10 reasons you hated your last vacation

If I had to guess, these are ten reasons why your last vacation wasn't what you hoped it would be.  I know we've all made endless travel mistakes, and sometimes we run into things that just aren't under our control.  If these things haven't happened to you on a trip yet, either you haven't traveled much or you're a very easy-going person!   These things don't have to make you hate your vacation, but sometimes they do.  Some of these things can be avoided, and some of them can't.  However, you can decide how you're going to deal with these situations, which can make or break a vacation.

1.  Driving time took a lot longer than Google maps said.  So Google maps said an hour right?  I wish I had a dollar for every time this has happened.  We quickly realized driving in Ecuador that if the GPS said 1 hour, it was actually going to be 2 hours.  Once you realize that you have to account for driving behind farmer's trucks, and 15 mph dirt roads, it's a lot easier to deal.  Or when we were driving in Yosemite, the traffic was so bad a 20 minute trip actually was going to be an hour.  So my recommendation is don't be so naive as to trust Google maps.  They do a great job, but you'll be sorely disappointed if you're in Miami and it says 5 minutes, but really it's an hour.  Google maps driving time is not to be trusted with your life.

2.  Everyone was hungry and the food was terrible.  Add this one to the fact that Google maps said "20 minutes" and now it's an hour and everyone is in the car starving.  Plus, you didn't research restaurants, so you have to wander around, finding parking trying to get to a restaurant.  You pick the first place you find and it's terrible.  Don't let this happen to you.  PACK SNACKS.  And plan your food accordingly.  Do not let hanger on your vacation with you.

3.  The weather didn’t cooperate.  There is not much to do about this except do research on your weather ahead of time.  If you're going somewhere in the USA in Spring, most likely it's going to be rainy.  So if you're upset that it's March and 5 out of 6 days is rain, well, there's not much that can be helped.  Maybe you went in June and were shocked with a storm that couldn't be avoided.  However, be prepared if you're going somewhere during a time when bad weather is to be expected.  Have a rainy day plan.  If you have all outdoor things scheduled, you'll be real disappointed.  At least have a few places you can go if weather isn't ideal.

Can't wait to walk around in this wet mess.

4.  You went with people that didn’t have the same vacation philosophy as you do.  This one is hard to find out unless you ask a lot of questions ahead of time.  If you're planning a trip and you are interested in sleeping in and staying in the whole time, and the people you're planning with keep talking about "waking up at 6 a.m. to make it across town to the museum," you're probably going to have a frustrating vacation.  Make sure you're all on the same page.  If you can't in good conscience do what everyone wants to do, that's OK.  Everyone has a different vacation style.  Try to plan vacations with people who are flexible or into what you're into.  It makes it a lot easier on everyone.

5.  Your sleeping accommodations kept you up all night.  Cheap accommodations usually mean cheap beds with thin walls.  That way you can toss and turn all night, and hear the kegger going on in the room next door. If you're a light sleeper, you may need to shell out some extra money to make sure you get a good night's rest.  Or if you have back problems, or any other issues that could make sleeping anywhere but home difficult for you.  What kind of vacation is it if you get 3 hours of sleep every night and are Mr./Mrs. Cranky Pants the whole time?

6.  You didn’t think all that traveling would make you tired and cranky.  So you thought 20 hours in the airport would be fine because after all, you're not doing anything but resting.  The fact is, though, it's not rest.  Not real rest.  Waking up to let someone next to you go to the bathroom, getting shook around by the turbulence, and being woken up for pretzels every hour isn't exactly "relaxing."  Traveling takes it out of you.  You'll need rest from all your restless time on the plane.

7.  Your airline lost your bags.  You thought all that "packing light" and only bringing a carry-on nonsense was for everyone else.  Until, you went to baggage claim and waited for 30 minutes... that turned into 60 minutes... and your bag never came.  Then you get to fill out paperwork for another hour, after you've waited in a long line with the people whose bags also got lost.  This is when you finally realize that airline employees actually aren't thinking, "This Joe guy... I'm really going to make sure he gets his bag and this doesn't get screwed.  After all, it's his vacation."  Next time, just bring the carry-on.

8.  That site you wanted to see was under renovation.  Oh man.  This is the worst.  I've missed out on a museum in Paris because it was under strike.  I missed a museum in Rome because it was under renovation.  This is a huge bummer.  Sometimes you can look it up and double-check, and sometimes you're in for a rude awakening.  I should have looked this up ahead of time, but alas, I didn't.  And I was rudely awoken.  

9.  You were sick.  You sat next to Typhoid Mary on the plane and walked away with a nasty cold.  Or, you already had a cold and the plane clogged up your ears so you can't hear anything.  Or maybe, you get food poisoning and the hotel doesn't have air conditioning... and it's 90 degrees.  Or maybe you have to spend the week in a hospital getting your kidney stones treated.  Or maybe you get an infection and you're there for two months.  Every single one of these are real things that have happened to people I actually know. (I was the one with the clogged ears and actually had to pour water up my nose to try to get my ears to pop.)  These things suck.  And there is really no way around it.  Sickness can really take the winds out of the sails.

10.  The vacation just wasn’t long enough.  All that travel time made you tired and by the time you felt like you could finally relax, the vacation was over.  This is hard because sometimes you only have a few days for vacation and there is really nothing you can do about it.  I recommend doing whatever you have to to get into vacation mode.  Maybe cancel your plans the day before you leave and start early.  With busy lives we live right now, getting relaxed takes time.  Pretend that you're on the beach: make a Pina Colada and turn on Island music on Pandora.  Don't let your vacation come and go.  Do what you have to to prepare yourself for a relaxing time.  

And the winner is...

Thanks for playing and tagging your friends in my anniversary giveaway contest!  I didn't know if I'd have any bites on this, since I've never done anything like it before.  I was pleasantly surprised with the number of shares and likes on Instagram!  

I was very excited to be able to give away a set of packing cubes.  They are my favorite packing accessory and I think everyone should have a set (read why I love them.)    I'm sorry if you didn't win, but consider purchasing a pair as a holiday gift to yourself, or add them to a wishlist for someone else to get for you.  You won't regret it!

We will be embarking on one of (what I believe) will be the trip of a lifetime in 9 days.  I have some posts lined up for the next few weeks I think you'll really enjoy.  So stay tuned..

Next week: 10 reasons why you hated your last vacation

Followed by: How to prepare for a hike (I will actually be hiking the W in Torres Del Paine when that post is published!)

I hope you all have a safe and happy holiday!  Again, thanks for reading these posts and participating in my anniversary contest.  I look forward to another year of traveling and sharing some of my practical tips and advice "from a Central Ohio girl."

Anniversary giveaway!

December 18th marks the one year anniversary of my first post, and I want to celebrate this anniversary with a giveaway!  I want to share some travel love with those of you who have been reading my posts and commenting to me about what you like and what has been helpful.  

Since I'm always promoting my favorite travel item (packing cubes), I think it's only appropriate that I am going to give away a set of them to one lucky winner.

I'm giving away one set of packing cubes, and in order to be entered to win, you'll have to do the following:

1. Follow me (Traveling with Nina) on Instagram
2. Tag a friend in my giveaway post.

If you do this, you'll be entered in a drawing to win a set of your very own packing cubes!

 

You have until 12 p.m. EST on Monday December 21, 2015 to enter.  Once I have all the entries, the winner will be announced on the website and Instagram by Monday evening.

Terms and Conditions
1.  Must be a United States resident.
2.  The winner will be chosen at random.
3.  The winner will be Direct Messaged on Instagram and must respond with address within 30 days of when the winner is announced.
4.  No purchase necessary.
5.  No sponsor.
6.  Void where prohibited.

My favorite travel video

Although this isn't a practical traveling tip, this is one of my favorite videos I've taken on a trip. To me, it really captures the feeling of the trip.  Sometimes the entire trip happens and there are these moments that you may not remember, and sometimes you just need a video to jog your memory.  They engage a whole other part of your brain: sound. 

This video was taken while we were driving through Zion National Park almost two years ago.  Just to clarify, we were actually listening to this song on the drive.  I didn't dub it in after we got home.  (You can tell, obviously, as Jared is "ding-a-linging" in the beginning.)  We just celebrated our seventh wedding anniversary yesterday and it's hard to believe we've been seeing the world together for all that time.  

I suppose I can end with a travel tip.  Don't just take photographs, take videos, too. When you're there, you may feel silly doing that, but trust me, they're worth it when you get home.  It's been almost two years and I still like to see this.

Creative ways to find budget (and free!) accommodations

By. Heidi Papworth

Many times I’ve sat down with my dream travel trip and my budget.  I’ve then realized that I will have to survive on PB & J’s and Ramen noodles for the next year in order to pay off my airfare and accommodations!  Sure, it would be nice to have a couch to crash on with a cool Aunt living in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.   But alas my family lives in Central Ohio (with the exception of my favorite cousin in Michigan.)  So although I have plenty of wonderful people to stay within the Midwest, I’ve had to get creative in finding affordable accommodations, and I’d like to share 3 of these methods with you today.

1.  Couchsurfing  

Couchsurfing is really a thing; for more than just fraternity brothers.   Couchsurfers is a method of finding accommodations… for free.  You can “travel like a local”, by finding hosts all over the world who are willing to (quite literally) lend you their couch to sleep on.  You sign up on this site and create a profile listing your travel goals and places you’ve been.  I’ve never traveled this way, but I have been a host on the site and have met travelers from all over the world. 

Couchsurfer Hosts

This is a great way to meet people from other countries and to gain insight into other cultures.  Most travelers are willing to cook a meal from their country and share stories and other “life-hacks” that they’ve picked up along the way.  Since they are getting a free place to stay they tend to be flexible with their travel dates and their schedule while they stay.  On the down side, they are staying for free.  It’s a lot of work to host someone for free.  They eat your food, rack up your utility bills, you’ll have to clean before/after their stay and all of the pre-arrival communication eats up time.  Since I’ve moved to Miami I get about 3 inquiries for my couch a week which is a lot of extra communication to manage.  I’ve also found that a lot of couchsurfer travelers are inquiring without giving much lead time.

Couchsurfer Travelers

To state the obvious, this is a free way to find accommodations.  A win-win if you are willing to take a chance.  After all, beggars can’t be choosers!   You have to be flexible with your travel dates and your schedule.  For example, Hosts may require you to be out of the house when they are out of the house.  I’ve often heard from travelers that a lot of their host inquiries go unanswered entirely. My opinion overall?  This is a great site if you’re a young traveler who is ok sleeping on a scratchy couch and willing to be flexible in travel dates. There is definitely more demand than supply and hosts don’t have a whole lot of incentive to be active on the site since it’s a lot of work for no money.  So travelers may waste a lot of time trying to find a host.  It’s a better medium for meeting people than it is for finding accommodations, but would be a good place to start a search.  

2.  Airbnb

While you won’t find any free accommodations on Airbnb you’ll be more likely to find a good deal and still have an awesome experience.  Airbnb got started in 2007 by 3 broke guys in San Francisco.  They needed extra cash and realized they could offer an air mattress and free breakfast to tourists.  And voila,  that’s how the name came about:  Air bed and breakfast.  Today Airbnb is in all but 4 countries with 1.5 million host listings worldwide, and 45 million travelers.  You can still travel like a local by finding a host in your destination city and you’ll be more likely to have a unique and personal experience than if you were to book a double bed at a Hilton.  While you can still find a room for rent, you can also find entire houses/apartments for rent, tree houses, boats, trailers and still the original air bed to rent.   

Airbnb Hosts:

Airbnb is great way to foster a sense of community.  Interact with your guests as much as you would like, before, during and after their stay.  You can personally approve and screen all of your guests or you can allow guests to book automatically if their preferred dates are open.  Greet them upon their arrival, or give them a lock box code to get in.  Rent them your spare bedroom, or let them rent out the whole place entirely.  Be a local tour guide for guests, or hire a property manager to manage your vacation home!  You can really customize Airbnb based on what you need and want.  You set your own calendar, rates, check in/out times and can personally screen all guests.  Airbnb offers a platform that allows you to communicate with travelers through their site – eliminating the need to give out your personal cell number or email until they’ve booked with you.  I’m currently renting out an air bed in my studio apartment – an ideal situation for the traveler on a budget.  My competition is local hostels, so I keep my rates comparable to those.  But when I need to make some extra cash I can rent out my air bed, and when I want my privacy I can turn potential travelers down.

Airbnb Travelers:

Airbnb is equally easy to use for travelers.  There are many different search parameters that you can use to hone in on the right accommodation for you.  Hosts and travelers have the opportunity to review each other, so you can read if potential hosts are really living up to what they are offering.  Hosts are rated on accuracy, communication, cleanliness, location, check in and value.  The downside for travelers, is that hosts often want to see reviews for their guests before they approve.  This can provide a problem if you’re new to Airbnb and don’t have any history yet.  In those situations I recommend having more info that you can provide to the host:  Reason for your trip, plans during your stay, links to other profiles, or references.  My opinion overall?  This is a great alternative to hotels!

3.  House/Pet Sitting

Do you love pets and also love to travel?  Believe it or not, house/pet sitting is a great way to travel for free!  It’s also a great way to find petcare for free. House sitters have the opportunity to travel around to take care of pets and homes while their owners are off on their own travels.  A win-win!  

Home Sitters:

If you love pets and also love to travel, homesitting is the way to go.  While you may be willing to lend a hand for Sparky next door when your neighbor is away, have you ever considered doing it around the world?  Pet and home sitting for owners is an excellent way of keeping accommodation costs extremely low.  You can find long term sits (3 months or more) or short term sits (for the weekend or week) in an area that you’ve always wanted to visit.  It provides an intimate experience and therefore you’ll need to prove your trustworthiness and reliability to potential owners.  If you want to become a home sitter, I recommend you get some local experience under your belt with at least one good reference and join one of the sites below and start your search!

Trusted Housesitters - $100 a year membership for owners and sitters

Mind My House – Free to owners; $20/year for sitters

House Carers– Free to owners; $50/year for sitters

               

Home Owners:

Pet boarding fees (and even finding a local pet sitter) can be very expensive.  If you’re like me, you would much rather have you’re beloved FIDO in the comfort of your own home and surroundings while you are out traveling.  Finding a sitter who wants to travel to sit is a great solution – you can find genuine, caring people who will gladly watch FIDO while you get free care!  (After all, they don’t have to incur hotel costs if they stay with you).  In addition, out of town tourists have a lot of free time (unlike local sitters who have other work, family, schedules, etc) so FIDO can get round the clock care.    Take my advice though and do your research on your sitter.  I recently hired someone from Las Vegas who was pressuring me to make a decision quickly because he wanted to book a flight while airfare was on sale.  It was my mistake to not take my time to research him.  Although he cared for my dog in my absence, I came home to a dirty and smelly apartment.  He even broke a few items without offering replacements.   I also offered him transportation to the airport and stalked the fridge full of food, which ended up being costly for me.  The more communication that you can have beforehand, the better.  Lay out ground rules ahead of time for what they can/can’t use, emergency contact info, local area attractions, public transportation and explicit instructions for your pet/home care.

Whether you travel through couchsurfers, Airbnb or one of the home sitting sites, one thing is for sure -- you will meet new people and maybe save some money too.  After all, strangers are the friends that we haven't met yet.  Enjoy!  

I don't speak the language, what should I learn?

As I'm preparing to go south of the border and be forced to butcher the beautiful Spanish language, I am writing a list of key phrases that I know I need to be ready to say.  Realizing I'm crunched for time, I can't learn every phrase and every food item, so I'm beginning a narrowing process of what I should learn.

I've ordered coffee in many different countries, and so I went through and tried to see if I could remember them off the top of my head.  I could for the most part, but I definitely couldn't spell them so I had to look that part up.  The three I could mostly remember off the top of my head were:

Italian: caffe latte per favore
French: cafe au lait s'il vous plait
Spanish: cafe con leche por favor

I had to look up Portuguese (cafe com leite por favor,) because I couldn't remember that one.  Three out of four isn't bad.  I've never visited any of the Asian countries, so as I'm looking at how to say those, that seems immensely challenging to me.

I always purchase a general phrase book, and big shocker, I prefer Rick Steve's books because they are specifically travel-related phrases.  I purchased this Spanish book for when we went to Ecuador, and even though it's specific to Spain, it seemed to work well for our purposes.  

You have limited time and can't learn everything, so what should you do?  Here are some tips for what I found to be the most useful.

1.  Learn the words for what you don't want to eat, not everything you like to eat.  I like to try new things to an extent, but if I know there's something I hate or something I'm allergic to, I can skim the menu and quickly eliminate those items.  You're not going to be able to memorize every word, so as long as you can agree to eat anything but XYZ, you'll be fine.  For me, I don't like fish so I can easily eliminate every item with "pescado" in it.  

2.  Learn how to say "I don't speak the language."  Here's where it gets tricky.  When you try and pass for knowing what you're saying, they're going to assume you understand so they'll start talking quickly, throwing a lot of phrases and words at you that you can't understand.  We started saying right off the bat "I don't speak this language."  Because, frankly, we don't.  I'm trying to get by with a few key phrases, but if I immediately start talking in the language, they actually think I can speak it AND understand it.  Basically, if you ask a question in French you're going to get a response in French and you better hope you understand it.  Or, just set the record straight by openly admitting you don't know, and the proceed with trying to communicate with the very few words you know.  This will help the person know what they're dealing with and they can begin pointing and miming to try to help you understand them.

3.  Learn "hello" "please" "thank you" and "good day."  These are ones that don't require responses or a going back and forth conversation, but they show that you're polite and making an effort.  Plus it's fun.  In Portugal, my husband would say thank you differently than me, because men say it one way, and women say it another.  So I would say, "obrigada" and he would say "obrigado."

4.  Learn basic transportation phrases.  You should be able to recognize the words for airport, bus, car, taxi, etc.  When you see the giant signs at the airport, it's good to know where the metro is and what words they use to describe it.  People do not want you to interrupt the flow by stopping and reading signs for 30 minutes, so at least try to do some homework ahead of time.

5.  Prepare mentally for the frustrations that lie ahead of you.  There will be times when you just simply can't understand and someone will not understand you.  That's just part of the package.  Just be mentally prepared for this, and expect to have some times when you get your dinner and it's steak when you thought you ordered chicken.  Just be ready to get lost because you thought they said turn left, but they meant turn right.  Be prepared to walk into the ladies room and see a man because you didn't know the word for "women's bathroom."  Misunderstandings and miscommunication will happen and they will be easier the more you can accept them and move on instead of letting it ruin the day.  These will be the times you'll laugh at later, so why not try to laugh as soon as possible?

Why I love convertible bags

I've written about my favorite travel bag before, and why I love it so much. It's a tote that converts to a backpack and is easily pack-able.   (Read about it here.)

In order to avoid shoulder pain as well as have flexibility when traveling, having a bag that can be worn multiple ways can come in handy. There are many travel bags that serve multiple purposes, and although they tend to be pricier, they can be a worthwhile investment when it comes to having flexibility.

Read my other recommendations and why I love them on Travel Fashion Girl.

Picking a travel destination as a group

If you've ever planned a trip for a group of people, you know how frustrating it can be.  I love traveling with other people as it's a great time to explore and learn together.  Plus you have the company of each other while you're waiting at airports, and the comic relief when you're on your last leg.  I've written a post on tips for traveling with other couples, which include avoiding hanger and being flexible.  However, choosing a destination can be tricky as we all have different travel dreams and destinations that we want to go to.

Recently, we were trying to pick a destination with another couple, and my husband came up with a great exercise for narrowing down our choices.  We got out some world maps, an atlas and a giant white board.  Then we started the fun part.

1.  Where do you want to go?  We were asked to choose our top three destinations that we wanted to travel to.  Regardless of time of year, flight time or any other deterrents.  It would be anywhere in the world.  Once we had our three destinations, they were all different, but some were in the same continent.  Some were the exact same destinations, and some were completely not near any other destinations chosen.  

2.  What was your favorite thing about your last trip?  The next thing we did was think back on the last trip we took and consider what our favorite part of the trip was.  For example, was it that seeing a particular museum?  Was it the day when you had nothing planned and you stumbled onto a beautiful beach?  What was it?  And not just the activity, but the essence of the activity.  For example, what was it that you liked?  Did you like seeing the history of a building , was that what really moved you?  Or was it the trees blowing near the building that you enjoyed the most?  Once we all had our favorite thing, we looked for patterns.  Were a lot of the favorites nature-related?  City-related?  Non-destination specific, such as "relaxation"?  These patterns will come in handy later when you begin to narrow things down.

3.  What was your least favorite thing about your last trip?  Maybe there were multiple things, but what was the worst part?  Too many activities jammed into one day?  Too much traveling to and from, and not enough time in one destination?  The hotels all sucked?  What was it?  And again, look for patterns.  Did people feel they had too much time in one destination, or not enough time?  Did they not have enough alone time, what was it? 

4.  Use the patterns to narrow down the places.  Consider the list in light of your favorite and least favorite parts of traveling.  Are there places that would be mainly museums and no one really liked that the last time?  Are there places that are way too far to fly, and that was someone's least favorite part?  Was there a place that has killer food and that's what someone loved the last time?  Narrow down as much as you can with these.

5.  Consider the time of year you're going on the trip.  Now, consider if you can do the things you really want to do at the time of the year you're going.  With a group of people, you're working with everyone's schedules which means there most likely will be one time of year that works for everyone.  This will be what you have to work with.  

6.  How many of these places can we get in one trip?  If a lot of people picked European destinations, can you do a few of these in one trip?  What makes the most sense?  If you have a European, North American and Asian destination, you're going to have to narrow that down to one continent most likely.  

7.  Evaluate the results.  This was a group effort, and surprisingly we narrowed it down to three possibilities and everyone was happy with any of the options.  We took into consideration everyone's least and favorite parts of traveling, and realized that we could all be pleased with a trip to one of three places.  With a little more research on our parts, we can narrow it down even further to the perfect spot for this group, at one time of year.  

Not only was this beneficial, and it didn't involve us trying to convince each other why everyone should agree on MY destination, but it was fun.  Thinking of all the places we could go together, and all the things we could see, we realized that we could all be pleased by one or more aspects of everyone's destinations.  Especially when we realized that some of it wasn't the actual destination, but the activities we'd do and HOW the trip would be planned out so everyone isn't run ragged.  

How do you choose a destination for a group of people?

Camping checklist for an overnight fall adventure

I've written a few things about camping in the past, as this is something that I've grown to love.  And as it has grown on me, there are things I've learned.  I've posted a view articles previously: Camping, it's not so bad, Camping: no heat hairstyles, and Camping: Dolly Sods Wilderness.

Now, I've written a more comprehensive guide about what to bring not only in the clothing realm, but equipment for Travel Fashion Girl.  Click here to read my full article titled: Camping checklist for an overnight Autumn adventure.  I have some more camping articles in the works that will be posted at some time in the near future.

Some beauty product recommendations, in my humble opinion

I recently watched Julie and Julia, and Julie Powell started a blog in 2002 and she would make entries daily about how her cooking project was going (trying to cook her way through Julia Child's cookbook.)  This was when blogs were still new, and not every Tom, Dick and Harry had one.  So she would often say, "Hello?  Is anyone out there?"  Or "Is anyone actually reading this?"  Which can be sort of how writers actually feel.  Although, I receive feedback from people who say "I read on your blog..."  But it does seem at times to go into a black hole called the Internet.  However, I'm still plugging away over here!  I'm sure someone is reading this, even if it's just you.  (Whoever you are.)

I was asked for some travel-related product recommendations, so I thought I would start with beauty products. (Sorry guys.)  These are some of the products that I find helpful and why I find them useful.

1. GoTubbs.  These containers are more expensive than some of the other ones you can buy, but they work amazingly well.  I use these for conditioner and any hair product that takes up too much space.  I also use them for foundation, because foundation containers tend to be made of glass and are very heavy.  Mine is also square which means it fits weirdly into my toiletries bag.  These are better because they also can stack.

2. Coconut Wipes.  These wipes are wonderful to have with you if you're going to be traveling by plane or if you're going camping.  They clean and moisturize and smell delicious.  If you're away from home and not able to do your normal face cleansing procedure, this is a great alternative.

3. Toiletry bag with removable quart-sized bag.  I bought my toiletry bag at Target three years ago and have had a hard time finding others like it to recommend.  Mine has a clear, removable quart-sized bag which makes going through TSA so much easier.  I found this bag, which has a zipper-removable bag. Although it is pricey, this is the idea for what you're looking for.

4.  Birchbox.  I think a Birchbox subscription is the perfect way to load up on travel-sized toiletries.  Each month, they usually let you select at least one item from a list of five items or a specialty box.  This means that if you know you're out of mascara or shampoo, you can personalize your box for one of those items.  It's only $10 a month and I think it's worth it for the loot.

5.  Coconut Oil.  This is something that is becoming more part of my routine, but there are many uses for it.  There is a great article here about oil vs. lotion for traveling, and I think there are some great points made, such as a little oil goes a lot longer than lotion.  

What about you?  What are your favorite travel beauty products?

What not to pack when you are traveling

It’s important to consider not only what you should bring, but what you shouldn’t bring. A lot of clothing and accessory items for a working woman aren’t necessarily the kinds of things you want to bring on your travels (as some of us have learned the hard way.)

A large part of smart packing is considering how often you’ve worn an item, its comfort-level, how well it matches with other items, how safe it is to carry around, etc. When you’re deciding between which shoes to bring and which accessories, sometimes it’s easier to just have a list of what is not practical.

In my post on mistakes I've learned traveling overseas, I revealed that I didn't bring the right shoes.  In fact, I actually brought slippers with me to wear as regular shoes.  Those slippers were popular at the time, but the worst shoes I've ever brought.  I also brought shoes I've never worn before to Washington D.C., which was another huge mistake.

For more ideas on what not to pack, read my article on Travel Fashion Girl.

Places within four hours of Columbus, Ohio

I appreciate all the feedback I've received from readers about what you would like to hear more about.  I will be doing my best to incorporate some of those requests over the next couple months.

I was asked about day trips in and around Ohio.  Since a lot of readers come from Ohio, I will make a few suggestions of places that are within 4 hours of Columbus, Ohio.  Below you'll find four day-trip/overnight suggestions of places that I've personally visited.  I plan on doing my wishlist on another post of places I'd like to go within 4 hours to give you even more ideas.

If you're looking for just things to do in Columbus, I want to give a shout out to my former editor and friend, Dennis Laycock, who writes a blog called 1,000 Things I Love About Columbus.  There are so many beautiful parks and treasures he's been uncovering in Columbus and may be of interest to Ohio travel-lovers.

Additionally, there are a lot of museums in Ohio that have some great history to share, and on top of it do a lot of public programming.  If you're a history-lover, you should check out the Ohio History Connection's calendar of events to get ideas for not only what's going on in Columbus, but in all the different historic homes, museums and outdoor sites managed by the Connection.  At a glance for the next few weeks, I've noticed a self-guided hike at Wahkeena Nature Preserve, the art of historical cooking at Fort Hill Earthworks and a White House chef visit at the Hayes Presidential Center.  Those would make great day-trips.

1. Yellow Springs, Ohio

Distance: 1 hr.

This place was suggested to me by a good friend and there are many fun options.  There is a place called Young's Jersey Dairy Farm, which has excellent ice cream and a restaurant.  

You can also visit the Glen Helen Nature Preserve, which has a nice visitors center where you can find out what there is as you walk through the pathways.  There is a grotto and some interesting wildlife. 

In and around Yellow Springs, is Clifton, Ohio with a covered bridge and the Historic Clifton Mill.  (There are less than 100 mills still in existence today.)

2.  Mansfield, Ohio 

Distance:  1 hour

If you've seen Shawshank Redemption (and if you haven't, come on it's a classic) you will really enjoy Mansfield.  Even if you haven't seen the movie, you will really enjoy Mansfield.  The Ohio State Reformatory is fascinating and intriguing.  You're allowed to wander around and freak yourself out with all the nooks, crannies and peeling wallpaper in every room. The audio guides enrich your time and point out things that you would probably never notice.  (For example, there's an 'x' of light that's made between four door ways that is always there because of the symmetry of the building.  Interesting, but I would have walked by and never noticed.)  Beware that there is no heat in the building, so we went in February and nearly froze to death.  However, we still loved it and can't wait to visit again.

About 20 minutes from this site, is another wonderful site worth visiting: Malabar Farm State Park.  This state park features lots of events, like Wildflower hikes and Maple Syrup Festivals.  The home was built by a man named Louis Bromfield in the 1940s and has all the original furnishings.  (Paintings from France, a grand piano, etc.)  The home is interesting to explore, and the history is fascinating.  There were many celebrities that visited the home, and in fact, Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall actually got married here.  The home was donated to be part of a state park, and is very well-done.  

The state park (which is also near Mohican State Park) features hiking trails and look-outs. (See a map here.)   The tallest point in the area, Mt. Jeez, is a great overlook to see the entire farm.

3.  Cincinnati, Ohio

Distance: 1 hr. 45 min

There is a lot to do in Cincinnati, and I haven't had the chance to explore all of it.  A few places I'd like to visit are the Spring Grove Cemetery, Cincinnati Art Museum and the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption.  Just across the river is Newport, Kentucky, where I've visited the wonderful aquarium and waterfront area.  The aquarium is a great place to visit at any time of the year, but the winter is fun to visit the turtles and alligators.  The sharks that swim overhead while you're walking through is a wonderful feature.

4.  Louisville, KY

Distance: 3 hrs.

If you like Bourbon, this is the place for you.  There are many bourbon distilleries around Louisville, and you can pick up a pass book and follow the trail.  You can also do tastings in the city (although you won't see how it is manufactured.)  Some of the restaurants and bars offer tastings, and there is also a place called Evan Williams Bourbon Experience which is a fun option within the city.

The boardwalk is a nice place to walk around, and there are good views of the river.  There are a lot of places to eat and bars with all sorts of live music. 

5.  Coopers Rock State Forest, WV

Distance: 3.5 hrs.

I just visited this place on our way back from Maryland.  The views are beautiful, and I didn't get a chance to explore the entire place.  The main lookout point was very crowded with people, although I think it was the time of year and time of day we went.  (Perfect October weather in the afternoon!)  I suspect if you aim to go here in the morning it will be less crowded, and when you get to some of the main trails it won't be so bad.  There is a main overlook area, with pay-to-view finders, and then there are trails you can take that will bring you off the main overlook to an under look.  There is also a gift shop and a park.  If it's nice out, I think you can really make a full day of it.

To my readers: what do you want to hear?

This post is the 60th post I've made since  I started this website in January.  It has been a blast for me to write about different travel-related subjects of my choosing.  I am able to see which of my posts are the most popular by looking through the number of views on each post.  I have a running list of post ideas that I refer to when I post, and that list continues to grow as I travel.  I would love to hear from my readers (and that's YOU, since you're reading this) what travel-related topics you'd like to hear most about.  

I'm not touting to be an expert on anything, as I've said before I'm just an Ohio girl who likes to travel and loves to share what I learn from my experiences.  I learn from other travelers as well, which is why this is one of my favorite subjects to write about.  There's always new things to learn and new ideas to consider.  

So what travel-related tips are you most interested in reading about?  Anything that I have not written about that you'd be interested in reading?  More outfit combinations?  More fake trips?  Camping or hiking-specific?  More travel around Ohio?  Obviously, I am always going to offer tips on a variety of travel-related subjects, and I know that not everyone knows what they want to hear, but if you do, I'd like to hear from you.

I have had some comments from people that posting a comment was difficult or impossible, so I changed the settings to allow anyone, regardless if you have an account at all, to comment.  I hope that it works for everyone and I would love to hear from you.  Please comment below on anything you'd like to hear more about!  (And if there's something you want to hear less of.  But please, be gentle.)

I am also interested in guest writers, so if any of you would like to be a guest writer and have any story pitches for me to consider, please post below or send me an email in the email section on the right hand side of the main webpage.  If you're looking on the mobile website, you'll have to go to the main website to see this section.

Thanks to all those who have been faithful readers of my posts.  I'm honored that anyone would find any of my tips helpful or useful in their travels.  I hope I continue to give you more helpful tips in the future!