like I am right now in Ubud, during one of my busiest months, where my hotel internet slows to a crawl in the mornings and evenings when everyone is back at the property. (Thank goodness for Hubud.) So don’t rely on hotel wifi if you need to do intense internet related work or Skype calls. Attach yourself to a coworking office if at all possible. And get a local SIM card. And search out a cafe or restaurant close to your hotel with a decent wifi connection as another backup.

Trust me…there are never enough backup connections.

Get Vaccinated. For All The Things

In my rush to leave London, I just didn’t think about this. Stupid, stupid, stupid Krista. Let me tell you…when you are attacked by stray Balinese dogs, don’t ever google “Bali dogs rabies.” And guys, I am not kidding when I say the universe is always trying to tell us things because TODAY while I was on a conference call at my coworking office in Ubud, 30 monkeys started fighting with each other right in front of me and I was trying to be all businesslike and “I’m really going to have to call you back” when ALL I COULD THINK OF WAS RABIES.

So if you are thinking about becoming a digital nomad and working from countries like Thailand, Bali, Vietnam, etc, get vaccinated against all the things before you go.  Like rabies. Get vaccinated against rabies especially.

Mosquitoes are The Enemy

If your plan is to work from tropical locations…get ready. I have been bitten by more mosquitoes in the last four months than I probably ever have in my entire life. And this is with wearing Skin So Soft religiously PLUS mosquito repellent. So pack that “light, loose fitting clothing” that everyone talks about to protect yourself from mosquitoes and be prepared. In Koh Lanta, apparently nearly everyone at my coworking office Kohub in Koh Lanta, Thailand came down with Dengue in July.  Nobody “wants” to come down with Dengue.

Get a No Foreign Transaction Fee Debit Card

If you’re planning on becoming  a digital nomad and living a life on the road, you need to think about money and paying for things. I have both a US and a UK debit card and they both hit me with massive fees every time I take money out. It hurts. Especially in Vietnam where the max you can withdraw in a lot of places is about $90 USD. Get a NTF card and save yourself a few hundred bucks a year.

Hook up Apple Pay to Your No Foreign Transaction Fee Credit Card

This is my new answer to anything that costs over $20 USD so I don’t have to take out cash all the time on my debit card with foreign transaction fees. Now I ask “Do you take Apple Pay?” 50% of the time they will. (It’s the same as taking a credit card really but I feel so much cooler for asking.) They will usually charge 2% or 3% extra but it’s still usually cheaper than the ATM fees which can seriously be 10%.

Make Sure Your Parents Know How to Call You

I have kept my UK number but have cellular data turned off in most locations because of roaming fees. I thought my mother could handle calling me on Facebook. She doesn’t seem to know how to do this. My dad is not on Facebook but is on Skype so I thought we’d be fine there but he is “currently” (we’re going on four months now) locked out of Skype. My parents are old. I should have figured this out more. My brother and oldest cousin are the most tech savvy of the bunch but neither of them seems to want to talk to me. 🙁 I’ll probably get Google Fi BUT that’s still like $5 a day and so that’s a lot of money a year in roaming fees if I expect to be out of the US for 50% of each year. I am open to tips and suggestions here.

Understand that People Just Aren’t Going to Understand Your Life

Hey, I’m not just hanging around in my elephant pants getting massages all day long and being all “Eat Pray Love.”  I AM Donna Summer!!!! All day every day.

I told myself I would go to yoga during this sojourn and I have yet to do any yoga. At all. People keep asking me “Oh, how was Koh Lanta in Thailand???” And I CAN’T TELL YOU BECAUSE ALL I DID WAS WORK 12 HOURS A DAY EVERY DAY. I honestly never saw anything on Koh Lanta besides for my hotel and the wonderful KoHub coworking office. (They need better chairs but the food and staff are ace.) OK, one day I went for a massage on Koh Lanta. It wasn’t very good. And the island’s electricity went out while I was getting my massage. Which was stressful. I mean come on!!!

Guys I don’t even have time to Netflix. I haven’t Netflixed since September.

People don’t see this stuff on Instagram. They just see your pictures and think that you are on a really long vacation and that will bother people for some reason that has nothing to do with you and more to do with the fact that life sucks, no one gets enough vacation time or has enough money, and then we all die. Find people who get that you are not on vacation and that YOU WORK HARD FOR THE MONEY.  (P.S. I don’t own any elephant pants.)

Wear Shower Shoes

I haven’t taken a shower without shower shoes in four months. I am really afraid of foot diseases. This is the challenge with living out of hotels. If you are thinking about becoming a digital nomad, buy shower shoes.

Take Your Vitamins

I’ve been pretty good food wise but I’m out of my controlled circle of Pret a Manger and Itsu (again, don’t judge) where I’m more conscious of nutrition and able to log all my meals in My Fitness Pal. So I’ve tried to be better about taking vitamins. Take your vitamins.

Ditch the Bottled Water

I could seriously drink three to five liters of water a day. This is why I like tap water. But you can’t drink the tap water in Southeast Asia. So you have to buy bottled. Which sucks. Because it’s all plastic. So you have to learn to ask a place if they filter their water and if so if you can get some of it in your water bottle. Now I always plan ahead so I always have water available even if I don’t need it because I don’t want to buy bottled water I don’t need. Top tip? Buy a Lifestraw water bottle, which filters tap water. 

Wear Sunscreen

Like the song says.

Appreciate Local Pharmacists

When in doubt, ask a pharmacist. Since becoming a digital nomad, pharmacists have helped me with a terrible cold in China and a terrible knee infection in Bali. Pharmacists are kind and I kinda feel like they live to answer questions and do their job. Also, as I learned in China, pantomime is amazingly entertaining when describing cold symptoms!! Coughing, holding your throat, holding your forehead. Whenever you have something going on in a foreign country and can’t get to a traveler’s clinic immediately, ask a pharmacist, even if you can’t speak the language. They get you. (And hey, in some countries, you don’t need a prescription for stuff!! Like amoxicillin!)

Realize that Mother Nature is in Charge

I lived through a week-long monsoon on Koh Lanta, wondering if my little bungalow would be lifted from its foundation and if I could get back to the mainland easily. In Bali, there have been days where the heat and humidity have kept me either drenched with sweat and as lazy as the self-employed can be (i.e., not very but somewhat) or (more likely) seeking out the only air conditioned and enclosed restaurant or bar in town. In Vietnam, I prayed and prayed to God on the ride to Hanoi airport…the rain was so heavy that the highway was a pool. And as I write this, my little Balinese bungalow rumbles. Indonesia is always rumbling. Mother Nature is in charge. Realize we are just here for the ride and don’t be upset if the weather upsets your plans.

Buy a Big Phone Charger Block Thingie

One of the most stressful parts of my new life is not knowing where my next charge will come from. I mean, I don’t wake up at home in the morning and go to any one desk in any one office for the next 9 hours and then come home to my home.  If there’s one thing I wish I had purchased, it’s one of these big charger block thingies.

Tell People Where You Are

I’ve been surprised over the last few months by the invitations…people I never knew were on the road, wanting me to join them as long as I’m “in the neighborhood.” I haven’t been able to to take up most invitations…non-refundable hotels, visa timing issues, the need for plane ticket, my 40 kg of luggage, WORK…but it’s nice to know people want to see me. And they wouldn’t know that without social media.

Wear a FitBit

My FitBit hasn’t left my wrist since September. I love it. It tracks my steps (pretty good about the 10,000 steps a day except for over New Year’s when I’ve been both slothy and tied to my lapotop) and my sleep (generally, 7 hours a night although I know I feel best at 7 hours 40 minutes from previous experiments) and my cardio (about 45 minutes a day). My FitBit is like my friend. Sometimes I’m like, “OK, let’s take you out for a walk. I’d like to hit 12,000 today mister.”

BE KIND!!

This is perhaps my biggest observation/takeaway/advice for anyone considering becoming a digital nomad. And it’s just good life advice in general. Be kind to people. Everyone will be better off for it. Even when I am having a bad day, I take a deep breath and think “Be kind. Be kind. Be kind.” And I put a big smile on my face and ask for whatever it is that I want or whatever it is that I want to complain about. It works 80% of the time and my expectations are exceeded. It also, uh, helps everyone in your hotel know your name. Which generally is a good thing

Summary of Becoming a Digital Nomad

Thank you for reading my tips for becoming a digital nomad. I hope you found them helpful. Please let me know if you have any others.  I am always looking to learn!

You Might Also Enjoy

• Becoming a Digital Nomad: Tips from Other Nomads
• Don’t be Scared to Travel Alone
• My Long-Term Travel Packing List

The post On Becoming a #DigitalNomad: Tips, Advice, and Reflections after 4 Months on The Road first appeared on Passport Delicious | Solo Travel Blog | Solo Female Travel.

Need holiday gifts for business travelers who have everything? Let me take you shopping!

The Best Gifts for Business Travelers: 2019 Edition

Who is ready for the holidays? NOT ME. I always end up doing some last minute desperate shopping on Amazon for those lucky enough to make my “nice” list. I also, of course, do a little (a lot?) of gift shopping for me, a frequent business traveler who flew over 100,000 miles last year. If you are in the same boat and need some ideas, here are my top gifts for business travelers!

Electronic Gifts for Frequent Business Travelers

#1 Gift for Business Travelers in 2019: Compact Phone Charger

This year, this small portable phone charger that will charge your phone multiple times if you don’t have access to power is at the very tiptop of my list of perfect gifts for business travelers. If you’ve been following my blog these last few months, you’ll know that I’ve been traveling throughout Asia (Thailand, China, Vietnam and now Taiwan) and I can’t tell you how many times my phone has gone dead during a long travel day. I’ve since added this to my arsenal and my life is so much more stress-free. This charging block is amazing and a one of those must-buy gifts for business travelers.

US: Buy Anker Charger

Amazon Fire Stick

Every frequent business traveler should carry an Amazon Fire Stick with them. This turns most hotel TVs into Smart TVs, as long as the hotel has wifi. Most hotel wifi networks require you to login in through a web browser, which you can’t access via AppleTV Roku or Google Chromecast. The Amazon Fire Stick lets you access a web browser and login to hotel internet, giving you access to Netflix, Prime Video, Hulu, STARZ, SHOWTIME, or CBS All Accesss while you are traveling. The Firestick even has Alexa if you, like me, miss talking to Alexa while you are traveling! This is one of the best gifts for business travelers who spend a lot of time in hotel rooms. They just have to remember to unplug it and bring it with them when they leave!

Keysmart Pro

Keysmart Pro keeps all of your house keys very neatly organized — eliminating key jangle — and the pro version comes with both an LED light and a Tile sensor so you never have to worry about losing your keys again! There’s also, uh, a bottle opener. Everything you need in one handy package! This is a great gift for business travelers who are road warriors, frequently in and out of cars.

Wireless Charging Pad 

Last year, these were my go-to Christmas gifts for business travelers and non-travelers alike and they are staying on the list this year. With this small accessory, you can charge your compatible Qi-compatible devices without the need to plug your device in to a wall charger or USB port. Buy a charging pad! Buy one for everyone this holiday season!

US: Buy Charging Pad. UK: Buy Charging Pad. 

Anker 10 ft Long iPhone Cable (3 Meters!)

Seriously, a 10 ft phone charger is one of the best gifts for business travelers EVER. Most older hotels still don’t have outlets by the bed. I had a Eureka! moment a few months ago when I realized that if I had a long enough iPhone cable, maybe I didn’t need an outlet by the bed. Such a basic revelation but LIFE-CHANGING. Traveling hasn’t been the same since. Excellent, inexpensive stocking stuffer and one of the cheapest and best gifts for business travelers who spend a lot of time in hotel rooms. That being said, it’s useful for homebodies too!

US: Buy 10 ft cord. UK: Buy 3 meter cord.

TrakDot Luggage Tracker

For those that worry about their checked bags as much as I do, TrakDot might provide some peace of mind. It sends real-time notifications to your mobile phone when your luggage is close by. Note that this isn’t a GPS per se, but rather a device to tell you if your luggage has arrived at your destination and/or has made it onto your flight. (Read the Amazon reviews for more.) One of my favorite last minute holiday gift ideas for business travelers!

US: Buy TrakDot.

ReturnMe Smart Luggage ID Tags

So if you read the TrakDot reviews, they are a little mixed. It’s new technology so it’s understandable if there are some hiccups. So if we’re talking backup gifts for business travelers, these ReturnMe tags are awesome!! Simply attach the tag to any bag you wish to protect and activate the unique id code from our secure portal. If you lose your bag, if a good Samaritan finds it, ReturnMe will connect you to the finder directly. Finders receive a bonus gift as a reward!! As an option, ReturnMe’s recovery specialists can coordinate the return for you. If you uh frequently lose things, there’s a VIP service for you to consider.

US: Buy ReturnMe tags.

Wireless Earbuds

All the cool kids will be getting wireless earbuds this Christmas. They are all over the duty free stores in Asia right now. These make perfect gifts for business travelers because they are small and portable. This pair is also noise-cancelling which is great for long flights.

US: Buy Wireless Bluetooth Earbuds

Bose Quiet Comfort 35 Series II

OK, this has been on all the gifts for business travelers lists for the last decade so it’s possible your business traveler has these already BUT if they don’t, you must buy these! They are life changing and block out most noise during flights. Great sound for listening to in flight entertainment too! They come in black or silver but I prefer the silver. Much cooler looking and harder to leave behind, in my opinion. (I try to make sure that any of my electronics are not black! Too easy to leave behind!)

 US: Bose Quiet Comfort 35

Bluetooth Keyboard

Rather than getting my laptop out on flights, I now rely on my iPhone or iPad and this Bluetooth keyboard. This lets me type on the go and makes the best use of the space you have in Economy, where sometimes it can be impossible to work on a laptop. You can connect up to three devices at the same time, which is great when you are collaborating with others. This is one of those extremely practical gifts for business travelers. I never knew how much I needed this until I had it!

US: Buy Bluetooth Keyboard

Laptop Stand

This laptop stand is one of the best gifts for frequent business travelers who are always having meetings in coffee shops and away from their desk. The stand helps prevent “tech neck.” It will basically bring a laptop up to eye level. Just make sure you pick the right stand for the right laptop as the models differ depending on whether it’s a PC or Mac.

US: Buy this laptop stand.

Outlet Extender with USB

The bane of any traveler’s existence is one outlet by the hotel bed when you’ve got three devices to charge. So this outlet extender is a lifesaver for hotel rooms (and airports!), and the USB ports are an added bonus. Seriously, everyone should have one of these. Hotels should just have these! But they don’t. So you will have to buy one!  (Or more.)

US: Outlet Extender with USB

Privacy Screens for All the Devices

I once flew from London to Chicago with a Swedish guy craning his neck to watch everything I was watching on my laptop. Luckily, there was in-flight wifi! So while I was somewhere over the Atlantic, I purchased privacy screens for both my laptop and my iPad. They arrived the next day. Magic. Some consultants will have privacy screens for their laptops already through work, but if the business traveler in your life watches a lot of shows and movies on planes or trains, get them a privacy filter. (This was also handy when I was traveling for business in the Middle East a lot…True Blood is not a great show to watch on a plane without a privacy filter.)

US: Buy a Privacy Screen

Fun Gifts for Frequent Business Travelers

Portable Airline Cocktail Kit

There are seven of these portable cocktail kits — anything from a Moscow Mule to a Margarita to a Bloody Mary. They are specifically tailored to the single-serve tiny liquor bottles you get on planes and provide all the other ingredients you need for your perfect cocktail. (Alcohol not included of course.) The ingredients are also small enough to pass through airport security, making this one of the most perfect gifts for business travelers who appreciate that in the air, it’s always 5 o’clock somewhere!

US: Buy this cocktail kit. 

Wine Protector Bags

Occasionally, when I’m traveling for business, someone either gives me a bottle of wine (or something harder) as a gift, or I find a wine that’s so unforgettable, I just have to buy it and take it home with me. Airport security being what it is, I have to put the wine in my checked bag. These inflatable wine protectors are perfect for anyone who finds themselves traveling wtih wine. You don’t even have to use them for wine — you can use them for glasses or other fragile items. The bags also come with a pump to inflate them. Buy these bags.

Point It Traveler’s Language Kit

If you need a gift for a business traveler who frequently visits non-English speaking countries, I love this invaluable little picture book of pretty much anything and everything you can imagine. This way, if you can’t speak the language, you can just point at the photo! This little book proved particularly helpful when I was in China and English was not widely spoken.

US: Buy Point It.

Midori Traveler’s Notebook

The Midori Traveler’s Notebook is one of the most beautiful notebooks on the market today. It has a gorgeous leather cover that weathers with age, and the paper is extremely high quality. This is a luxury notebook — more of a system actually — that sends a subtle signal that the owner understands quality and style. Check out my other posts on notebooks and journals too. I think this is a great gift for business travelers who like to to write things down, old school style.

US: Midori Traveler’s Notebook

Portable Fitness Kit

It can be really hard to stay fit on the road when you are traveling for business all the time so I’ve started traveling with this bit of kit…it comes with a bunch of resistance bands and my all time favorite exercise device: a jump rope! This is a perfect little exercise package that comes in a small carry bag. It’s a great gift for business travelers who need to work out in their hotel rooms!

US: Buy This Exercise Kit.

Portable Himalayan Salt & Pepper Kit

Don’t laugh! I’m writing this from the corporate apartment I’ve got in Bangkok, Thailand where there is NO salt and pepper and maybe I’m too cheap but to get some, I have to buy huge full containers. I am only here for two weeks!! In hindsight, I wish I had this portable salt and pepper kit. This is one of those great gifts for business travelers who spend a lot of time in corporate apartments and Aibnbs. Buy this salt & pepper kit.

Best Packing & Organizing Gifts for Business Travelers

Flight Flap Phone & Tablet Holder

This little guy is so simple but SUCH a great idea. It attaches to most airline seat backs and tray tables and accommodates almost every phone and tablet size. The Flight Flap allows you to place your device where it can be easily viewed at eye level, reducing neck and back pain and making your travel experience more comfortable. It’s reasonable price tag makes this one of the most budget-friendly gifts for business travelers out there today.

US: Buy the Flight Flap.

Airplane Seat Back Organizer Bag

This is a great bag for those that find themselves in economy a lot.  Have your passport, phone, tablet, toiletries and other essentials organized in one easy-to-reach carry-on bag. Basically, keep all the essentials together instead of spread out. The wide band across the back allows you to slip the Airpocket over the extended handle of your carry-on case, whilst the detachable and adjustable shoulder strap (31 – 55in) gives you the option of carrying it across your body or over your shoulder.

US: Buy this bag. 

Roll-up Electronics Organizer

This is a great gift for business travelers with lots of gadgets. Easily tuck this roll into your purse, backpack, laptop case, briefcase, or suitcase. The practical design provides great 6 elastic loops for cables, pens, brushes and tools, etc; 3 mesh pockets for USB, SD card, SIM card or other small items ; and 2 open pockets for charger, mouse, power adapter and etc. There’s also 1 large zipper pocket for external hard drive, power bank, cellphone or other items. 2 small zipper pockets of equal size for secure storing of small items.

US: Buy this organizer.

Travel Cable Organizer

Here’s a bigger version of the same idea above. I love this simple travel cable organizer because it keeps everything neat and tidy and together — but separate! i’m never digging around in the bottom of my bag anymore.

Buy US: Travel Cable Organizer

Pop Sockets: Collapsible Grip & Stand for Phones & Tablets

I think this is totally 2019’s stocking stuffer gift of the year. I love my pop socket. It makes it easier to hold my phone or stand it up when I need to read something. It also prevents me from dropping my phone. Frequent business travelers will appreciate that pop sockets make it easier to watch movies on planes on your own portable device.

US: Buy Pop Socket

Ear Bud Organizer

Another great little stocking stuffer gift for business travelers this year is this earbud organizer. Rather than just throwing your headphones in you bag, you can wrap them up like this to make them easier to get to and less tangly. (Is tangly a word? I’m not sure.) Comes in multiple colors.

US: Buy Earbud Organizer.

PacSafe Anti-Theft Laptop Backpack

I LOVE this backpack. I am in and out of trains, planes, and automobiles all the time so it’s nice to have some peace of mind and know that no one can get into my backpack when I am not paying attention and especially when I am traveling by myself. This particular model comes with a 15 inch laptop sleeve which is perfect. The backpack has lockable zippers and cut proof materials. It also has RFID blocking. This is a great laptop bag and gift for business travelers but I think any frequent traveler — business or leisure — will love this.

US: Buy Pacsafe Metrosafe

Gear Beast Cell Phone Lanyard

My friends used to make fun of me for always wearing my iPhone on a lanyard around my neck but now I notice that they are all doing this. This is especially perfect if you don’t have pockets or if you are at a big event and need easy access to your phone at all times and are worried about being pick-pocketed. This is one of my favorite gifts for business travelers who are on and off planes all the time because this way, your phone is always with you.

Buy US: Cell Phone Lanyard

Lifestraw Portable Water Filtration Bottle

If you know someone who is anti-plastic and constantly finds themselves in locations without drinkable tap water, consider a Lifestraw water bottle. I think these make great gifts for business travelers who are constantly on the go. The hollow fiber membrane water filter removes bacteria and protozoa and filters as you drink.

Packing Cubes

After hearing so many travelers rave about packing cubes, I finally caved and now I don’t understand why I haven’t been using them all along. Truth: I am a messy packer. But with packing cubes, at least I know where my underwear is. These are great for keeping related things together. It might be a bit like giving someone socks for Christmas but any frequent traveler will appreciate this gift.

US: Buy packing cubes! UK: Buy packing cubes.

Compression Packing Cubes

Taking this a step further — if you don’t just want to stay organized and really need to save space, check out these amazing compression packing cubes!! One of the most excellent last minute gift ideas for travelers who refuse to travel with anything but a carry-on.

US: Buy these compression packing cubes now. UK: Buy similar compression cubes. 

Disposable Hotel Slippers

OK, I almost didn’t include these but I can’t tell you how much I use them. Most US hotels these days don’t provide slippers and it’s kinda gross to walk around hotel rooms without socks or shoes on. A lot of times, I remember to bring my flip flops but I like disposable slippers because I can leave them behind when I’m done. And then I don’t have to put the dirty flip flops back in my suitcase. Personally, I prefer open-toe slippers.  These make a great, cheap stocking stuffer gifts for business travelers who spend a lot of time in hotel rooms.

Subscription Gifts for Frequent Business Travelers

Expert Flyer Subscription

If the business traveler in your life is as obsessed with upgrades as I am, you should get him/her a subscription to Expert Flyer. Expert Flyer lets you track seat availability and most importantly, gives you a sense of how full first class and business class are so you can score that all important upgrade. This is an essential tool for any one who flies economy a lot but is always hoping for a seat up front, and it’s one of the handiest gifts for business travelers ever. (IMHO.) Subscribe to Expert Flyer.

TripIt Pro Subscription

TripIt Pro collates all your travel information, especially helpful if you are a frequent business traveler. As soon as you receive a flight confirmation or hotel confirmation, you forward it to the app and then TripIt starts monitoring your trip. I love getting off a plane and knowing exactly which baggage claim to head to. TripIt Pro is a great gift for a business traveler who is always juggling multiple itineraries. It’s also great because it keeps a record of your past trips, which may come in handy at tax time. Oh wait! Most importantly, it keeps track of ALL your frequent flyer and hotel point accounts so you always know how many points you have and when they are expiring! You can also easily share flight details with friends and family. This is one of the best gift ideas for business travelers for so many, many reasons. Buy TripIt Pro.

Gift Certificates for Airport Transfers

So most business travelers can expense their business travel but if you know an entrepreneur who pays his or her own way, see if you can get them a gift card for Groundlink or Blacklane.  These are serviced car companies with large global networks. In Shanghai, when I used Groundlink, my driver picked me up with white gloves on and Perrier in the back seat!! There’s something so nice about coming through customs to see someone there with a sign with your name on it. Businessmen and businesswomen will love this gift!

VPN Subscription

Business travelers often find themselves using public wifi networks, so a good VPN to keep safe on the road is essential. Additionally, for international travelers, a VPN can help you access home-country websites and videos from abroad. Most crucially, if you know someone who goes to China a lot and they don’t have a corporate VPN, definitely get them a VPN subscription. I use NordVPN and highly recommend them. Subscribe to NordVPN.

Priority Pass Membership

A Priority Pass Membership is one of the best gifts for frequent business travelers; it provides access to over 1200+ lounges in over 500 cities and more lounges being added every month. Guests can relax and enjoy complimentary drinks and snacks, along with free wifi. This is an especially great gift for anyone who spends a lot of time in Asia or the UK where some of the most popular lounges are. I just flew from China to Vietnam and was able to use Priority Pass lounges in Xian and Guangzhou and it was amazing. Get a Priority Pass Membership today with 20% off across all tiers and receive up to $150 off in a Roam Luggage.

AAA and/or AARP Membership

For American readers, both AAA and AARP offer fantastic travel discounts for members, sometimes giving you 10 to 20% off hotel room rates! You’ll also find flight deals and great airport parking deals. These memberships are quite affordable and make great gifts for frequent business travelers.

Starbucks Gift Card

OK, I know this is a little basic but did you know that Starbucks cards can be used internationally in some (but not all) countries? The participating countries are the UK, USA, Canada, Australia, Hong Kong, Mexico, and the Republic of Ireland. So get your business traveler a Starbucks gift card that they can use on the road — internationally!

Subscription to The New York Times, Washington Post, The Guardian, etc.

As a business traveler, you spend a lot of time sitting around in airports, so you tend to do a lot of reading. Most big newspapers today cap the number of free articles you can read each month. An annual subscription will ensure that the news is always available as long as you have an internet connection.

Any Other Gifts for Business Travelers?

OK, I think those are all my ideas for gifts for business travelers. What are you getting the frequent business travelers in your life this holiday season? I’d love any tips. If you have any other suggestions, I’d love to know! Please tell me more in the comments.

You Might Enjoy These Other Posts

• The Best Travel Journals
• My Favorite Travel Websites
• Unique Travel Gifts
• My Long-Term Travel Packing List
• How I Save Money on Hotels with Hotwire
• My Review of Kaligo.com: Earn Avios with Hotel Bookings

Pin It for Later!

The post Top Gifts for Business Travelers: 2019 Edition first appeared on Passport Delicious | Solo Travel Blog | Solo Female Travel.

West Railay Beach, Thailand

I spent from September 8th to October 6th in Thailand. I thought it would be interesting to summarize the cost of my four weeks in Thailand in case you too are considering a substantial Thai getaway but can’t quite figure out if you can afford it or not. (Also, I don’t think us people on the Internet talk about money enough in a clear and transparent way especially when it comes to food and travel.) To be fair, I am not a backpacker and I’m too old for hostels. I have this thing where I appreciate a good value but I also *really* appreciate fine linens and fine wine. (Don’t we all though?) So the below is exactly a 90% 3-star (25 nights) and 10% four and five star experiences (3 nights) which feels like a reasonable ratio.

Week 1 (7 nights): Long Beach Chalet, Koh Lanta. Jungle bungalow. Including laundry, some meals, and transfer from Krabi Airport: $462.62

Week 2 (7 nights): Long Beach Chalet, Koh Lanta. Direct reservation for beachview bungalow plus laundry, some meals, and transfer to Ao Nang. (10% discount for booking room directly with the hotel.)  $606.46

Week 3 (5 nights): Whalecome Resort Ao Nang. I loved this place. It was very simple, clean, and friendly. $278.61.

Week 3A: Two nights at Holiday Inn Koh Phi Phi. (Actually one night was free on points. Then I had to pay the speedboat transfer there and back plus one night plus food and a private Muay Thai class.): $407.00

Week 3B: One night at Rayavadee Krabi Resort + Food & Beverage because I am a sucker and I had food poisoning and was feeling a little meh and I wanted to see how the 1% live: $500.00

Week 4 (6 nights): Whalecome Resort Ao Nang (same room) + Transfer to Krabi Airport: $292.00

Total on Accommodation & Transfers: $2546.69 or ~$90 USD per night.

Spending Money: $574 which I spent all of. I may have a few baht in the bottom of my purse but not much. This figure is basically all the cash I withdrew from my bank account in September to pay for food and Muay Thai lessons and tours and random stuff like laundry and dry bags plus one charge to my credit card for KoHub, the coworking facility in Koh Lanta. I think ~$20 per day is pretty reasonable for food and entertainment.

Total Cost of My Four Weeks in Thailand as a Digital Nomad: $3060.69 USD.

Money I Didn’t Have to Spend: I upgraded to a sea view bungalow in Koh Lanta for about $150 more total than a jungle bungalow and I really didn’t have to. It was nice though! I also probably could have skipped Rayavadee and the Holiday Inn Koh Phi Phi, saving me about $1000. (That Phi Phi beach tho…) It kinda kills me that these three nights alone cost me $1000. And I had food poisoning for two of the nights! Also, I went with private transfers and I could have saved a lot of money with shared transfers. That being said, shared transfers could have taken double or triple the amount of time as private transfers and if I’ve learned anything in life, I’ve learned that there are certain false economies. (i.e., Trying to save money on a transfer that then costs you five hours instead of 90 minutes is dumb.)

Money I Handled Well: I could have flown all over Thailand, but instead I based myself around Krabi for a month. Two weeks in Koh Lanta and two weeks in Ao Nang. This saved on transportation costs. I also think Ao Nang was a very good value. I mean, personal training/Muay Thai for 550 baht ($17!) per session?? That’s amazing. And while I originally thought Ao Nang was a bit over-touristed, once I got the lay of the land, I really really liked the setup for island hopping and bumming around.

Money I Haven’t Included Here: I did not include my flight or transportation from my (former) flat in London to Heathrow. I should, but it’s not entirely representative of a typical spend because of the way I did it. I bought a one-way business class ticket to Krabi for $1700 USD. Round-trip in economy would have cost $1400 USD but I’ve been in that circle of round-trip ticket hell before and knew that I had no idea if/when I would have needed the return. So I just went with one way and spent it all on business class. Don’t be like Krista. I took an Uber to Paddington and then Heathrow Express (30 day advance purchase) so you can estimate $50 USD for that. So if we factor in the flight, then you can say I spent $4760.69 on these four weeks. But back out those three “splurge” nights and factor in a one-way economy ticket, and you’re probably looking at ~$3000 USD for a month if you ever want to do something similar at a 3-star level and in economy.

In all of this, bear in mind that I no longer have a fixed abode! Also, I’m traveling by myself and need to feel safe.

This is all very honest. Maybe I’m being too honest, but transparency is not a bad thing. Everyone has a different travel style and budget and different people make different compromises.

You Might Also Enjoy…

My Long Term Travel Packing List

The post Cost of My Four Weeks in Thailand first appeared on Passport Delicious | Solo Travel Blog | Solo Female Travel.

Sunset in Ao Nang, Thailand

My Long-Term Travel Packing List

Hard to believe but today (as I write this) marks one month since I left my flat in London and embarked on an undetermined amount of time living out of a suitcase. It has FLOWN by. Almost too quickly. I’ve been too busy actually. I’m writing this blog post about my long-term travel packing list today from my new mini-apartment in Shanghai, where I’ve decided to take the rest of the day and maybe even the weekend off. (This was helped by a pointless trip to People’s Square earlier to try to get a SIM card using Google Maps. Tip: Don’t use Google Maps in Shanghai. It’s worthless.)

As I am thinking about all of this, I’m also staring at my 45 kg of luggage. Probably more like 47 kg because I hid some stuff in my jacket when Spring Airlines was weighing my bags at 2:30 am in Krabi this morning. I tried to downsize, really I did. (And I probably left about 3 kg of stuff behind in Ao Nang.) But packing for multiple climates is not easy. And I don’t have the body type that allows me to just pick up a few floaty dresses and some elephant pants at the night market.

In my first month of life on the road, here’s are the items on my long-term travel packing list that have been really useful, somewhat useful, and not at all useful.

The Essential Items on My Long-term Travel Packing List

Pacsafe: As a police officer’s daughter, I am always convinced that someone is going to steal my stuff. I knew that at the hotel price point I was targeting in Thailand, I wasn’t likely to encounter really large safes. And I was right. So I relied on my Pacsafe. I shoved anything I wasn’t carrying on me into the Pacsafe and then locked it to the most immovable item I could find in my room. (The bedframe, usually.) This provided peace of mind. I like peace of mind.

Sarongs: I originally brought sarongs for the beach…very lightweight but durable sarongs. I ended up using them as bathrobes as well. Again at my price point, my hotels don’t come with robes and slippers. Which brings me to my next point…

Havianas: After working in Brazil so much in 2012, I became addicted to Havianas and must have six pairs. However, I am shit at walking in Havianas so I only really use them as shower shoes and for roaming around my hotel room. I’ve been wearing my Havainas practically every day.

Anker Portable Speaker: Gotta have tunes, dude. I like this little speaker and have it cranking pretty much whenever I am in my hotel room.

Kindle Oasis: I’m trying to read a lot of books this year. 50, actually! I’m at 33 right now —  I should be at 35 by the end of the week and then I think the pace will increase because my busiest period at work just ended. I upgraded to the Oasis because I killed my last Kindle at the pool at Kamalaya in Koh Samui. The Oasis is waterproof. I read a lot. It’s a good investment and an essential item for any long-term travel packing list.

Headphones: Again, gotta have tunes dude. PLUS…what is with people watching videos on planes without headphones??? FOR THE LOVE OF GOD. I am sitting right next to you. Do you think I can’t hear your video??? TURN IT OFF. Or buy headphones. Jesus Christ. Who raised you??? I like these JVC headphones because they are cheap but still have good sound.

Laundry Bag: The item on my long-term travel packing list that I threw in at the last minute that has probably seen the most action is my laundry bag. This was helped by the fact that my hotel in Ao Nang had a washer and dryer that I could use for 100 baht ($3 USD per load) so you can bet my laundry was super super clean while I was there. My hotel in Shanghai has a laundry room with washers and dryers so I think the laundry bag will definitely be seeing some more action soon.

Portable Scale:  The problem with long-term travel is that you risk treating it like vacation. I’ve been pretty good about working out most days — even taking private Muay Thai classes in Thailand — and generally trying to be responsible about what I eat and drink. This is a heavy item in my bag, but for now, it is staying.

Lifestraw Water Bottle: If you take one thing from this blog post and long-term travel packing list, let it be Lifestraw. Lifestraw lets you drink the tap water anywhere! It’s amazing. I love it. I use it all the time. I bought like less than 10 bottles of water in Thailand in four weeks because I used Lifestraw for most occasions. The only times I couldn’t use Lifestraw was when I was boating or when I was out to eat. And hey, I’m forgetting to tell you why Lifestraw is awesome! Lifestraw lets you drink tap water in countries that don’t have potable water!! So all through Thailand, I drank the tap water using my Lifestraw. This easily prevented me from purchasing at least one bottle of water per day.

Packing Cubes (compression cubes meh): I have one packing cube that I jokingly call “my office” because it’s full of all my office-y stuff. These just keep my bags organized. Which is necessary given that I have 45 kg of luggage.

Multi-outlet Adapters: At night, I need one for my laptop and one for each iPhone at the very least. You can never have too many of these, in my opinion, so count up your devices and put a few on your long-term travel packing list.

10 ft Long iPhone Cable: Indispensable. Not sure how I would live without it.  I may need to buy a 20 ft long iPhone cable.

Unlocked iPhone 6s: Also indispensable. I get a local SIM everywhere I go so I always have access to fast Internet. I keep my UK phone for all the regular family and friends stuff, and I keep the unlocked phone for everything else.

Small Extension Cord: A lot of hotels have a limited number of outlets so I have a small extension cord that I use.

Luggage Locks: This trip has really made me appreciate a good luggage lock. I’ve realized that my old eyes can’t see black text on metal anymore. So I really need white numbers on a colored background. Look for locks that specifically say “easy read dials.”

Hair Conditioner: My first stop in every country is the local drugstore to buy some nice conditioner. Life on the road is hard on your hair! Pureology is my favorite. It’s minty fresh! I’m not linking to this one because I’m not quite convinced that the product on Amazon is the real deal.

Toiletry Bucket Bag: I randomly bought this toiletry bag on Amazon and I use it constantly. It’s especially good for hotels where there isn’t a lot of sink space. I just throw everything in this bag and then rummage through it as needed.

Muslins for washing my face: Not everywhere is into the facecloth, especially some of the more local, better value places I’m staying at so I’m glad I brought some muslins for washing my face.

Pond’s Cold Cream: I slather my face and neck with Pond’s Cold Cream before I go to bed each night. It’s an old habit from when I was a teenager. I’ve tried lots of expensive face creams but I don’t know…nothing feels as good as Pond’s to me!

Waterproof Phone Case: I practically lived with this around my neck for my last two weeks in Thailand as I island-hopped from one location to the next. I didn’t entirely trust it though so never let it fully immerse.

Turkish Towel: I’m kinda obsessed with Turkish towels. Environmentally, they are much better for all of us — they need less water and energy for washing. They also dry quickly and fold up nicely for easy packing. I originally had two Turkish towels but left my higher quality one in London because it was taking up too much space in my suitcase. So glad I brought one along though! It’s an indispensable item for your long-term travel packing list.

Hanging Toiletry Bag: I just haven’t been wearing much makeup. This is great but…it is heavy so I need to dump some things. (I’ve already gotten rid of my bronzer and some mascara.) I brought a lot of makeup with me on this trip. I probably don’t need so much.

Things on My Long-Term Travel Packing List that I’ve Already Discarded

Aqua Shoes: I wore these cheap water shoes nearly every day in Ao Nang because you are constantly getting into and out of longtail boats. They were great BUT they got a little stinky at the end so I threw them out.

Dry Bags: I actually bought these IN Thailand and used it practically every day as I hopped from one island to the next. Sadly, they were too heavy and I knew I didn’t need them  in China so I left them behind in Ao Nang.

Indispensable Apps on My Long-term Travel Packing List

NordVPN: I’m on Day 2 of four weeks behind The Great Firewall. A good VPN was a must.

Expert Flyer: I love Expert Flyer!! I booked a one way ticket to Krabi on Eva Air on a good business class deal and wanted one of the single seat window seats. When I first bought my ticket, nothing was available, but I set up an alert on Expert Flyer and a few weeks later, one of my preferred seats had opened up! This is a great service if you fly a lot and are picky about your seat choices.

Groundlink: I don’t like Uber at airports because I want a guy to meet me with a sign with my name on it. I don’t want to be wandering around outside looking for my driver. So I decided to try out Groundlink and booked a car from Shanghai Pudong to my hotel, a ride that took pretty much exactly an hour. My driver, Frank, met me outside of immigration with a sign with my name on it, held my luggage while I popped to the loo, and had COLD PERRIER waiting for me in his Mercedes E-class. I mean, life is good right? Now, I’m sure there are some Judgy McJudgersons out there so let me explain why I do this: my mother is not keen on me traveling alone. So I try to find ways to reassure her and hiring a car and driver from the airport gives her peace of mind. Also, you know what? I like it.

Booking.com: I’ve been using Booking.com for most of my hotel reservations. I book the rooms that you can cancel and then as my travel plans evolve, I make changes accordingly. I’ve also been experimenting with Hotels.com but I don’t like that they charge you upfront.  (Although I do like the buy 10 nights get one night free thing.)

TripIt: I LOVE TripIt. Keeps all of my travel reservations together.

You Need a Budget: If you’ve been following me long enough, you know that I am serious about budgeting and money management. I’ve always maintained spreadsheets to monitor my spending but after a recent New York Times article mentioned You Need a Budget, I decided to sign up for a subscription. I only have a few weeks of data but it definitely makes me more conscious of how I use my money. I’m still trying to make my way around the interface and am not totally sold on their approach that if I don’t spend money in Month 1, I have it in Month 2, but it’s still better than nothing.

Spotify: Gotta have tunes, dude. I didn’t get a chance to listen to much music in Thailand, but now that I am commuting to and from Chinese class in Shanghai every day, I’m getting in at least 45 minutes of music per day.

Things I Put on My Long-Term Travel Packing List that I Haven’t Used Yet

Kindle Fire: I brought this because it was lighter than my iPad and still lets me watch movies. I’ve yet to use it.

HDMI Cable: I figured that at some point, I will be somewhere and want to watch a movie on a big TV so I brought an HDMI cable to connect my laptop to the TV. I have yet to use this.  I’ve watched ZERO TV in the last month.

Jump Rope: I LOVE jumping rope. So I brought one with me. But in Thailand, I concentrated on Muay Thai and didn’t really need this. I expect to get back into jumping rope shortly. **Update: I actually used this today after writing this post.**

Repel Umbrella: To be fair, I think I did use this once in Koh Lanta but luckily, I haven’t had much need for it and have relied on hotel umbrellas instead.

Priority Pass Membership: I bought a Priority Pass Membership for lounge access given that I am sometimes flying random airlines but I have yet to use this.

Things I Wish I Had Put on My Long-Term Travel Packing List

Good Sunglasses: I have a bunch of cheap pairs from TK/TJ Maxx and I swear the lenses have all melted and colored in the sun and heat. I need to invest in a good pair.

A Hooded Sweatshirt: I need something between a jacket and a cardigan. I will need to pick up a hooded sweatshirt somewhere. Also, I’m noticing that in Shanghai, the uniform is a black hooded sweatshirt and sweatpants with cuffed legs.

OK, I think that’s it! I hope you’ve found this blog post about my long-term travel packing list helpful! I will endeavor to update this post as more things occur to me and as my travels take me to new and different places. Stay tuned!

This post contains affiliate links. 

The post My Long-Term Travel Packing List first appeared on Passport Delicious | Solo Travel Blog | Solo Female Travel.

I’m Leaving London, Again

Goodbye. Again. I know, I can’t believe it either. In 2010, I left London for Chicago for a job opportunity and promotion.

(BACKSTORY: For those of you who have arrived via the interwebs…born in NY, transferred to the UK, love love love London, transferred back to the US and now keep reading to catch up…)

Moving back to the US made sense at the time, and it was nice to catch up with my Chicago friends — I lived in Chicago from 1996 to 2004 — but it wasn’t London. Everything in the US had become so much more expensive ($60 at Jewel Osco and I had no food!), and I don’t particularly like sports. (Except for soccer and basketball occasionally.) Hah…one Sunday after I moved back in 2010, I asked a bunch of guys at a bar in Chicago’s Wicker Park neighborhood why they were all wearing the same shirt and they all looked at me like I was crazy. (Da Bears.) Plus THE SNOW and the cold! I hate the snow and the cold. Within just a few months being back in Chicago, I knew that I needed to get back to London. (Plus, I’m not originally from Chicago so the only thing that kept me there was my job.)

It took me four years to get out of Chicago but I did it and returned to London in 2014. So if I’ve learned anything, you can do anything you put your mind to. Really you can!

But nothing is ever easy. When I made the decision to move back, friends would ask me “Are you sure you’re going to be able to get a job?” They were well-intentioned but another learning: when making a big life change, tell only a very very small number of people of your plans, if I learned anything at all in 2010 it’s that there are no secrets and because most people can’t imagine what you are about to do — change countries! change jobs! — not everyone is as supportive as you would hope. (This is why I am a big believer in doing things that make YOU happy; forget seeking advice and approval from others. Also, when you need career advice, focus on the people who have made similar jumps before.)

In the end, I had not one but FOUR excellent job offers to choose from. All were more money than I had made before and all were excellent firms with great reputations. So have confidence in yourself and your own abilities.

Through this all, I’ve learned that you have to put yourself out there. You’ll never know what you are capable of otherwise.

Oddly, the people who were most supportive of my return to London were my parents. “You have to get out of Chicago,” they both told me, separately. (NOTE: THEY ARE DIVORCED AND DON’T TALK TO EACH OTHER.) Also, taxi and Uber drivers (all Arsenal fans, strangely) totally seemed to get it too. (I took a lot of taxis and Ubers at the end, when I was getting rid of everything. Culminating in my last night in Chicago when my taxi driver was arrested WHILE I WAS IN THE BACK SEAT and I was threatened with jail myself for talking firmly and politely to the cop. Way to leave the country, Krista.)

The job that I originally took in 2014 lasted about a year. The amazing business leader who hired me — the reason why I chose this one offer of the four — left soon after I joined the firm, and I found that I had no control over my personal time. (Towards the end of my tenure, they asked me to cancel my dinner plans ON MY BIRTHDAY. No.) This time around, as I contemplated my next move, I told no one of my plans except my parents and a very small number of specific friends. I left the one job on a Friday and started the new job on the Monday.

So remember you always have options. We forget that sometimes. (Employers forget it too. Especially in this job market right now, where we are pretty much at full employment. If there was ever a time to look for a new job, it’s NOW.)

(Aside: If you are considering a job change and need some resume/CV help, email me!! I LOVE helping people with their CVs. I am awesome at it (seriously) and I love it. And honestly, I am pretty sure I made it to the interview rounds with so many companies because I wrote KICK ASS cover letters that were personal and interesting and WELL RESEARCHED so let me help you. We can figure out payment later.)

I digress as always. Now, four years after my return, I am restless. I still love London — I will always love London because it is the best and the most beautiful — but I love the rest of the world too. I have a job that allows me to work from anywhere with an Internet connection and I am going to take advantage of that. I want to spend more time in Thailand and China and Vietnam, and then there’s so much of the Caribbean and Africa and South America still to be explored. (I’d like to visit 100 countries before I turn 50, which isn’t that far away sadly!! I am no longer the 30-year-old I was when I started this blog.)

I’ve also started to think of home as a fluid concept. Why do I have to live any ONE place? Can’t I live in multiple places? With sites like Booking.com and Airbnb, I can find a home practically anywhere I want, at any time I want. So I imagine myself spending a few months in London each year, and a few months in Florida each year (where my parents are), but the rest of the time will be elsewhere. Until I’m ready to stop moving for a while.

And as my friend Eugene said to me over a particularly philosophical and helpful lunch in Hong Kong a few years ago,

“London will always be there for you.” 

Also, I’m leaving London because I really want to get on the property ladder here and I CAN’T. Options in my price range are fairly limited and being self-employed doesn’t really help. Whereas I can get a great place close to the beach in West Palm Beach or Fort Lauderdale, Florida for less than $300,000. (And I’m also learning that as a 40-something-year-old woman, 30-year mortgages are only going to get harder to get. Need to buy something soon. And hey, you know what? F*ck the patriarchy.)

Related to getting onto the property ladder, I also want to save more. Retirement looms. I’d like to have more money set aside for this and I can’t easily do that in London right now.

Lastly, my parents are nearly 80. My dad has already lost one kidney to cancer and my mom has Parkinson’s Disease. They are more or less fine mentally (thank god) but they need some adult supervision (not kidding). In short, I need to see them more often. And living the life of a digital nomad will let me do that but not keep me trapped in the Sunshine State, where everyone is old, owns guns, and votes Republican. (Jeezus.)

Leaving London: Things I’ll Miss

When I left London last time, I wrote up a big list of things I would miss.  That list sorta still stands during my 2nd go at leaving London, but I will also add the following:

• Maltby Street Market
• My 200 Mbps home Internet connection. 200 Mbps!! Words cannot describe how much I will miss my Internet connection.
• My small but perfect flat in Clerkenwell. Seriously, I love this flat even though it is half the size of (but the same price as) the two flats I lived in previously. If I could buy it, I would! But I believe the going rate is £800,000. I make a decent living, but a £160,000 deposit is impossible. (And here’s the thing, if I had the zillions I deserve, I wouldn’t buy this flat. I’d buy something bigger. So I think London is in a really weird position where really small places are just way too expensive for the people who would normally consider living in them.)
• JustEat and getting pork dumplings from Kung Food on Clerkenwell Road delivered.
• Kin on Leather Lane. Excellent, excellent Thai food.
• My surly Russian porter, who takes all my Amazon packages for me. EVEN THOUGH HE VOTED TO LEAVE because he thinks it’s better for immigrants to go back to their home countries and contribute to their home economies. (But honestly, I don’t think I can ever live in a building without a porter again.)
• Ocado
• Heathrow Express. Seriously…so many cities have no public transport from the airport and we have so many options. And I like how they’ve made it so much cheaper if you book in advance.
• Modern Nails on Whitecross Street and Lily Nails on Clerkenwell Road. (You can take the girl out of Long Island but…)
• The bar at St John
• The maze art in all the tube stations
• The lovely people at La Forchetta on Cowcross Street just north of Smithfield. This is an old school Italian(ish) deli and I just love it. Their breakfast sandwiches are ace and they are SO SO NICE.
• Ask for Janice on Long Lane, just south of Smithfield. Again, a place that I think hires on niceness. They are so friendly!! I love them. I’ve spent a lot of time here, either drinking coffee and working or meeting up with friends for drinks and snacks. (I’m not into gin but the gin list is very comprehensive.)
• My glam squad: Hannah at Easton Regal in Clerkenwell for cuts, Emma at Harrington’s in Soho for color. Maintaining my hair is, luckily, the only thing I am stressed about in making this life change.
• BBC iPlayer (OMG this new show, The Bodyguard??!!)

Now I am going to totally dork out for a second. In leaving London, I am sad to miss the opening of Crossrail (or at least Crossrail Farringdon) in um December 2018 August 2019. I think this is going to totally change the City of London and I can’t wait to see what it looks like. (Although they say it will make Farringdon the busiest station in London so maybe it’s good that I’m leaving London now because maybe I don’t want to live in the middle of this.)

That’s one thing I used to love about coming back to London during my time in Chicago…London was always changing. We are too. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.

Leaving London: Things I Won’t Miss

• I’m not going to miss the shitshow that will be Brexit. (I mean, physically I will miss it because I will not be here but I will not feel bad about missing it because BREXIT IS STUPID and I will never understand why people vote against themselves just because they are scared of immigrants.) How will the government pay for Brexit?? All the new civil servants that will be necessary. Labor is always the biggest cost. And hey let me tell you — every American company who has had an office in London over the last 20 years has ALWAYS complained about 1. the cost of London real estate and 2. the cost of London labor. So buh-bye jobs with and tax revenue from American companies because Brexit and immigration changes just provided the best possible reason for every finance team at a Fortune 500 company to do what they have always dreamed of doing and move resources out of the UK. To Germany where it’s cheap and the beer is tasty. (Remember these are 40-year old finance dudes making these decisions.) Deep breath. Sigh.
• No air conditioning. This summer has been terrible. I was hot all the time. And no A/C!! And I always seemed to have those Uber drivers who think that AC is bad for you. WHICH CAUSED MY UBER RATING TO GO DOWN BECAUSE I COMPLAINED. I am looking forward to spending time in hot countries that understand A/C.
• Hard water. I can’t wait for my hair to feel all soft and nice again.
• London rents. I’m pretty good at managing my money but seriously…the rent is too goddamn high.

What’s Next

I’m trying to keep my plans pretty open and flexible but visas require some advance planning so I’ve booked some flights and um, some dinner reservations. (So far, I’ve booked here and here.) Here’s my tentative plan so far but flights are only booked through my arrival in Vietnam and then the rest is mostly TBD…

Month 1: Thailand to relax and recharge my bank account.

Month 2: CHINA. I am so excited for this. I am going to take a Chinese class in Shanghai for two weeks (hit me up with your restaurant tips) and then I’m going to take a Yangtze River Cruise and see the Three Gorges Damn and I CAN’T WAIT because I um love massive engineering projects and water and boats. There will also be pandas and spicy food (afterwards).

Month 3: Vietnam. Mainly the beaches. And Halong Bay. And recharging my bank account some more.

Month 4: TBD but possible suspects include Taipei, Macau, and back to Bali to LEARN HOW TO SURF.

Month 5: Egypt? Cruise down the Nile? (I just want to go there so I can say “Denial is not a river in Egypt.”) Also, I have this thing…I want to go to Austria and go skiing. I went skiing in Kitzbuhel when I was 20 and had an amazing time and I want to do it again.

Leaving London: I Hate Goodbyes

So…the flat is packed and my stuff is in a warehouse in North London somewhere until I decide what to do with it. I’ve got a one way plane ticket to Thailand and um about 75 lbs in luggage. (I am really trying to reduce this but because I have to pack for hot and cold, it’s hard.) I need to defrost the fridge and get one of those end-of-tenancy deep cleans, and then I’m out of here — I’m leaving London.

When I left Chicago, I did a bit of an Irish goodbye and got a lot of flak for it but I hate goodbyes. And I’ll be back!! So in leaving London, it’s not like “Goodbye.” It’s like “see you soon” which for those of you in London means like in December or January!. If you want to follow my adventures, stay tuned on Instagram.  I’ve decided not to change my handle because it’s been my handle for so long — wherever I am, I will always be kristainlondon.

xoxo

You Might Also Be Interested In…

• Becoming a Digital Nomad, My Tips & Advice
• Becoming a Digital Nomad: Tips & Advice from Others

The post Why I’m Leaving London (Again) first appeared on Passport Delicious | Solo Travel Blog | Solo Female Travel.

My Ultimate Airbnb Host Checklist

I’ve stayed at a few Airbnbs now during my sojourn around the world and I’m continuously surprised by what I find. Sometimes, everything is amazing and all the supplies and Airbnb essentials are provided by the host — like the time we rented a house in the New Forest in England that had everything you could ever possibly need. (So much glassware!) Other times, the properties are woefully empty and under stocked and completely devoid of character and essentials. I find myself frequently thinking “If only they had done X or told me Y…” As such, over the years, I’ve assembled an “Ultimate Airbnb Host Checklist” that summarizes all the Airbnb essentials I’d love to find in any Airbnb. Some of the items are fairly basic…some are a bit more advanced. But they will all guarantee an awesome Airbnb experience and contribute to great host ratings.

My Ultimate Airbnb Host Checklist: Kitchen Essentials & Supplies

Nice hand soap: The first thing I do when I arrive at an Airbnb is usually wash my hands. Travel is a dirty business! I’m surprised by how many Airbnbs don’t have any hand soap. If I’m lucky, sometimes there’s some dish soap I can use but a lot of times, there’s none of that either! (I’ve noticed now that Airbnb asks you if there was soap in the post-property review.) Small hotel soaps are fine but hand wash of some sort is just as fine.

Universal phone charger: The second thing I do after checking in an Airbnb is charge my phone. While I always carry my own chargers, I always appreciate when a host leaves a universal phone charger behind. I’m putting this on the kitchen Airbnb essentials list because I feel like most of us charge our phones in the kitchen during the day.

Salt & pepper: Once I’m checked in and my phone is charged, it’s time to determine what to do for my next meal! I like the self-sufficiency of an Airbnb and having the option to cook for myself. If you’re just traveling for a few days, it makes no sense to bring your own salt and pepper or buy full-size salt and pepper dispensers when you reach your Airbnb destination. It would be wonderful if more hosts would provide salt and pepper and other cooking essentials in the kitchen. I like salt and pepper on my eggs and salt and pepper is hard to buy in small quantities. Please make sure salt and pepper is on your Airbnb host checklist!

Olive oil and/or vegetable oil: Same as the above. A little oil can be really helpful for cooking and short-stay guests generally are not going to use an entire bottle so it’s silly to buy a bottle.

Coffee maker: I think most of us in the Western world can agree that one of the first things we do in the morning is make coffee. It would be wonderful if more Airbnbs had a coffee maker — it’s an essential item, especially if there’s no Starbucks around! I’ve found that about 50% of Airbnbs that I’ve stayed in have one right now. I suggest adding a single-serve unit like this Keurig to your Airbnb hosting checklist.

Kettle: This may be the European in me but I really rely on my kettle for everything: boiling water for pasta, instant coffee (don’t judge) or instant noodles. And of course, making a good cup of tea. Especially if there’s no coffee maker, then I need a kettle!! These are really inexpensive purchases that go along way to helping your Airbnb guest enjoy their stay.

Sugar: All this talk of coffee and maybe tea…while it’s understandable that Airbnb hosts don’t provide milk (it goes bad too quickly), it would be lovely if there was a small stash of sugar packets around. Sugar is hard to buy in small quantities! This is another item for the top of your Airbnb host checklist. Again, just the basic kitchen essentials for a short stay would be great.

Dish soap, sponge, and dish towels: If you want me to wash my own dishes, leave me with some dish soap, a sponge and a dish towel. I’m a neat and tidy guest. I don’t want to leave a sink full of dirty dishes when I leave! So make it easy for me to wash your Airbnb’s dishes by providing basic but cleaning supplies. These are definite Airbnb essentials!

Scissors: I am continuously amazed by how frequently I need scissors in someone else’s home. Just yesterday in Chiang Mai, I couldn’t get the wrapping off some brie I had bought (sorry, first world problem) but luckily, I had fingernail scissors in my bag. Add a pair of scissors to your Airbnb host checklist!

Bottle opener: I hope this one needs no explanation! It’s always 5 o’clock somewhere! Make sure your guests have a bottle opener for beer! Otherwise, they may try to bang the bottles open on your counter top and you really don’t want them to do that. This is one of the definite Airbnb essentials!

Corkscrew: Same with this one! I recommend the type with arms. Easier for guests to use for that celebratory bottle of wine. Also consider going the extra mile and leaving your Airbnb guests a bottle of wine to enjoy during their stay.

Laundry detergent: If there’s a washing machine, a small amount of laundry detergent would be really great. It stinks to have to buy a big box if you are only staying for a few days. I’m in an Airbnb in London as I write this and although there is a washer and dryer, there is no laundry detergent. I went to the store to buy some and the smallest box had 15 pods in it. I am not going to do 15 loads of laundry while I am here! If you have a washer in your property, I think offering laundry detergent is essential!

Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detector: A lot of Airbnbs have a smoke detector but I’m actually less worried about fire than I am about carbon monoxide, which is a silent but deadly killer. I think it’s only a matter of time before Airbnb has a major incident with carbon monoxide.  I don’t understand why carbon monoxide detectors are not required Airbnb essentials — they should be on every Airbnb host checklist. It’s to the point now that I’ve considered purchasing a portable carbon monoxide detector.

Fire extinguisher: Better safe than sorry. Seriously. You never know. (Also, make sure you understand local fire code as it relates to your Aribnb property. You may be required by law to have a fire extinguisher at the property.) Please put this on your Airbnb checklist. It is definitely one of the major Airbnb essentials.

Dinnerware:

• Plates, cups and bowls, at least one set per guest. (Bowls seem to be especially rare but cereal is so easy for breakfast!)
• Silverware, at least one set per guest
• Wine glasses, at least one per guest
• Coffee mugs, at least one per guest

A good knife block. Some Airbnb guests like to cook. A good knife block is essential!

Cutting board: You do not want guests cutting things up directly on your counter tops and tables. Provide one ore more cutting boards in your Airbnb.

Pots and pans: The Airbnb I am in now came with one frying pan. That’s it!! No pasta for me then! (Oddly, although there is a frying pan, there’s no spatula.)

Oven mitts: Of course. You don’t want anyone to burn anything.

Garbage bags: Help me keep your place clean! Leave me with at least one extra garbage bag. Also, instructions for throwing out the trash. Garbage bags seem like essential items for your Airbnb host checklist.

Broom and dustpan: Give your guests an easy way to clean crumbs up off the floor by providing a small broom and dustpan. It will make your cleaners’ lives easier in the long-run, I promise!

Manuals for all the appliances: This is another head scratcher — I can’t believe more Airbnbs don’t have this! If you have a lot of small appliances, add manuals to your Airbnb host checklist and leave a binder of all the appliance manuals in your property.

My Ultimate Airbnb Host Checklist: Bathroom Essentials

Toilet paper: Most places I’ve stayed in have had at least one roll of toilet paper, but there was a place in France I stayed in that had none when I arrived. While I don’t expect my host to leave six rolls, one roll in each bathroom plus a spare roll or two would be really nice. Really, you can never have enough toilet paper.

Bath mat: I’ve been surprised by how few Airbnbs provide bath mats and wonder what the owners do themselves after they take a shower? Stomp around in their bare feet on the wet floor? I’ve actually started bringing my own bath mat with me for Airbnb stays. No one should have to do this! Make sure you provide a non-slip bathmat too.

Bath towels: One set of towels for each guest: bath towel, hand towel, facecloth. Maybe an extra set just to be nice. People are not going to bring their own towels! These are essential items for your Aribnb host checklist.

Towel rack and/or towel hooks: Oddly, the place I stayed in in France and no towel rack in the bathroom nor any hooks to dry towels. I had to hang my towels over the metal kitchen chairs to dry. You would think hosts would get this but…

Hairdryer: There are studies out there that prove that listings with hair dryers make more money. Why wouldn’t a host provide a hairdryer? (My guess is that the host is probably a dude.) This to me is an Airbnb essential.

Nightlight: Your guests may need to make a midnight trip or too to the bathroom so provide a nightlight to guide the way in case they don’t want to wake up other guests. Put a pack of four on your Airbnb host checklist so you can provide nightlights in other parts of your accommodation.

Tissues: Tissues are essential. You never know when you might need one!

Soap: For the sink and/or the shower/bathtub. Honestly, no one travels with soap! You should provide some.

Shampoo & conditioner: This is a controversial one because with Airbnb, you would think that people would realize that they need to bring their own shampoo and conditioner. I am much better about doing a little pre-Airbnb shopping now but it would be so great if hosts could put shampoo and conditioner on their Airbnb host checklist and leave some behind for every guest. Amazon even lets you buy multipacks if it helps! (With shampoo, conditioner, AND SOAP.) Alternatively, you could purchase shampoo and bodywash dispensers for the shower and fill them up regularly.

My Ultimate Airbnb Host Checklist: Bedroom Essentials

Full-length mirror. I stayed in one Airbnb once that I swear had no mirrors and it was the oddest experience. The town we were in a dining destination and has a ton of great bars and restaurants. I would assume that most guests would want to dress up a little and make sure they look nice before heading out the door! But no! Not in this apartment. A full-length mirror is an Airbnb essential!

Clothing rack. If there is no closet with hangers, purchase a simple freestanding clothing rack — like they use for fashion shows — and put it in the bedroom. I don’t always want to live out of my suitcase or throw all my stuff on a chair. Likewise, with some outfits, I don’t want to cook them in a dryer. I partially dry them and then hang them to dry from there. You definitely need to put at least one mirror on your Airbnb host checklist!

Mattress cover. Again, help me help you. Recently, I twisted my ankle while staying in an Airbnb. I had to go to bed with an ice pack on it. Of course, in the morning, the ice pack had melted all over the bed. A waterproof mattress cover would have prevented any mattress damage. Mattress covers will help your mattress last longer, protect against uh foreign matter, and they don’t need to be cleaned as often as sheets. Add one or more waterproof mattress covers to your Aribnb host checklist please.

Decent pillows: I am so disappointed in the world when I experience the pillows left in most Airbnbs. Is this how people sleep? Buy comfortable pillows for your guests! (And, apparently, for you too!!) 2 pillows per guest please! There are a ton of choices on Amazon…down, fake down, latex…anything! Personally, I love two big down pillows just for me! (Four is even better per person in my opinion but that may be a little much for your Airbnb host checklist.) Some people are allergic to feathers though so you may want to buy the artificial down pillows instead.

Pillow protectors: I am a little grossed out by how many people may have breathed into the same pillow as me. Buy pillow protectors. Your pillows will last longer because of it, saving you money! You should wash and dry your pillow protectors between guests.

Luggage rack: Want to reduce wear and tear on your bedroom? Provide guests with a simple an inexpensive luggage rack so they are not throwing their suitcases all over. This to me is an essential item on your Airbnb host checklist. It also prevents your guests from always rooting around on the floor for stuff.

Safe: This is something I wish that all Airbnbs would have, especially for international guests — definitely one of the top Airbnb essentials in my mind. I don’t always want to be carrying my passport around with me but I feel weird leaving it in a property unattended. Get a hotel safe for your guests so they can feel secure! Even non-international guests may want to leave some things behind in the safe.

Extension cord next to the bed: If there is no outlet next to the bed for charging devices, add an extension cord and set it you for your guests so they don’t go pulling out all the furniture looking for outlets. Set one extension cord up on each side of the bed to be an even better host.

Laundry basket: If you have a washer and dryer in your home, definitely add a laundry basket to your Airbnb host checklist so your guests can easily collect and later fold and distribute their laundry.

Iron & ironing board: Personally, I’m not much of an ironer but I know other people are. Tip: Buy an auto-off iron so you don’t have to worry about guests burning your property down! That will provide you with essential peace of mind!

Nightstands: I like to have a glass of water next to the bed at night. Hard to do if there’s nowhere to put it! This seems to be an odd trend these days — no nightstands. You can buy cheap tables at IKEA no problem.

Decent lighting. I’ve stayed in a lot of very dark Airbnb bedrooms. Do people not read at night before they go to bed?

My Ultimate Airbnb Host Checklist: Entrance-way Essentials

Key hook: A lot of Airbnbs only come with one set of keys so having a key hook in the foyer is a great way of making sure no one has to play the “Who has the keys?” game. (That being said, I recommend foregoing keys entirely and using keypad locks instead where you can automagically change the code between guests.)

Coat rack: If there’s space, it would be great to have a coat rack in the foyer.

Mirror: Like my bedroom suggestion although this one can be smaller. It gives people a chance to make sure they have nothing in their teeth before they leave the house!

My Ultimate Airbnb Host Checklist: Living Room Essentials

Framed wifi code. Especially if your wifi code is complicated, print it out and frame it and put it on an end table in the living room. This prevents all the guests from wondering what it is.

Instructions on how to use the television remotes. Some Airbnbs come with like 12 remotes. Make it easy on your guests by leaving instructions!!

Enough seating for your guests + 2. I rented an Airbnb with friends once and there was seriously no where for anyone to sit. There were enough beds for everyone but unless we brought kitchen chairs into the living room, not everyone could get comfortable. I’ve rented other places where we sorta have enough seating but we all have to sit on top of each other. Make sure there’s a little extra seating so your guests have some personal space.

Bluetooth Speaker: When I travel, I love listening to music. I’ve taken to bringing my own Bluetooth speaker but these are so inexpensive these days…why not have one or two available in your place for guests?

Decent lighting: Again it’s amazing to me how dark some Airbnbs are!

Summary of My Ultimate Airbnb Host Checklist

I will keep updating this post as I come up with new must-have essentials and supplies for this Airbnb host checklist. I’ve left off things like Nest thermostats and AppleTV for now because they feel more like nice-to-haves but perhaps it makes sense to add an Airbnb essentials “nice-to-haves” section to this host checklist as well. If you have other suggestions, please tell me more in the comments!

Pin My Airbnb Essentials for Later!

The post The Ultimate Airbnb Host Checklist first appeared on Passport Delicious | Solo Travel Blog | Solo Female Travel.

Sorry, I’m not suggesting that you read John Grisham on your summer holiday. Read these books I’ve suggested below instead!

I’ve been reading like crazy lately. I’ve been trying to do less of other things and reading is a great way to soak up the time. I’m also tired of being a slave to the IFE (that’s In Flight Entertainment) on long-haul flights, so being able to entertain myself with a good book is, well, good!! It’s funny the comments I get…strangers saying things like “Man, that must be really good” when I haven’t moved from my seat in ages. Yes it is good!! Books are good! We should all read more books!

You know what else is good? GOODREADS. I LOVE GOODREADS. So many books! So many books and so little time. I like stalking what my friends are reading and seeing where our tastes are the same or different. And I’ve discovered so many books I wouldn’t have read otherwise! I’ve also surprised myself by the breadth of what I’ve read lately — escaping from my usual fluffy beach read trash for more of my English major roots. So if you have a long flight coming up or are planning a summer holiday, here are some of my favorite reads in the last six-ish months, roughly in order of enjoyment within each genre but honestly, if it’s listed here, I enjoyed it. ENJOY!! (And tell me what else I should read please based on this list please.)

Historical Fiction (Generally, My Favorite Genre.)

Pachinko, Min Jin Lee

I LOVED this super-interesting multi-generational story centered around a young girl who grows up in Korea during the Japanese occupation and later moves to Japan with her new husband and young son. She survives in so many clever, clever ways amidst terrible circumstances including racism and poverty.  It is a satisfyingly thick book that kept me engaged throughout. I learned so much about Japan and Korea during a very difficult stretch of  history. Interesting characters, interesting backdrops. (Also moves into modern fiction at the end.) Amazon US | Amazon UK

TransAtlantic, Colum McCann

SUCH an unusual novel. It’s almost like a series of short stories, but they all blend into each other. It starts with two Canadian aviators, attempting to cross the Atlantic for the first time. Then, there’s the great American abolitionist and orator, Frederick Douglass, who is in Ireland to raise money for the cause from the Irish, who lead their own complicated lives in a country on the brink of starvation. Later, there is the story of Senator George Mitchell and the Good Friday Agreement in Northern Ireland. I won’t give away how all the stories are intertwined but when it all came together, I was very impressed. I deeply enjoyed this. It’s deep stuff. Serious stuff.  (And this was a Goodreads rec — a friend from many years ago read it and loved it so I added it to my to-read pile.) Amazon US | Amazon UK

The Glass Palace, Amitav Ghosh

If you’ve been following my Myanmar posts, you know that I LOVED this book and it really gave me some good context for Burma’s last king and Burma in general from the 1880s to the 1990s. It is a fictional account of a young Indian boy who falls in love with a Burmese girl who serves the Burmese royal family. They eventually marry and lead a very interesting life together. This covers British colonialism, the rampage of war, family dynasties, and the life choices people make in unusual circumstances. This was a nice big fat book that I really never wanted to end. It’s a great story from start to finish. I hope it becomes a movie. Amazon US | Amazon UK

The Poisonwood Bible, Barbara Kingslover

This was so fascinating!! Whey didn’t I read this sooner?? It’s the book that Goodreads has been wanting me to read forever and I finally did and I found it so interesting! American missionaries move to the Congo in the 1950s and they are woefully unprepared for what they are about to encounter, both in their African village and in in terms of the political turmoil that is about to occur. They are also not very good about mixing with the locals (with one main exception). So fascinating!! Amazon US | Amazon UK

Homegoing, Yaa Gyasi

Similar to TransAtlantic, this is a series of stories that all connect with each other and take us through the origins of slavery in Africa to modern times. The stories follow the descendants of two sisters — one sister stays in Africa, the other is sold into slavery in America — over 300 years. I was so glad I read this and TransAtlantic before visiting the African American History Museum in Washington DC the other week. Sobering tales with some glimmers of hope. Amazon US | Amazon UK

A Town Like Alice, Nevil Shute

There are three parts to this book — an English part, a Malaysian part, and an Australian part. Truth be told, I found the Malaysian part the most interesting, but the Australian part has its moments. The book follows a young English woman who is taken prisoner by the Japanese during World War II and is basically forced to march across Malaysia with a group of other expat prisoners — amazingly, she survives. She later moves to the Australian outback — there’s really not much there when she arrives — and cleverly contributes to its development. This was really enjoyable and interesting and I learned a lot about a part of WWII history I knew little about. This is not a new book, but it was new to me. Amazon US | Amazon UK

The Alice Network, Kate Quinn

I love a good female spy novel so was intrigued by the premise here of a group of female spies in France in World War I. It’s intertwined with the story of a young woman in the aftermath of World War II, looking for her cousin who disappeared during the war. This was just a good story and an enjoyable read, despite the terrible circumstances of war. (I also read this right before The Power, which later got me thinking later about how different wars would be if more women were involved.) This is the type of book you will read and then tell your mother and aunts to read. Amazon US | Amazon UK

Modern Fiction

Home Fire, Kamila Shamsie

This has been one of my bookclub’s all-time favorite reads and where I think we’ve had the most discussion. (If you knew your brother was a terrorist, would you report him?) Set it London, it’s the story of a British family of Pakistani origin who have jihadi ties. It’s a family drama and also, in some ways, a love story, but we fought about that too. (If I really loved you, would I hurt you or your family?) Super thought-provoking. Amazon US | Amazon UK

An American Marriage, Tayari Jones

If there was ever a right time for a book, it’s now. Celestial and Roy are a newly married African-American couple in America’s south. During a trip to visit family, Roy is arrested for a crime he didn’t commit and is incarcerated. Will the marriage survive?  Themes include racial prejudice and profiling, the prison system in the US, and most heavily, the complicated relationships married couples and families have with each other. This book kept surprising me — the characters are quite complicated and maddening! I haven’t stopped thinking about it since and strongly recommended it to my book club the other week — it’s our next read. Amazon US | Amazon UK

Girl at War, Sara Novic

This is my university’s summer virtual book club pick. I just finished  this as I was writing the post and man…the tears. This is the fictional story of a young girl growing up in Croatia in the former Yugoslavia as everything starts to change in the 1990s. I’ve been wanting to read more about this part of the world since my trip to Montenegro last year (when I inadvertently made two grown men cry with my questions) and wish I had found this sooner so I would have had more context. The American part of the story is not entirely exciting — although I suppose that’s the point.  Compelling and thought-provoking and written in a very realistic way. (Although there are a few plot foibles.) Also, I read this a few hours before going to bed last night and then finished it this morning — a quick read. Amazon US | Amazon UK

The Bone Sparrow, Zana Fraillon

Having just returned from Myanmar, the fate of the Rohingya Muslims of Northern Myanmar weighs heavily on my mind. I believe this book is billed as a young adult novel, but it’s quite heavy. It’s a fictional story of young Rohingya refugees in an Australian refugee camp and how they survive the repetitiveness of the day-to-day. There are moments of beautiful lightness that highlight the imaginations of children, but then there are also moments of incredible darkness that center on man’s inhumanity to man and the plight of the refugee. Another book that will get you thinking — note there’s some fantasy in here too. This was a relatively quick read. Sweet but sobering. Amazon US | Amazon UK

Little Fires Everywhere, Celeste Ng

Let me start by saying I almost didn’t finish this. I found the first third pretty boring. But all the reviews were so good and a number of my friends liked it, so I figured I should keep going. It’s an interesting story of a mother and daughter who move into a new neighborhood and the impact they have on their neighbors. I don’t want to give away too much here because while I had a feeling something was up, I didn’t totally see what was coming. This is one of those books that makes you think, “Man, people lead complicated lives.” This is not a fast moving story so keep it for a  day when you want a slow burn and you’re willing to persevere with something. Amazon US | Amazon UK

Dystopian/Futuristic

Dark Matter, Blake Crouch

This is a time-travel sci-fi thriller set in Chicago so I had to read it! (Although whether the author really knows Chicago well is debatable.) It’s one of those “flap of a butterfly’s wing” types of stories — how small decisions can alter the course of our lives. The main character is a  physicist who…I don’t want to tell you. Basically, let’s just say he walks out of a bar one day and his entire life changes. What happened? Why? This is a good beach read that you can do in a day. Both men and women will like this. Super fast and super easy. Not rocket science, but that’s okay. This will definitely be a movie. Amazon US | Amazon UK

The Power, Naomi Alderman

This is a great read right now, today, with everything that is going on with the #MeToo movement and stories like the Uber sexual harassment case. Imagine if women truly did have the power — if they controlled men, controlled sex, controlled politics and countries and armies. This is not an easy read because of its darkness, but it’s a thought-provoking one. You will alternately like and (strongly) dislike the main characters. But it’s one of those books that I’m still thinking about months later. Amazon US | Amazon UK

Non-Fiction

Red Notice, Bill Browder

With everything going on with Russia, I wanted to read something about Russia today and a friend of mine highly recommended Red Notice. I am so glad she did because this was AMAZING. Mr. Browder is an American hedge fund manager in Moscow who manages to piss off the Russians constantly and without even trying. Such a fascinating tale of financial crime, murder, corruption, and government control. And it’s all true!! Especially entertaining if you’ve ever worked in the investment management industry. This will make a GREAT movie. Amazon US | Amazon UK

The Glass Castle, Jeannette Walls

Most of my friends on Goodreads have read this one and liked it so I figured I would give it a whirl. And man, am I glad I did. This is the true story of a mother and father that I suppose could loosely be described as hippie and anti-establishment and how they raise their children as they roam across America from one town to the next. It’s a story of creativity and alcoholism and poverty and survival. The West Virginia part was my least favorite — mainly because it’s dark with uncomfortable themes — but it’s such an interesting family and story. I am not surprised that this has already been made into a movie. I need to watch it. Amazon US | Amazon UK

Evicted: Poverty & Profit in the American City, Matthew Desmond

With everything going on in America these days, I’ve been trying to better understand cycles of poverty and addiction and a recommendation from Adventurous Kate led me to this chilling collection of true stories, most of which tie back to eviction and the role of American landlords and the failure of government in some way. All of the stories are upsetting in different ways, especially the terrible choices those living below the poverty line are forced to make. Not a fun read, but a meaningful one that will stay with you for a while. Amazon US | Amazon UK

Born a Crime, Trevor Noah

I didn’t know much about Mr. Noah before reading this and now you can count me as a fan. This book covers his childhood in Apartheid South Africa — he has a black mother from South Africa and a white father from Switzerland — and doesn’t really spend much time on his career as a comedian. (I imagine there will be another autobiography at some point.) This is such a compelling read about growing up when you really don’t fit in anywhere. It also provides useful context on South Africa if you, like me, know very little. I imagine I will shortly be looking for historical fiction about Apartheid South Africa so please send me any recommendations. Amazon US | Amazon UK

Goal: 30 Books by the End of 2018

I’m at 24 books now (I am basically reading about one book a week) but my time for reading is about to take a beating. What should I read next?? Note there were a number of other books I finished over the last six months that I didn’t really enjoy  so I haven’t listed them here. (Ready Player One or Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine anyone??!)

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The post What to Read on Your Summer Vacation: My Recent Reads first appeared on Passport Delicious | Solo Travel Blog | Solo Female Travel.

What to pack for London: My top tips for your London packing list

What to Pack for London: My Amazingly Comprehensive London Packing List

My friends and relatives in the US always seem perplexed by what to pack for London, which I find so funny! You’re visiting a big city. Pack the same things for London that you’d pack for any other big city! But still the questions for a London packing list roll in. Do I need an umbrella? (Yes.) Do I need nice shoes? (Probably.) How safe is it and will I get pick-pocketed? (Very safe. And I’ve never been pick-pocketed in London but I know a very small number of people who have had their purses stolen while out at a bar or pub and or had their credit card details swiped after paying in a restaurant so always be careful.) Should I bring my hairdryer? (No, unless you are staying at a hostel.)

My Suggestions for What to Pack for London

After over a decade of questions like these, I’ve put together my ultimate London packing list. Especially because it’s almost June as I write this and for some reason, people always ask me in May what to pack for London in June. Please let me know if I’ve forgotten anything!

The #1 Item on Your London Packing List

Good quality collapsible umbrella: If you ask most people what to pack for London, this is the first thing they will say. Yes, London has this reputation for rain and while it certainly doesn’t rain every day, you should pack a good quality collapsible umbrella for your trip to London. Note that many 4 star and 5 star hotels will provide an umbrella, but it’s the big kind (almost like a golf umbrella) that’s really a pain to walk around with. So I recommend that you bring your own collapsible umbrella, but just make sure it’s a good quality one. Those tiny Totes umbrellas won’t cut it if it’s a bit windy. I have this umbrella from LifeTek and I really love it. Seriously, a good umbrella is one of those “must haves” for your London packing list.  Buy this umbrella.

The #2 Item on Your London Packing List

Make sure you have a credit card with no foreign transaction fees!! Otherwise, every time you use your credit card in the UK, you will get hit with fees.

Related but separate, you are probably wedded to your bank so it’s hard to change this but make sure you understand your bank’s ATM fees overseas as well. I’m still not good at this myself to be honest. One of these days, I will get an account with Charles Schwab that does not charge ATM fees on international withdrawals. To reduce fees, consider taking out larger sums of money. (i.e., rather than making four £100 withdrawals, take one £400 withdrawal.) Alternatively, pay for everything you can with a no foreign transaction fee credit card. One more idea: set up Apple Pay/Android Pay/Google Pay before you go, using our no foreign transaction fee credit card. It MAY work on London buses and trains if you have a connection.

Related to this, a contactless non-UK credit card can also be used directly to pay for tube and bus fares but you may need to try a few cards before one works. AND as per the above, make sure it’s a card with no foreign transaction fees! (Personally, I don’t like getting my credit card out all the time because I am pretty sure I will lose it but it really is up to you!)

Electronics & Gadgets to Pack for London

An unlocked cell phone: Your phone phone carrier might provide coverage in London but if it’s not free, consider adding an unlocked phone to your London packing list and purchasing a Pay-as-You-Go SIM card upon arrival. This way, you’ll have easy access to all the internet you need and won’t be relying on potentially expensive international roaming charges. It is VERY easy to get an international SIM card. After you exit customs, they sell them in Heathrow. If you have friends in London, you can also ask them to order them online. (I recommend Three as it’s the cheapest and best PAYG SIM. If you don’t believe me, just Google it!)

Amazon Kindle: You may find yourself on the tube a lot. And if you do the American thing and stay in South Kensington which for some reason is where all American tourists tend to say, you will definitely be on the tube a lot because you will be very far west. So you should bring a Kindle so you can read during long tube rides! Books take up space in your luggage. Buy a Kindle.

Plug adapters: Plugs in the UK are HUGE — as in large. I honestly can’t believe how huge they are. You’ll need a few good quality US to UK plug adapters — do not rely on your hotel to have any for you, and depending on where you are staying, they can be hard to find in stores! I carry around a bunch of multi-region adapters wherever I go and they work really well. (These are particularly a good idea if you are hitting the UK and mainland Europe during your trip or have other European or Asian trips planned.) But you can probably get away with the straight US to UK adapters if you are just visiting the UK. Note that these are just plug adapters and not voltage adapters — do not use plug adapters with your hairdryer or curling iron or you may blow a fuse! Adapters need to go at the top of your London packing list. Buy US to UK plug adapters and/or multi-region adapters.

Portable charging block: There’s so much to see and do in London, it’s entirely possible that you might find yourself away from your hotel for 8 to 12 hours a day! Nothing is worse than a dead phone battery as you’re using Google Maps to navigate and doing it for the ‘gram as you are photographing every meal and landmark. I highly recommend adding a portable charging block to your London packing list so you and your traveling companions can always have access to power. Buy a power bank.

Long phone charging cables: In most older UK hotels, there are no outlets next to the bed. So I recommend that you pack a couple of 10 foot phone chargers, either for Apple or Android products. These can be lifesavers!! (Of course, if the outlet is across the room, they don’t really help, but as long is the outlet is relatively close to the bed, these are great.)

• Buy a 10 ft long iPhone cable.
• Buy a 10ft long Android cable.

Selfie stick: I know, I know. Maybe you don’t want to be that person. But with so many Instagram-able places in London, you should really invest in a selfie-stick to take photos of yourself and your friends while you are out and about! Buy a selfie stick. (Alternatively, consider hiring a professional photographer for a few hours one day!)

Small tripod: Alternatively (or in addition to), pack a small tripod which can help you take pics when you are exploring London. I like the Joby Gorilla. Buy a travel tripod.

FitBit: I highly highly recommend adding a FitBit to your London packing list. Wear it for a few weeks before you travel to London and then wear your FitBit in London too and compare the data! You will definitely do more stairs for sure. More walking most likely as well!

Guidebooks for Your London Packing List

Before you leave for London, definitely add a few recent guidebooks to your London packing list. London changes very rapidly so make sure the guidebooks were published in 2017, 2018, or 2019. No older than that! Here are some top recommendations:

London A to Z: OK, not technically a guidebook but if you are planning on navigating your way around London without Google Maps, buy a London A to Z. In the old days, before mobile phones, we all use to carry these. There’s a handy street index in the back that helps you look up exactly where each location is.  (Note this is pronounced “A to zed.”)

Rick Steves London 2019: I LOVE RICK STEVES! His guidebooks are so well-researched and he is very focused on finding good value for readers. I definitely recommend adding his guidebook to your London packing list.

National Geographic Walking London: One of the best ways to see London is to walk it…it’s an amazingly walkable city. I love this guide of key walks you can do around town.

Personal Care Items for Your London Packing List

Travel insurance: Always good to be prepared in the face of emergency, so please make sure you purchase travel insurance. I’ve used World Nomads in the past. The NHS is great but you may not be able to access it and/or you may want to access the private health care service, which is where high quality travel insurance comes into play. Buy travel insurance.

Collapsible water bottle: It’s important to stay hydrated when you will be doing so much walking! Bring a collapsible water bottle with you to London and stop in at Costa, Pret a Manger and Starbucks to fill it up. These chains have partnered with the City of London to offer free tap water to anyone who brings in a reusable bottle. This helps reduce plastic waste as well. And yes, it’s safe to drink the tap water in London. Buy a collapsible water bottle.

Dual voltage hair dryer: If you are super vain about your hair and if you are staying in hotels that are not likely to provide hairdryers, consider adding a dual-voltage travel hairdryer that will work in the US and UK to your packing list. Honestly though, most hotels have hair dryers so you probably don’t need this. This is probably only necessary if you are mainly staying in hostels or Airbnbs that don’t have hair dryers. Buy a dual voltage hair dryer.

Facecloths: Totally weird to us Yanks but British people don’t use facecloths/wash cloths. Most American hotels in London will have them (think Marriott, Starwood, IHG)  because they are used to American guests, but if you’re staying at a smaller, more independent hotel, it’s not unusual to find no facecloths. (You can try asking for a “flannel,” as they are called here, but good luck.) So add some cheap facecloths to your London packing list and then throw them out as you go rather than trying to pack wet ones after each hotel stay. Buy facecloths. Alternatively, bring some face wipes.

Hand sanitizer: You will likely be on and off the tube in London all day, taking buses, and just being out and about, so definitely add some travel-size hand sanitizer to your London packing list! Buy hand sanitizer.

Good American deodorant: It is my opinion that British deodorant is not as good as American deodorant! And after walking 20,000 steps a day, you really want your deodorant to keep up. So American deodorant is one thing you must pack for London, and Secret is my favorite. Buy Secret deodorant.

Hair conditioner: London water is hard so bring your favorite hair conditioner or be ready to buy some here.

Fashion & Accessories to Pack for London

Tote bags: Retail outlets in the UK have to charge for plastic bags so it’s really helpful if you pack your own shopping bag(s) in case you want to pick up anything at the grocery store or drugstore. These can be incredibly helpful things to pack for London if you are staying in an Airbnb and plan on eating a lot of meals at home. Buy one (or more) that is foldable, reusable and washable. (This will also come in handy for your magazines and snacks during your flight.) Buy tote bags.

Pashmina or scarf: The temperature can vary considerably during the day in London — winter spring, summer, or fall — so a good quality pashmina or scarf can be a great addition to your traveler wardrobe and London packing list and can even help you dress up jeans or a more casual ensemble. Either drape around your shoulders or knot like any stylish European would. Buy a pashmina.

Packing cubes: British hotel rooms can be much smaller than US hotel rooms so you may not have much space to store and unpack your luggage. Packing cubes make it so much easier to find your stuff! Pack your underwear in one cube, your socks in another, your workout gear in another, etc. I love my eBags packing cubes!! They really keep my suitcase so much more organized. Buy packing cubes.

Hanging toiletry bag: London hotel bathrooms can be a lot smaller than US hotel bathrooms (are you sensing a theme here) so you may want to pack a hanging toiletry bag to keep all your personal care items organized. Tip: Buy this in a bright color so you don’t accidentally forget it on the back of the hotel room door. Buy a hanging toiletry bag.

Sturdy wallet for pound coins — with RFID blocking: The one thing everyone says to me once they’ve been here for a few days is “Man, British change is heavy!!” Invest in a wallet with a strong coin purse for all those pound coins you’re about to collect! I also highly recommend that you get a wallet with RFID blocking technology to prevent having your card details stolen. Buy a wallet with change purse and RFID blocking.

Crossbody handbag with an outside pocket: This one is specifically for the ladies. If you will be taking the tube in London a lot, I recommend that you make sure you pack a handbag with an easily accessible outside pocket for your Oyster card. This way, you’re not constantly opening your handbag and trying to find your Oyster card in crowded tube stations. You may also want to invest in a slash-proof bag. Personally, I prefer cross-body bags. I have a full write up on some of my favorite anti-theft bags here.

Comfortable shoes: Unless you are used to always walking more than 10,000 steps a day, it’s likely that you will walk more in London than you do at home. Plus, there are a ton of stairs in London and you will constantly be going up and down. So definitely make sure you put at least two pairs of comfortable shoes on your London packing list. (I say two pairs because I know from personal experience that if you wear the same shoes for a long day of walking, it really helps to change to a different pair the next day.) I swear by my Doc Martens when it’s colder out but pick the shoes that are right for you. Note that Londoners tend to dress up a bit so definitely make sure at least one pair that you pack for London is a bit more formal. Londoners tend to like more stylish sneakers (trainers) as well.

Shower sandals: If you will be staying in a number of different hotels in the UK and elsewhere, I highly recommend that you put some shower sandals on your London packing list. Havaianas are my favorite.

In winter, your London packing list just needs a few more things.

Packing List for London in Winter

Planning a December trip to London for the holidays? London doesn’t tend to get a lot of snow (2018 was an outlier) so you can usually leave your snow boots and huge down coats at home. Honestly, I think the above list covers most everything you need. Just throw in a decent coat, a hat, gloves, and scarf and you will be fine. If you forget any of these things, I recommend popping into M&S or Uniqlo to pick up inexpensive ones.  I tend to live in black tights in the winter but that’s just me.

Don’t Forget Your Phone! Pack The Best London Apps!

It occurred to me recently that these days, packing our phones is almost as important as packing our suitcases. Depending on how long you are in town for, here are my top app recommendations for your London packing list. Make sure you download and install them before your visit!

• Uber: Of course.
• Gett: This is the app for London black cabs. Make sure you register and set it up before you visit. Saves time later.
• Citymapper: Use this to navigate the trains and buses. The bus can often be the most direct way from A to B but tourists don’t often realize this!
• Santander Cycles: This will tell you where the nearest Boris bikes are. (Boris bikes because our old mayor was Boris Johnson and he was in charge when these were launched.)
• OpenTable: For booking restaurants.
• Tube Map app: Very very handy. Citymapper is great but this actually shows you the tube map all in one place.
• Apple Pay or Google Pay or Android Pay: Before you leave for London, set up your credit cards with Apple Pay, Google Pay, or Android Pay and you MIGHT be able to use them to pay for tube or bus journeys. I say might because results still seem to be mixed so you may need to try out a few options. These payment methods are also increasingly accepted at London restaurants and bars now too.

The Most Important Item on Your London Packing List

The most important thing to pack for London is an open mind! Customer service will not be as prompt and ever-present as it is in America. Showers will seem different and strange. (And as noted above, the water is hard.) Bath tubs are huge and normally higher than American ones. There will be more people and traffic than you might be used to. Just take it all in stride! Do not expect it to be the same as wherever it is that you are from.

Advice on What to Pack for London from Others

I read more than 25 other packing lists for London and picked out the ones that I thought were the most helpful and specific and were more helpful than “Don’t forget to pack socks and underwear and a trench coat.” (Who wears a trench coat these days anyhow?) Here are some other posts with tips for your London packing list:

• What Should I Bring on My London Trip, Asher & Lyric
• What to Pack for London and Paris in the Winter for Real People, My Wanderlusty Life
• Bare Minimum Packing, Here’s Your Packing List, Solo Traveler World (Not specific to London but still very helpful.)

London Packing List Summary

OK, those are my top recs for what to pack for London! I hope you find my London packing list helpful! What are your recommendations?  Let me know!

While you’re organizing your London packing list, you might find these other articles helpful:

• The Best London Souvenirs
• The Best London Food Tours
• Best Non-Touristy Things to Do in London
• The Perfect 3-Day London Itinerary
• How to Save Money on London Restaurants
• My Top 10 Favorite London Restaurants
• My Favorite Travel Products

Pin It for Later!

Don’t Forget to Add Some Tours to Your London Packing List!

The post My Amazingly Comprehensive London Packing List first appeared on Passport Delicious | Solo Travel Blog | Solo Female Travel.

Don’t be afraid to travel solo in your 40s! There’s so much to see and do!

Solo Travel in Your 40s: Do It!!!

Unfortunately, I’m not the 30-year-old I was back when I first started this blog many years ago. I feel like the same person, but I’m really not. This blog isn’t the same either — it’s morphed from a website about restaurants in London into a solo travel blog.

I’m in my 40s now and this is both good and bad…it’s good in that I have more money now and I know myself better than I used to. It’s bad in that I’m probably less flexible than I used to be — mentally and emotionally AND physically. (I really need to get back into yoga.)

It’s also bad in that my friends all have families and commitments that mean that we can’t have the adventures we once did, like the time I found my girlfriends and I a cheap flight to Tunisia (!) to hang out on the beach or the time my friends and I decided to hop a train from Munich to Innsbruck, Austria for the day.

I can’t imagine staying home though and not going anywhere just because my friends can’t or I’m too scaredycat to travel on my own. So since turning 40 a few years ago, I’ve made a conscious effort to travel and see the world — alone! I’ve even set myself a goal: 100 countries by the time I turn 50. (I’m at 69 countries as of this writing so I roughly need to hit about 6 or 7 new countries each year to make this happen.)

Mindset: The Key to Solo Vacations over 40

After a few years of traveling by myself since turning 40, I’ve learned a few lessons. Sure, it was hard at first and I felt weird and uncomfortable, but now I actually really look forward to my solo trips and time away.

To get myself in the right mindset, it was helpful to remember that no one is thinking about me as much as I am! As humans, most of us are self-conscious. And that’s just it — everyone around you is thinking about themselves, NOT YOU. Once I realized this in my 40s, I got over myself and became more comfortable traveling alone. If this still feels weird to you, just pretend you are on a business trip. (And in this day and age, we’re all checking our work email all the time so this is technically not a lie.) I’ve found that saying something like “I was down here for work so I added on a few days to explore” is a great answer when people ask me if I am by myself and I don’t feel like being 100% honest.

The other thing I’ve learned since turning 40 is that no one will feel bad for you while you are drinking Champagne in Paris alone. (If you must drink alone, drink Champagne.) When I first started traveling solo, I worried that others would see me and pity me. But firstly, see my point above. If any stranger is thinking about you, a solo traveler in your 40s, it’s a fleeting thought. (Plus remember you will never see these people again.) And when you are drinking Champagne by yourself or checking into a fabulous spa resort in Bali for some solo “me time,” no one — and I mean no one — is really pitying you.

Why You Should Travel the World in Your 40s

Remember what an amazing point you are at in your life right now!!! You have 40 years of knowledge and experience under your belt! You still have another 40 years in front of you during which you can apply all those amazing life lessons!! And keep learning! Life is amazing so travel the world in your 40s and take advantage of how amazing life is!! (If only because you have more money now than you used to.)

My Specific Tips for Traveling Solo in Your 40s — and Enjoying It!

In my 40s, I’m done with backpacking and hostels and nightclubs (although never say never). I want to be comfortable and enjoy nice meals and read a few books while I am traveling! And earn frequent flyer miles and points! Of course, I don’t want to spend an arm and a leg either (retirement is looming), but I have worked hard for my money and I want to treat myself. Assuming that you too are like me, here are my tips for travel for singles over 40s…enjoy!

Airport Transport 

One of the great joys in life is having someone meet you at the airport when you arrive. Ideally, this would be a loved one or friend. But that’s not likely on the other side of the world. After a long flight, it’s really so wonderful to clear customs and have someone standing there with your name on a sign! So hire that driver to meet you at the airport so you don’t have to worry about getting a taxi by yourself. I also think this is just a safer option when traveling solo than getting into a random taxi. I start by asking my hotel for the price of a transfer and then I look at the prices of transfers on Viator, Groundlink, and Blacklane  and book whatever makes the most sense. (Note I have no problem using airport trains and buses but if they don’t exist, this is when I will use one of these services.)

Accommodation Tips for Solo Vacations over 40

• Use Booking.com to find your accommodation and pay special attention to where they mention the solo traveler rating. (This comes up on hotels when you look for a room for one person and you do not indicate that you are traveling for business.) I find this solo traveler rating SUPER helpful in determining where to stay and avoiding what I now call “honeymoon hotels” where it’s all couples. Bring up each hotel description and if the hotel has a good rating from solo travelers, you should see this (see the yellow highlighted bit)…

Solo Traveler Rating on Booking.com

• If you can swing it, book the Club Floor. Large hotel brands like Marriott, IHG, etc will usually have hotels with this type of level or room. I do this at hotels where the club floor supplement isn’t that expensive or the city itself isn’t that expensive. (So for example, in Vientiane, Laos, the Crowne Plaza I stayed at was fairly inexpensive and had a club floor so I hung out there all the time.) I love club floors because they’re a great way to meet other travelers — and it’s highly likely that your fellow travelers will be over 40 (and likely solo!) because, well, they have the skilz to pay the club floor billz! Also, if you don’t feel like having a full meal for dinner, the club lounge happy hours are perfect for a snack and getting you out of your hotel room.
• I also tend to look for hotels that have gyms and restaurants so I’m not stuck in my hotel room all the time or conversely, wandering the streets all the time.
• Notice I don’t mention things like Airbnb or hostels. As a solo traveler over 40, I want to feel safe and a little bit pampered. So while Airbnbs and hostels are great — especially if you are on a budget — I prefer hotels. (Although sometimes I will look for corporate apartments that are professionally managed.)

Book a Group (or Private) City Tour

As an adult, I am more interested in history now than I was when I was traveling in my teens and 20s. If you’re a 40s solo traveller, and assuming you are like me, book a half day group tour in the city you are visiting. A good group tour helps you hit all the main sites and tells you all the history too and really just helps you enjoy your travels and feel more connected. It’s a nice way to meet other people and no one really seems to care that you are traveling by yourself. You’re all in the tour experience together. (And if this still freaks you out, remember your tour guide is also on his/her own.) Here are a few companies you should check out when you’re looking for city-specific tours:

• Viator
• Urban Adventures
• CityDiscovery
• Get Your Guide

I’ve learned over time that I personally prefer half-day tours but I think this really depends upon you! I’ve also learned that a great guide really makes the difference. So I always recommend booking highly rated tours or asking your hotel for a personal recommendation. If you do arrange a guide through your hotel, make sure it’s clear that you want someone fun and interesting with great communication skills!

Look for a Free Walking Tour

More and more cities are offering “free” walking tours where it costs nothing to show up and then you pay the tour guide what you think the tour was worth. Just try Google-ing the name of the city you are visiting and “free walking tour” and you may find something. Especially for more tourist-friendly, established cities. This site has free walking tours for many cities but definitely do your own research too. I like these tours because the groups are really large and there’s a good mix of attendees. You are bound to meet someone — perhaps another 40s solo traveller. (Although at the same time, the size of the group can be problematic as you try to move around a city en masse.)

Tour Companies and Solo Vacations over 40

If you truly don’t think you can handle traveling solo in your 40s, book a group tour with other solo travelers. There are a ton of adventure trips and packaged vacations for singles over 40. I LOVE looking at all of the options on Tour Radar. They have a nifty age filter on the left side of the page so you can find tours targeted at travelers over 40.  You can usually pay a small supplement to get your own room for a lot of group tours as well. If you are looking for solo vacations over 40, these groups have some fantastic options:

• Explore! has specific tours for travelers over 40.
• On the Go Tours say their average tour age is 40.
• Encounter Travel says their tours are created for solo travelers over 40.
• Flashpack runs group tours for “30-somethings to 40-somethings”
• Wilderness Scotland says their average tour participant age is 45 to 70.

Hang Out with a Local

You don’t have to be alone if you don’t want to when traveling solo! Firstly, ask your friends on Facebook if they know anyone in the cities you are visiting! You’d be surprised! I usually find that friends of friends are wiling to meet up for a coffee at the very least. Beyond that, there are so many services for hanging out with locals now and enjoying your travels! For example, check out these services — look for hosts who also seem to be in their 40s.

• Meet with a Global Greeter! I love this program! It’s available in so many cities and countries. Honestly, my trip to Japan many years ago would not have been the same without Noriko, my Greeter!
• You can also find a local to take you around through sites like With Locals,  Tours by Locals, Show Around, and Rent a Local Friend. These are different than a group tour because it’s usually just you and your “guide” — and your guide is a friendly local.

Enjoy a Good Meal, Solo or with A Group

My top tip for 40s solo travellers when you are hungry is to find a restaurant with bar seating. It can be a nice way to strike up a conversation with locals (or other travelers). If you feel awkward, bring a stack of postcards and write them out between bites. Everyone loves getting postcards! Especially your fellow 40-year-old friends back home. If dining solo isn’t your thing, try signing up for a meal with locals through EatWith. It’s such a great service! Type in a city and see all the locals hosting meals in that city. Similar services include  MealSharing, Feastly, and BonAppetour.

Stay Safe: Insurance for 40s Solo Travellers

Especially when traveling alone, make sure you get travel insurance! Give a copy of your policy to a friend or loved one while you are away and email yourself a copy as well, along with the contact details of who to call in case of an emergency. It is always better to be safe than sorry. I use  WorldNomads.com.

Protect Your Belongings

The last thing you want to do is get something stolen while you are traveling. ALWAYS use the hotel safe, avoid carrying valuables, and I highly recommend an anti-theft purse. These purses have special security features that prevent slash-and-grabs and block card skimmers. And if you know your accomodation won’t have a safe, I highly recommend this portable safe from Pacsafe.

Watch the Booze

It goes without saying…when traveling alone over 40, don’t wander around in unfamiliar cities late at night by yourself, and be careful with alcohol — both drinking too much of it and having it served in unfamiliar establishments when you are by yourself. Make sure they open the bottle in front of you so you know it hasn’t been tampered with.

Entertain Yourself with Books 

Bring books! My Kindle Oasis is my new best friend. When all else fails, a book is a great companion. I bring books everywhere, especially restaurants when I am dining alone. (And when you read an actual physical book — not an e-book — it can be a great conversation starter.) Check out some of my most recent favorite reads.

Practice Self Care

Traveling by yourself can be stressful. One of my favorite things to do when I travel is treat myself to a manicure, facial, or massage. Especially in Southeast Asia, these treatments can be a very good value. It’s also a great way to pass the time and it’s a very solo type of endeavor anyhow so no one will think you are weird for doing it by yourself.

Stay in Touch

Use social media and email to let your friends and family know where you are. My mother has access to my TripIt details so she knows my travel plans. And I try to update Instagram at least once a day when I am traveling. And hey, why not start a solo travel blog too?

Final Words of Wisdom for 40s Solo Travellers

If you’re in your 40s (or older), don’t sweat solo travel. If there was ever a time to do it, it’s now! You will be fine! I promise!!

Do you have any other tips for solo vacations over 40? Let me know in the comments!

You might these other blog posts helpful:

• Don’t Be Scared of Traveling Alone
• My Favorite Travel Sites
• My Favorite Travel Products
• Packing for Long-Term Travel
• My Two-Week Detox at Kamalaya Koh Samui

The post Solo Travel in Your 40s first appeared on Passport Delicious | Solo Travel Blog | Solo Female Travel.

Don’t be scared to travel alone. Ignore this sign! Traveling alone is not dangerous.

Scared to Travel Alone? Here’s How to Travel Alone for the First Time!

In short, you shouldn’t be scared to travel alone, although I know that’s easier said than done. Some people think it’s weird that I travel alone at times and don’t seem to mind it. But after many years on the road for work in countries all over the world where I was often by myself, I learned to deal. (Club sandwich from room service or dinner at that cool looking place down the street? Hopefully it’s obvious which one I chose.) Nowadays, I’m lucky to have a job where I don’t have to work 12 months a year. (I do MBA admissions consulting and my busy season is roughly July to January.) This is both a blessing and a curse — at this time of year, I have some time on my hands while the rest of the world is doing its 9 to 5 (6?) thing. Hence my recent 2.5 week journey through Myanmar, Thailand, and Laos. (I swear it was only 2.5 weeks. She who travels fastest travels alone.)

Since I left financial services and started my new gig in 2015, I’ve learned that I MUST keep myself busy during my slow season. And the way I choose to do that is through travel, although lately I’ve been considering combining that with volunteer work abroad in microfinance. (If you have any leads, please let me know.) I’ve also set myself a goal of visiting 100 countries by the time I turn 50 — it’s always good to have a goal to work towards and this is a meaty one that can keep me busy for the next 21 years. (Because I’m 29. Hah. Right.)

Why are You Scared to Travel Alone?

If you are scared to travel alone, first analyze why. Are you afraid you will be lonely? Are you afraid you’ll feel unsafe? Are you afraid you’ll look like sad-Johnny-no-mates? There are solutions to all of these fears. If you are scared to travel alone because you are worried you will be lonely, then make sure to book tours and guides everywhere you go. If you’re scared to travel alone because you’ll feel unsafe, book better quality hotels and travel with anti-theft bags.  If you are afraid people will take pity on you, well, that’s more a mindset issue and a bit harder to conquer but remember no one is thinking about YOU as much as you are.

How to Travel Alone for the First Time

So in no particular order, if you are scared to travel alone or have anxiety about traveling alone, here are some of my specific suggestions for traveling solo, especially as a woman and especially as someone who isn’t a budget traveler but isn’t a kajillionaire either. And hey, once you get over the first trip, you’l be less scared to travel alone on future trips!

Getting from Airports

As a solo female traveler, this is my main concession to my mother who is not keen on me gallivanting around the world on my own. If there’s no good public transport from the airport, I will always get a driver to meet me at the airport. (This also helps reduce my anxiety about getting ripped off by an unscrupulous taxi driver.) I start by asking the hotel for the price of a transfer and then I look at the prices of transfers on Viator, Groundlink, and Blacklane. I prefer using the hotel service because I can charge this to my hotel room and get hotel points. There’s something so nice about coming through customs and immigration and having someone there with a sign with your name on it. If I’m lucky, they’ll also have a bottle of water for me and a cool towel. What could be bad? Note that Uber is good too but I’ve spent way too much time trying to explain to Uber drivers where I am in the airport arrivals area so I prefer the more traditional airport meet-and-great instead. Regarding costs here…in most cities, airport transfers aren’t THAT expensive. And to be clear, I’m not looking for a limo here. Just a guy with a sign with my name on it.

Selecting a Hotel When Traveling Alone

I think about my personal safety a bit more as a solo female traveler so things I look for in hotel photos and reviews are lifts that require a room key, security chains and additional locks on the back of hotel room doors, and secure lobbies with staff. (One type of lobby I’ve learned to love is the one where you have to take one set of elevators to the lobby and then switch to another set of elevators to get to your room. Much more secure because guests have to pass reception to get up to the rooms.) I have only once ever had a problem and that was in Tel Aviv many years ago when a man tried to get into my hotel room but luckily I had the security chain on. (He kept saying it was his room and I was like, “Uh, it’s not.” To this day, I don’t know if this was an honest mistake or a ploy. I thought it was odd that he was so angry at me and really thought that I was in his room.) I also look for a decently sized hotel safe — there are still some pretty small ones out there that are useless given my gargantuan laptop and all the other stuff I carry with me. Oh, biggest tip?? Use Booking.com and look for hotels with a Location Score of 8 or greater. (Honestly, I prefer 9 but because the ratings are subjective, I don’t want to cut out the 8.7 and up hotels.) When you’re by yourself, you don’t want to be way out of town or in an inconvenient location! That is lonely and keeps you a prisoner in your hotel, thus inducing anxiety.

Don’t Be Scared to Get Out There & See Stuff when Traveling Alone

When I am traveling solo, my main mantra is “One thing a day.” Traveling solo is hard so I try not to overdo it. But at the same time, I want to enjoy myself! My personal rule means that I have to at least experience one main touristy thing per day. A lot of times I do more of this of course but “One thing a day” is a good minimum target. I’ll check out the tours on Viator, Urban Adventures, Get Your Guide, and CityDiscovery and see if anything looks interesting. These organized city tours are great if you want to travel alone but not be lonely. Usually I can find something but I’ve learned through experience that four hours is my natural limit so half-day tours are my bag. If I can’t find a decent tour, I’ll ask my hotel to set me up with a guide and if that fails, I’ll make a list of things that I want to see and ask my hotel to set me up with a driver to take me from one place to the next. (This worked particularly well in Kuwait many years ago. My flight was cancelled so I had a whole extra day in town. I never would have seen as much as I did without my crazy Egyptian driver who took me everywhere, which was super helpful because Kuwait is not an easy place for a solo female traveler.)

Don’t Be Scared to Dine Out by Yourself

Because I’m not a huge fan of wandering around  as a solo female traveler in strange cities alone when it’s dark out, I prefer to make lunch my big meal of the day — it tends to be less crowded and I feel less weird as a solo diner. This works well with my “One thing a day” rule because if I do a morning tour that starts around 10 am, I am ready for a break around 3 pm. HOWEVER…in a lot of countries, many restaurants close after the lunch service so then you need a tour that starts by  9 am and ends at 1 pm. I prefer sit down restaurants where I can spend a quiet hour or two with a book or newspaper. (Or, uh, my phone.) I will often ask the hotel concierge for recommendations on good places to dine solo. This worked well when I was spending a lot of time in Sao Paulo. My hotel concierge introduced me to the lovely Nagayama, where I spent quite a lot of time. But you really need a knowledgeable concierge to make this work as it’s not the type of request they get often. Along with being scared of traveling alone, most people tend to be scared of dining alone and it induces anxiety. Personally, I think dining alone is one of the best possible indulgences as a solo female traveler and a great way to better enjoy your travels.

Spa Treatments are Your Friend When Traveling Alone

Sometimes I joke that I travel 5000 miles for a manicure. But honestly, as a solo female traveler, I find spa treatments a great way to pass the time. Manicures, pedicures, massages and the occasional facial and body scrub are my poison. I particularly like doing this in Southeast Asia where you can usually get a whole package of services for a very low price. I generally try to steer clear of hotel spas because they are much more expensive than local spas. So check TripAdvisor, Foursquare, Google Maps, or ask your hotel concierge for suggestions. If you are stressed from traveling alone or suffer from anxiety, a massage has a side benefit of helping calm you down too!

Get Travel Insurance!

If you are traveling by yourself, you really need to give yourself and friends and family peace of mind. Get travel insurance. I use World Nomads. You should get travel insurance if you’re scared to travel alone or not!

Hotel Happy Hours are a Cheap (Solo) Date

One thing I’ve learned over the years is that most hotels have some sort of discounted hotel happy hour between 4 and 6 pm. This is a great way to meet fellow travelers AND save some money. Sometimes there are free snacks too! Going back to my “One thing a day” rule, this means my day usually looks something like tour (my ONE thing), lunch, spa treatment, happy hour, DONE. I retreat to my hotel room around 6 or 7 pm to read or catch the news. (MAYBE I go to the gym  — another tip for reducing anxiety when traveling alone.) This is a day well spent and I’m usually pretty exhausted by this point anyhow. You’re probably wondering where dinner is…usually when I travel solo, I just do breakfast and my late lunch and then I am pretty much done. Although there is always that can of minibar Pringles to consider…

One note on this one though — in this day and age, especially as a female traveling solo, it goes without saying that if you do hit up a hotel happy hour, you shouldn’t leave your drink unattended and nor should you get rip roaring drunk with strangers, no matter how nice they seem. Also, if you suffer from anxiety, alcohol is probably a bad idea. Go to the gym instead!

Beware the Tropical Destination Honeymoon Hotel

Beware honeymoon hotels!! This has happened to me twice now: once in Cancun, another time in the Dominican Republic. If the hotel is in a tropical setting and looks too lush and romantic…it is probably geared towards couples. Which will make you miserable if you are traveling alone!! Choose the more business-class looking option in the tropical destination instead.

Keep in Touch with Friends and Family when Traveling Alone

In today’s day an age, there are so many ways to keep in touch with your friends and family while traveling! Share pictures on Facebook and Instagram. Facetime or Skype with your friends! Take the time to connect with your loved ones and share your experiences…it will make traveling alone a little less lonely and scary. Also, sometimes I’ll find that when I share my location, I’ll learn that a friend or friend-of-friends is also in the same town, which gives me a chance to socialize!

In Conclusion…Don’t be Scared to Travel Alone!

The only one that will notice that you are traveling solo is you and your hotel and your tour guide. And you know what? Your hotel and tour guide don’t care as long as you are paying them. As a woman, you should probably expect some “Are you married” and “Do you have children?” questions which I now respond to with a smile and a quick turn of the tables which people find hysterical for some reason.  (Me: “Are YOU married?”) Most importantly though, if you have some spare time on your hands coming up and aren’t sure what to do with it, ask yourself…”Would I rather Netflix and chill? Or is Laos calling my name??” I’ve been to Laos now so I can tell you — it is totally calling your name! Do be afraid or scared to go!

Still scared to travel alone? Need even more help to get over the hump of traveling alone for the first time? You might find my post on traveling solo after 40 helpful, even if you are not over 40! Also check out my favorite travel sites more tips and advice.

This post contains affiliate links 

The post Don’t be Scared to Travel Alone first appeared on Passport Delicious | Solo Travel Blog | Solo Female Travel.