But I don’t speak their language… can I still visit?

When I tell people I am going to a place that speaks another language, people invariably say, "Oh, so you speak Spanish?" Or, "I didn't know you knew French."  The truth of the matter is that I don't know any spoken languages other than English.

I took American Sign Language in school, which was great, but doesn't help me with traveling.  (Although I do know a few universal signs like "toilet."  So if I ever have to go to the bathroom and am around a deaf person, they can help me out.)

There are challenges to going to a country where I don't speak the language.  However, I've been in large cities where a lot of people speak English (such as Rome and Paris) and I've also been in some very small towns where no one speaks a lick of English (such as very small villages in Ecuador.)

Sometimes not knowing the language really can be a challenge.  When we went to Ecuador, our GPS lead us to the wrong town and we were driving around in circles.  We stopped to ask directions and no one understood us.  We would talk in English and they didn't understand.  Then they would talk in Spanish, and we couldn't understand.  All of us were at a loss.  Everyone there was very cordial and willing to help, but we just couldn't make sense of anything.

Is this the road?  Seriously, we thought this was the road and found out that no, it's exactly what you'd think it is: a cow pasture.

We ended up driving out of the small village and finding a town with internet.  When we got there, I used Google maps to try to find out how to get where we needed go.  Since I didn't even know where we were, I read aloud from my phrase book "What is the street address?" to the woman at the counter and she wrote it down.  It was quite a stressful situation at the time, but really we managed our way through it.  It would have been a lot easier if we knew Spanish, but we survived.

When we finally arrived at another hotel later on in the trip, I had to ask someone at the counter where to park our car.  He didn't speak any English, so we hopped on the desk computer and we used Google translation and each typed into it.  It worked out fine.  With today's technology, it's actually pretty easy.

I've managed to work my way through the issues, with a small phrase book and a smile.  Don't worry if you can't speak the language, if you learn some phrases and are willing to work hard at communication, you should have no problems.  Not speaking the language is definitely not a deal-breaker.

Here are a few tips that might get you through language barrier:

1. Bring a phrase book.  A book that has simple words for transportation, food, hotels, etc., will help a great deal.
2. Smile and point.  If you're at a bakery or a restaurant, just point at what you want and smile.  I've been using this trick for years and people never seemed upset that I can't pronounce what I want.  The smiling part is key.  
3. Allow extra time when dealing with transportation issues.  You will have to read a lot of signs and find out where you are and decode things.  Be prepared for delays when you're figuring things out.
4. If you rent a car, research road signs ahead of time.  I can remember one time my husband was driving and I was riffling through my book trying to figure out what "ceda el paso" means.  Better to just do this research ahead of time before you get in an accident or get a ticket.
5. Don't immediately start speaking English.  You at least need to know the phrase "I don't speak _____" in whatever language you're communicating in.  It's presumptuous and rude to just start speaking English.  Start with "no hablo espanol." So they can see that you're at least making an effort.  Nothing says, "I'm American, and everyone in the world should speak English, dangit," like just walking up to someone and speaking to them in English.
6. Just try.  It's better to try and look silly, then to not try at all.  I always learn "hello" "goodbye," "thank you,"  "good day," and of course my coffee order, in the language of the country I'm visiting.  Those phrases have still stuck with me to this day.  I can order my coffee in Spanish, Italian and French.  (I should put that on my resume.)

Why you should pack safety pins

Safety pins are a great little item that weighs next to nothing and can be used for a variety of things.  It’s hard to predict what sorts of things lie ahead of you on your next trip. 

I’m a firm believer in packing light and not bringing unnecessary things.  However, if its small and can be used for multiple things, then I think it’s worth it to pack.  You can also pick up a pack of these anywhere, which makes it an added bonus to know how many ways you can use them.

1. Make an infinity scarf with a regular scarf.  If you’re traveling in Europe, you’ll probably see lots of little stands selling beautiful scarves for dirt cheap.  If you buy one, you can easily turn that one into an infinity scarf by simply safety pinning the ends together and then wrapped it around your neck twice.  Bam.  You’re a seamstress.
2. Secure a loose blouse on a hanger.  I don’t always hang up my clothes in a hotel room, but if you have a flowy blouse that that keeps falling down, clip the tag to the hanger to keep it secure.
3. Fix a broken zipper.  I should have said “fix.”  Although it won’t fix it, if you accidentally break your zipper, you have a way to keep your bag together at least until you get home.  If your zipper just pops off, you can use the safety pin as the zipper piece, too.
4. Hanging up wet clothes.  If you need to wash something and want to hang dry it, you can hang dry a punch of small items by safety pinning them to a hanger.  Socks, tights, underwear, instead of trying to find a flat surface for all of them, just clip and hang.
5. Secure a poncho or wrap-style sweater.  I have a lot of flowy sweaters and a wool poncho that I travel with on occasion.  Sometimes, it’s very windy, which isn’t so great for those clothing items.  I keep a safety pin with me so I can secure it to my front, which keeps me nice and warm and also keeps my flowy clothing from trying to fly off my body.  You can also secure any button downs that may have had a button pop off.
6. Fix jewelry.   Sometimes a bracelet or necklace might break, but you still want to wear it.  (Especially if it matches your outfit.)  Depending on where it broke, a safety pin might be able to keep it together.

Can you think of any other ways you can use a safety pin?

Two of my most versatile clothing items

There are some clothing items, like dresses or bras that are made to convert in a number of different ways.  I’ve seen dresses that can be worn as halter tops, strapless and short sleeve.  I’ve even seen scarves that can be worn as shirts or sweaters.  These are neat, but I think there are so many ways to wear clothing items you already have that you may not thought about.

One of the items I think is most versatile is a little black dress (LBD.)  This item can be great for cold or warm temperatures, and can be worn in a number of different ways.

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Ways to wear the LBD:

1. By itself.  You can wear it by itself with flats or sandals.
2. With leggings or tights.  You can use leggings or tights and add either flats or boots.
3. As a skirt.  If you don’t want to pack an extra skirt, you can bring a small belt, and use the belt to tighten the bottom of a shirt to wear on top.  You can also use this method with a sweater.
4. With a button down.  Since button downs already are usually baggy at the bottoms and not so tight fitting, t wouldn’t look awkward to simply add a button up over top and wear it like a skirt
5. With accessories.  A LBD is perfect for accessorizing.  Add a belt around the middle for a different look, add a scarf, add a coat, add funky jewelry.  It’s the perfect dress for all kinds of accessories. 

Another item I find that I can get a lot of mileage out of is a good button down.  I usually bring my light blue button down because I find it goes with lots of items.  I’ve brought it to warm places like the beach and worn it with shorts, I’ve also brought it to colder climates in the mountains and wore it under large sweaters.  There are many ways to wear this item.

Ways to wear the button-down:

1. With jeans or pants.  It’s lightweight and comfy so it makes a good airport shirt option.  If you wear it with jeans or pants you can wear sandals or flats.
2. With leggings.  A button down is great to wear with leggings and tall boots.
3. Under a sweater.  It makes a great layering option if you’re going to varying climates.  Just wear it under a bulky sweater or nice cardigan.
4. With a skirt.  It’s a great thing to tuck into a skirt with tights or even if its sunny out, you can wear it with the skirt and simply roll up the sleeves if it gets too hot.
5. With a LBD.  It’s a great option if you’re bringing additional skirts as I mentioned above.
6. With accessories.  A button down is perfect under a vest or a sporty jacket even.  It’s great with scarves and long dangly earrings.

What are your most versatile clothing items?

Tips for going through airport security

It doesn’t matter how organized or prepared I am, every time it’s my turn to put my stuff in the bins, I start to panic and riffle through my stuff to make sure everything is in order.

There are always a lot of people behind you waiting.  It’s like you can feel their eyeballs on the back of your head and their hot breath on your neck telling you to “hurry up.”  Everyone else always seems like a professional at this, and that they know something you don’t.

Really, the main thing is getting through it quickly and efficiently.  People do not want to wait behind you while you struggle to figure things out on the spot.  If you can be as prepared as possible, it will be easy and smooth and you won’t have anyone behind you saying, “COME ON, ALREADY!  IS THIS YOUR FIRST TIME AT AN AIRPORT?”

Here are a few tips I’ve learned as I’ve gone through security:

1. Read all the rules before you go.  The TSA rules change all the time and you need to keep up with it.  For example, the last time I flew I didn’t know I could leave my jewelry on.  I was taking it off when a TSA agent let me know that it’s not necessary.
2. Wear slip-on shoes.  Nothing slows down security like someone trying to untie his or her large clunky boots, or even athletic shoes that you have to sit down and beat to get them to go on your feet.  Wear shoes come off  and on easy.
3. Have your liquids ready.  Keep your quart-size bag at the top of your suitcase or in your personal item so you can grab them right away.  They want it out on top of your stuff, so make sure it’s easily accessible.
4. If you have a laptop, grab a second bin.  You will have to put it in a bin by itself, so when you’re grabbing bins for your stuff, grab an extra instead of waiting and having to go back and get another one.  (You don’t need one for iPads or tablets, by the way.)
5. Empty your pockets.  They repeat this over, and over again so if you don’t remember this one, don’t worry… they will remind you.
6. Take off your coat while you’re waiting in line.  You have to take off your coat, or any jacket-type item.
7. Put your boarding pass and ID away.  After the TSA agent checks your boarding pass, you don’t need it again until you get on the plane.  So just store it in your personal item.
8. Walk in the machine like a pro.  When they call you up, put your feet on the markers, put your hands up and wait for the swipe.  It’s quick, easy and painless… at least that’s what they say.  The studies haven’t come out to show the damage these screenings are doing to our vital organs.

When you travel overseas, TSA rules are different.  It’s good to brush up on the rules for the country you are going to.

Here are a few tips I’ve learned from overseas traveling:

1. You don’t always need to take off your shoes.  I was actually laughed at by someone when they saw me take my shoes off, probably because the United States is one of the only countries to have this strict rule.  One country made you take shoes off only if they were boots with thick heals.   Just be sure to look it up so you don’t look like an idiot.
2. Certain countries have different carry-on restrictions.  For example, all over Europe I was allowed to bring on a wine bottle opener.  When I got to Ecuador they were very confused why I thought I could bring that on a plane.  Needless to say, they threw it away.
3. Allow extra time.  Sometimes, they take their time looking through your luggage, and asking others to double check what they’re looking at to make sure it’s nothing you’re not allowed to bring on.

I hope these few tips help you get through security without having a heart-attack.  I still get nervous I’m going to hold up the line, but I try my best to fake like I really do know what I’m doing.