Cuba 2017

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Travel Anxiety: What are You Afraid of?

Let's start off by talking about me and a perfect example of anxiety and fears.  I remember as a high school student going over to a friend's house to swim.  One of my friends was standing on a float and got to close to the edge.  I started yelling to move to the center of the pool.  I just knew she was going to fall, hit her head on the cement edge, and her brains were going to go spilling out all over the concrete.  I also remember the looks my friends gave me.  A vivid imagination must also go hand in hand with anxiety because after watching Jaws, I could never swim in open salt water without hyperventilating.  I know the stats about getting struck by lightning and eaten by a shark, but that's one of the few things I just can't seem to overcome.

So how is it that I'm able to travel without anxiety?  It helps that I've traveled solo since I was two.  (My mom was court ordered to put me on a plane to see my biological father.)  But with that being said, I still get heart palpitations during take-off, landing and bad turbulence.

Travel anxiety is a lot more common than you think it is.  How do you recognize and overcome travel anxiety?  I will share with you what are people's greatest fears that keep them from traveling and how to defeat them.  You may not be able to pinpoint the exact issue, but confronting your discomfort can help.  Here are seven reasons people use not to travel:

1.  Fear of flying
2.  Horror Stories
3.  The cost
4.  Foreigners hate Americans
5.  Terrorism
6.  What if something goes wrong
7.  How will they live without you while you're gone

Fear of flying is very understandable.  While we don't hear about the number of car crashes that happens every day, we are bombarded with graphic images of plane crashes from all over the world.  Coping strategies that help with common anxieties can also be use to help with flying anxiety.  Soothing music, repetitive prayers, some crochet work or a good book are very helpful to me in taking my mind off of a bumpy ride.  For some people, a glass of wine or an alcoholic beverage is a good idea, but that can also make your stomach queasy with motion sickness.  Speaking of motion sickness, over the counter meds like dramamine or bonine can have a mild sedating effect which will also give a small sense of calming.  Finally, one of the best solutions is to have a friend or loved one seated next to you who knows about your fear and can talk about funny stories or other anecdotes to get you through moments of tension or stress.

Everyone has a horror story they want to share with you about traveling (or their birth experience or both).  It's like when your sibling tastes something bad and then they hand it to you to try too.  It's the whole misery loves company.  But honestly,  if you think about this logically, everyone has a horror story about almost any topic you can imagine.  Most of my horror stories have changed because I have realized how much fun it is to go home and regal my friends with laughter!  I have never lost luggage, although I have had some delayed.  I have never been pick-pocketed, although my husband had his wallet stolen when he was drunk in Cozumel and left it in the taxi.  I have never been hurt while on a trip, but my mom did get sick once and had to be treated in a hospital.  With preparation, common sense and awareness, these horror stories would be non-existent.  If your brother/sister has to tell you his or her story, don't take it to heart.

Traveling will cost you.  This is another prime example of how good planning can make it possible.  The idea is to budget.  Will you be doing a group tour where most of your meals are covered or are you traveling solo?  Can you make monthly payments for your trip or do you need to pay for the whole thing all at once?  The majority of our trips, everything is covered except tips, souvenirs and lunch.  For a tour director who is with you the entire trip, you should budget about $6 per day not including flight days.  A bus driver gets tipped about $2 per day, as do local tour guides or museum guides.  Lunch will average about $15 in a typical European city.  An afternoon pastry with an espresso should be about $5, and a glass of wine with dinner is about $6-$8.  Make a list ahead of time of whom you would like to buy souvenirs for and your approximate budget for each.  Once you have this down, you can start saving and money while you're abroad won't be an issue.

Foreigners hate Americans.  This is a pretty broad statement.  To me, that's like saying I hate lawyers.  I use this example because we have three lawyers in the family.  In my experience, most locals in the places I have been love tourists and Americans.  Tourism brings in lots of money for their economy.  Why would you hate someone who is helping to pay for the resurfacing of Main Street?  Do some foreigners hate Americans?  Absolutely.  I have met them in my own neighborhood and surprisingly in my hotel while they are visiting America!  Some people just have a bad attitude that has nothing to do with you.

Terrorism.  The word is even kinda scary.  How do you overcome this fear?  Let's take a look at some statistics.  Over a three year period from 2011 to 2014, the CDC filed a report for domestic deaths caused by violence or homicide.  In the United States, there were over 440,000 deaths caused by violence or homicide.  During that time period of three years, they logged in deaths caused by violence or homicide of U.S. citizens who were traveling abroad.  That number was 369.  Total.  To put this into perspective, if you are living in America there are about 402 violent deaths per day.  If you are an American traveling abroad, there is about 1 death every three days.  You are 400 times more likely to get shot in New Orleans or Houston than you are in Paris or Rome.

What if something goes wrong?  Like you miss your flight or lose your luggage?  If you buy trip insurance, then you have no worries.  Even if you didn't, the airlines are pretty gracious and try to assist any way they can.  They hand out vouchers for food and try to get you on the next flight available even if it is your fault.  They also give you a per diem for every day your luggage is still not returned to you while on your trip. My motto is to prepare and organize.  Keep all of your prescription meds or any meds at all in your personal item.  That way if you end up having to check your carry on, you still have your essentials.  Pack at least one change of clothes in your carry on so if your luggage is delayed or lost, you still have clothes to wear.  Check in with your health insurance carrier.  Do they cover you for medical issues over seas?  Generally, medical costs in any other country are enormously cheaper than in the United States.  However, it's best not to chance a week long stay in the hospital for a bad case of the flu.  Trip insurance also covers you medically.  My mom and I found this out when she was in the hospital in Panama (the country).  I was relieved to know they would fly both of us home if necessary.  Luckily, she recovered quickly and we didn't need to worry.

How will they live without you while you're gone?  Our children are older now and the only reason they get mad when we travel is that we didn't take them with us.  We are now in an age of such great technology that this isn't such a big deal.  There are plenty of apps that allow free phone and/or video calls through wifi.  If you are able to save your work notes on a cloud or drive, all you need is your phone and internet.  You can purchase international phone plans for just a month or a pay per minute phone card.  Most hotels now have access to wifi, some you will need to pay for.  Sometimes, we have found ourselves sitting in the hotel lobby to get some work done because that is where the best signal strength is.  Frontload your work schedule before you leave.  Make a calendar for you, your kids and their caregivers.  Again, I say preparation and organization.  It's so much easier to come home knowing everything is taken care of because you planned it all right.

Once you get out of your comfort zone and start traveling, you may be surprised.  Traveling will give you a sense of confidence that also helps get rid of some of the every day life anxiety.  I know.  I am one of the 20% of Americans who suffer from anxiety.  Hasta la proxima vez, mis amigos!

When in Rome; it's Not Just About the Coliseum

If you have ever been to Rome, or want to go, one of the first iconic sites that comes to mind is the Coliseum.  It is a fascinating place full of history.  However, take a moment to consider the Pantheon.  Built in the days of the Emperor Augustus by Marcus Agrippa, it is over 2000 years old and an architectural wonder.  It was completed by Hadrian sometime before 125 AD.

 

The interior is lit only by one window at the very top of the structure called the oculus.  Throughout the day, the natural sunlight from the oculus moves around the interior creating a sundial effect. It also serves as cooling and ventilation. There is a drainage system in the floor that handles any rain coming through the oculus.

Originally, the Pantheon was created to honor all pagan gods and later turned into a Catholic church called Santa Maria ad Martyres.  You can still attend mass there on Sundays.

Recently, a USAToday reporter did a video regarding the building.  It is worth the four and a half minutes to watch. Click the image to go to the link.

 A presto!

Packing Toiletries

I try to keep this motto in mind for everything I pack.  What do you want to do on your trip, look cute or have a great time?  Besides underwear, toiletries are going to be the most important thing you pack.  Use things that can have dual purpose such as conditioner.  You can use conditioner as a shaving cream.

These are the toiletries I bring for every trip.  I always pack my toiletries in my carry-on in case anything checked is lost or delayed, I don't want to wow my fellow travelers with my awesome smell!  Everything is under 3oz and goes in a clear bag according to TSA rules.  If I didn't have plant-based sensitivities, I might not bring most of this.  It's also because you never know how long you might be delayed or in a country that these things are hard to come by.  In the back, moving from right to left, the Aquaphor is a great all-around non-scented ointment for dry patches, minor bug bites and scrapes.  I bring the Downy wrinkle release to straighten my clothes as well as freshen them up in between washes.  There's the shampoo and conditioner.  I also bring body wash as it can double for shampoo if necessary.  That aerosol bottle with the pink cap is a great little product.  When I travel for more than a couple of hours, I tend to feel gritty and yucky.  This is just a mist of purified spring water.  It makes me feel fresh and dewy!  Finally, there's the deodorant.  And moving back around, there are razors, hand sanitizer, soap, q-tips, toothpaste and toothbrush.  The Tide packets are single wash use gel packs.  This way I can pack less clothes.  I also bring a travel size spray of Poopourri.  Nothing like going to the bathroom before or after someone else on the plane!

The only thing not included in the picture is the combination sunscreen and insect spray or lotion.  You can find this at most sporting goods stores.  Be careful and research your product.  Sometimes, one chemical can negate the effects of the other.  You may also need just sunscreen, but rarely do I find that you need bug spray without sunscreen.

My final tip of this post is geared toward women.  A lot of our clothes are made without pockets.  Pockets are essential for traveling!  You don't want to hold up a line because you have grabbed the wrong boarding pass and now you need to dig in your bag to find the right one.  I don't like to carry a lot of bags and I like to wear skirts because I have fat thighs.  A great compromise is a light vest or jacket.  I found an outdoor quick-dry vest (all of your clothes should be quick dry) that has four zippered pockets on the outside and two zippered pockets on the inside.  I'm really excited to try it out on our trip next month to Cuba since we are limited to packing in a backpack.  I told Lance I will probably look like a dork or a hamster with beef jerky hanging out of my pockets, but I might be able to quickly bribe the security agents with Jolly Ranchers!  -Que tengas buenos días!

How are you getting all of THAT in your bag?!: Part 2

In the previous post, I showed a bunch of stuff scattered all over my bedroom floor and called it "what I can't live without when I travel".  Now, a week later, I realized I left some stuff out.  Can't believe it, can you?  That's a lot of crap!  Here's the picture of the basic stuff that I posted previously.

I keep a shoe box in the closet with travel items.  This really helps when it comes time to pack for a trip.  Advance preparation is the difference between panic & pain or smooth sailing with a smile.

Now we can get into some of the fun stuff, but I really think I'm going to need another post to cover toiletries.  Yikes!

I did not take a picture of my laptop here, but I would include it at a conference because I type way faster than I write.  Basic electronics include an external charger, my tablet, and my phone.

I included my expired passport here, but I guess it probably should have gone in misc.  This would be a good time to point out that your passport must still be valid 6 months after your return date.  Don't get to the airport and make this mistake in the security line.  Back to electronics.  It's smart to buy a universal adapter if you're traveling abroad.  This way if you visit multiple countries or travel in the future, you are not back in the luggage aisle looking for the one that works for that particular country.  Always try to make everything you use have a dual purpose.  (Except your underwear.  Seriously.)  Another thing to mention with an adapter is that unless you get one that is also a converter, you might have issues with your electric razor, hair dryer, curling iron etc.  My daughter and her friends almost caught their room on fire.  Luckily, they only blew out the electricity for the entire floor of the hotel.  Don't let this be you.

Your external charger should be able to power your phone or your tablet.  Make sure to look at the amperage.  Most that you buy at the check out will not provide enough power to charge your tablet.  I use my tablet quite a bit on longer trips for reading on ebook apps, watching movies and looking up stuff for the next day.  I won't be bringing it to Cuba because it is a poorer country and we will be there less than a week.

The velcro strips are neat because I don't have to fool around with twisty ties or knots in my charger cords.  They run about $2 in the sewing aisle at Walmart, otherwise they can be priced quite a bit more in electronics. When it's time to leave your hotel room, make a point to grab your charger.  This is always the first item people leave in their hotel rooms.  Trust me, I have a box full of them in our lost & found.

Next stop is the medical supplies.  Oh man, hold on to your hat.

The generic pills are pretty much for everyone else (The Hubs takes excedrin, kids take tylenol or advil, etc).  I also carry immodium, tums, decongestant, allergy, fiber pills and motion sick pills.  This usually covers the all around "my fill-in-the-blank hurts".  That bottle underneath with the green lid has bobby pins & hair ties.  If my hair springs loose from its various constraints, it is truly an emergency.  Right next to that is a little tube of non-medicated eye ointment and chapstick.  The plastic jar with the blue sticker is a non-scented muscle rub.  I also carry afrin.  Sometimes I have trouble clearing my ears and a couple of squirts of Afrin will clear them right up.

The purple extra pill box is for other prescription pills that I only take when necessary.  Labels with the medication name to cover the days ensures that my whole bag is not filled with a bunch of pills that I may or may not end up needing.  I also carry my regular pill box.  Once a month, I sort my pills & supplements into boxes like this.  There is no thought involved in taking meds this way.  When I'm ready to start packing, I grab the containers with the appropriate amount of days plus a couple of extra, and I'm ready to go.  I also carry a list from the pharmacy of prescribed meds so that if questioned, I can prove I'm not a dealer!

Next to the pill boxes is the essential oil inhaler and a bag labeled Comfort.  This bag has just in case feminine items, an eye mask and ear plugs.  On longer flights, the airline usually gives you complimentary ear plugs, ear buds and an eye mask.  I have smaller ear canals and a funky piece of cartilage that makes wearing average ear plugs difficult.  I keep an eye mask for just in case because I like it dark when I sleep.  It could be four o'clock in the afternoon,I've been in between places for 32 hours and the person sitting next to the window is trying to pick out cloud formations.

In the above picture is a little kit that goes everywhere with me also.  Different size bandaids, gauze, wipes, antibacterial ointment in small packets, fingernail clippers, sewing kit, scissors and a jump drive.  The container is from a travel first aid kit which was a joke & had practically nothing in it.  When we travel, no matter how short my nails are, I consistently break a nail on luggage and need those clippers.  Also someone didn't listen to the All Knowing Tour Leader and wore new shoes and needs a bandaid.  Someone else ate more than they should have on the trip and popped a button on the way home.  I back up my important home files on the jump drive and encrypt it.  This gives me peace of mind that if there's a lightning storm at home, I haven't lost all of my work files.

In the very first photo above are snacks.  If you are on tour with a group, you may not be able to get the bus to stop when you have a sugar crash.  Even when traveling solo, it's a good idea to pack snacks.  Having a granola bar can help get you to the next meal time when there's no convenience store in sight.  I also carry hard candies.  These help with blood sugar and dry throats from exhaust, allergies and a/c.


Not pictured in the Great Packing List of 2017:  a travel pillow, compression socks, a portable scale and a microfiber towel.  These items are essential to me for any trip longer than two hours.  If you are flying less than two hours, you usually only have a half an hour of steady altitude.  My problem being that if I sleep during ascent or descent, I don't clear my ears and end up with a massive earache so I only sleep if travel time is longer than two hours.  I appreciate the compression socks as I get older and prefer not to have cankles getting off a plane or even a long car ride.  Don't pack the neck pillow unless you have tons of extra room in your bag.  If you are buying one, make sure you get the one with the little strap that will connect it to your carry-on.  I can't sleep comfortably with just one pillow so my travel pillow helps with that issue.

The microfiber towel is a great item because you never know when you're going to stop on the side of the road at that beautiful little beach at sunset or that fabulous hidden waterfall off the beaten path.  I've also read that not every guest room in Cuba offers towels and I don't prefer to drip dry.

When the road has ended and it's time to make the journey home, you will probably have accumulated more stuff than you started with. Most airlines allow you one checked bag, sometimes two if you are traveling to Australia or the Orient.  The weight limit of the checked bag is 50 lbs.  Trust me, they weigh it every time.  When you finally get to the ticket counter and you discover that your bag is overweight, your choice is to pay for the extra weight (up to $10 per pound over) or try to move some of your items to your carry-on, or pay for an extra checked bag.  This can be a nightmare.  You think fifty pounds is quite a lot, but when you add two bottles of wine to said bag, we enter a whole nother ball game.  It's much easier to know the weight of your bag before you get to the ticket counter.  You can find these on Amazon for about $15.

The final packing items that I am going to write about today are extra bags.  This might sound kinda silly at first, but hear me out.

Imagine you are going to your hotel pool.  What are you going to carry your stuff in?  Are you taking everything out of your backpack just to go to the pool?  How about the village market?  These shopping bags take up no room whatsoever and can come in handy!  The trash bag is to separate your dirty clothes from your clean clothes.  I don't really care to have Hubs' smelly socks wrapped around my clean shirt.  The extra ziploc is for your wet bathing suit.  Pretty smart, hunh?!

Stay tuned for next time, folks, and we will talk about toiletries.  Hasta la próxima

What I can't live without when I travel, or How to pack with chronic illness: Part 1

If you can't tell, I absolutely love to travel.  It is easy to get cynical as you get older when you repeat experiences in your life.  To overcome the potential of "having seen that," I enjoy leading tours and pilgrimages.  It is such a joy to watch a teenager have a life-changing moment that will remain with them long into adulthood.  Being able to watch a pilgrim who is touched by the Holy Spirit is totally awe-inspiring.  How can I not want to be a part of that?  I have made some concessions in my life due to my disease, but if I plan right, traveling isn't one of them.

Every trip and pilgrimage is different, but I have a basic travel kit that is always ready and a go-to.  Whether I am spending the night visiting family, attending a long weekend conference or traveling abroad for a couple of weeks, it is easier to pack when you always start with the same things.  Being prepared goes a long way to keeping me looking like a normal person!

Let's begin with a good wallet.  This seems like a no-brainer, but I really don't like carrying bags or purses around so on a daily basis this is what you'll see me with.

 Why is this important?  This wallet is large enough to hold my phone, id, passport and sunglasses.  The clip on the side holds my wrist strap and can attach to my keys.  It also attaches to my case with earbuds.  Despite what you might think, I am not a patient person.  I always have a podcast, online class lecture or audio book loaded on my phone.  This way I can sit for quite a while and not feel like I'm wasting time.

My next bag that I always carry on a trip is my backpack.  It is lightweight and has a ton of pockets and zippered and mesh compartments.  I prefer carrying a backpack since it puts equal weight on both shoulders.  I have tried messenger bags over one shoulder, handheld shopping bags and various other personal items.  I always end up with my trusty backpack.  My neck, shoulders and back muscles appreciate it.

It's bright red so that my group can always pick me out of a crowd.  You can just barely see the top of the fingernail clippers and the Tide pen.  Another essential is a large scarf.  The scarf is a multipurpose item, either thin cotton for summer or wool for winter.  I use it to cover my shoulders or wrap around my legs in churches, a blanket to cover myself when napping on a bus or plane, a hair wrap in windy conditions, and a makeshift blouse if you know how to tie it right.  The hat in the picture has a ponytail opening in the back and a chin strap if we're on a boat.  Sometimes I might bring just a visor in the winter. I know I look like a dork with the full coverage hat, but it gives a lot of protection from sun exposure which can occasionally give me a migraine.

Now on to the basics that go in the bag.  I probably wouldn't carry that much if I was younger, healthier and didn't need to be prepared for my peeps (family, kids, tour travelers, pilgrims & sometimes people I meet while traveling).

This stuff all goes in my carry-on.  I think I'll start on the left and move to the right.  At the top right is my crochet bag.  This is a little bag that will contain a small project such a socks, bunting or granny squares.  If you notice, it has a pocket for my pen & pattern.  Usually, I will drag this along to keep me from getting anxious while we wait.  I am forever waiting on someone whether it's a kid at sports practice or a delayed flight.  Below the crochet bag is an ankle brace and water filter straw.  The ankle brace is for when we do a lot of walking which is practically any trip.  I broke my ankle some years ago and am now partially bionic.  Pathways are never straight or level.  Be prepared.  The water filter straw is for our next trip in May.  Typically, I wouldn't bring this, but we are traveling to Cuba and I understand that the drinking water is not always readily available.  This leads me to the next items to the right.  Facial tissue is always good to have whether your nose gets drippy from that field of yellow flowers you just walked through or if there's no toilet paper in the bathroom.  Below it is a universal power converter needed for any trip abroad and gorilla tape.  The tape would have come in real handy once when our daughter over-packed and her luggage exploded in the airport.

The last item I'm going to write about today is that little aqua colored lipstick looking tube.  This is one of the best inventions since sliced bread.  No joke.  It's called and Essential Oil Personal Inhaler and you can get it on Amazon. Click the picture for the link.

 

I can't put anything plant-based on my skin due to sensitivities so any perfume is out.  Besides the fact that who wants to go around smelling like a cosmetic counter. How it works is you unscrew the silver top and put your essential oil on the cotton insert in the bottle.  Screw the metal lid back on and put the aqua blue base over the bottle.  There are tiny holes in the top of the metal portion.  The other metal top goes over the metal part.  When you take the top off, you can smell your essential oil.  I also have a strong sense of smell.  Oftentimes, certain smells such as exhaust can nauseate me.  This is the perfect counter to the odor.  In an airplane the air is circulated throughout the cabin which can cause problems for me too.  I just grab this little baby and I am set.

So in my next post I will explain the rest of the stuff and why I pack the way I do.  Hasta luego!

I Have a Secret; a Preface

I have a secret.  Some of my friends know this about me, but many don't.  Mostly, I'm not real good with sharing secrets, mine or others', and this will be a tough post to write. I've decided to share today because there seems to be more and more people out there who are like me.  I have a chronic illness.  It's not contagious and it's not supposed to be progressive.  My decision to write this post comes after a fellow sufferer asked me how I manage to travel and I'd like to answer this question, but in my next post.

In this post, I want to talk about some of my symptoms so that in the next post I can cover how to travel with chronic illness.  Luckily for you (not so much me), my illness comes with a very broad spectrum of symptoms that go with it.  You may also experience one of these, and I have many coping strategies to handle them while you're traveling or even at home.  Some of my symptoms are:

• migraines with light, sound & smell sensitivities
• irritable bowel syndrome with combination diarrhea/constipation/nausea
• allodynia, a touch sensitivity which can affect my skin
• musculoskeletal pain
• fatigue, loss of energy and sometimes brain fog.

I have good days and bad days just like anyone else.  These symptoms don't usually occur all at once, but I do experience them periodically.  I have learned to hide my illness as much as possible and smile through it.  I wear a mask and sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn't. What people with chronic illness get tired of hearing is:

• but you don't look sick, have you seen a counselor?
• have you tried fill in the blank here with the latest diet/exercise/herb-vitamin
• how do you do it, I just don't think I could handle that
• your poor family

I could go on and on with this stuff.  Yes, I have seen a counselor.  I don't look sick because I don't want you to know.  I have tried diets and some exercise.  I am not a hypochondriac, I am not an addict, I am not crazy and I am not looking for attention.  I don't want to be defined by my disease.  I handle it through the grace of God and the support of my family and friends.  Yes, I totally agree, my poor family.  

According to the National Health Council, there are approximately 133 million people in America who suffer with chronic illness.  This is why I wrote this post and will begin including a few tidbits in the future.  More likely than not, you or someone you know is affected by a chronic disease.  I hope my insights will help!

What's a typical day like?

Have you ever wondered what does a typical day on tour/pilgrimage look like?

Day 1

We will leave Nola airport mid-afternoon on Day 1, have a lay-over in Atlanta (I'm guessing) for a couple of hours.  This gives everyone time to use the restroom and grab a snack or download a book on the airport's wifi.  We will then fly to our destination.  Flight time overseas is typically about nine and a half hours.  On the plane, they will provide earbuds for movies, an eye mask, foam earplugs, a small pillow and light blanket.  They provide drinks (alcoholic and nonalcoholic) and a small packet of nuts or pretzels. About an hour into the flight, they will provide a meal.  If you or your family have any dietary restrictions, you will need to alert our airline prior to check-in (for the rest of the trip, I will notify our company to make accommodations for allergies,etc.).  After the meal, we encourage everyone to get some sleep.

This is what happens when teenagers watch movies the entire flight and are somewhat delirious upon arrival in the airport!

Day 2

Europe is on average seven hours ahead of us so when we land, it will be Day 2 on our Itinerary.  The best way to overcome jet lag is to hit the ground moving.  Trust me, you might be tired, but this is truly good travel planning.  Once we arrive in the destination airport, we will collect our baggage and go through customs.  After customs, we will meet our Tour Director who coordinates buses, hotels, museum entries, etc.  He or she is typically from the destination country and will stay with us the entire trip.  He is the go-between for us and the locals.  In the case of the Pilgrimage, Fr. Sensat and I will assume these rolls.  We may have to wait 30-45 minutes for another group to arrive.  We then board our bus and start our tour of city.  Usually, this half-day is an overview of the city with a few minor stops to get our bearings.  Once we're done with our taste of the city, we will head to eat supper.  Supper may be at our hotel or a restaurant located in the city.  Day 2 is usually an early turn-in after supper.   

Day 3

7am:  Wake

7:30am: Breakfast

8am: Depart from hotel

8-1p:  Walking or Bus tour of the City

1-3p:  Lunch on your own an Free time for shopping or exploration

3-7p:  Walking or Bus tour,  or travel to next destination

7-8p:  Small break before dinner to freshen up

8-9pm:  Dinner

9pm: Coffee shop, bar or ice cream if you so desire, or turn in for the night

During Pilgrimages, we will make time every day for mass which you may or may not choose to attend.  

Please note that European meal times differ from American meal times so you are highly encouraged to bring snacks such as granola bars or other dry snack packages.  You also have plenty of free time for coffee and bathroom breaks.  We recommend you bring a refillable water bottle as well. The price of bottled water can be expensive.

Travel times with wait requirements, flights and layovers can vary.  Dress comfortably and in layers.  One airport may be very hot, while the plane may be freezing cold or vice versa.

How much you walk per day can average 4-6 miles on uneven ground.  Wear good walking shoes that are broken in already! 

Remember this is an example of your trip days and nothing is set in stone even when we are on tour.  Most importantly, be on time.  We will wait no more than 15 minutes, and then you will need to find a taxi to our next stop.

There will be snafus and screw-ups on every trip.  Your attitude will make or break the trip for you, so have patience and have a good time!

If you are interested in going on our next Pilgrimage, click on this link and scroll down to France & Spain Pilgrimages.  We are almost halfway to a full group so don't wait!

Spain & Portugal Pilgrimage 2017

Who are you?

First things first-  Did you miss the Pilgrimage meeting and need the information?  Not sure how to sign up?  Here are all of the resources you need:

Pilgrimage 2017

And on to other interesting topics.  Have I mentioned how much I hate this time of year?  It must be because this is one of the busy seasons for lodging, you say.  Well, not really.  Okay, maybe kind of.  I think it's the beautiful weather.  Seriously, it makes me restless.  I want to go somewhere.  No, I don't want to go down to the Walmart.  Pinterest will have to make do for a while.  <sigh>

In the midst of flood renovations and Mardi Gras, I have also been taking an online marketing course.  Like I have nothing else to do.  I enjoy classes like this since it tells me a lot about how people think.  One of the assignments involved taking the Myers Briggs personality profile.  I have taken this test more in depth several years ago and decided to take it again to see if I had "changed".  Alas, I am still an INTJ, but I lie close to an ISTJ.  And not surprisingly, the rest of our family are all introverted too.  If you're not familiar with this type of personality profile, there are four aspects:

Introverted (I) vs. Extroverted (E)

Intuition (N) vs Sensing (S)

Thinking (T) vs Feeling (F)

Judging (J) vs Perception (P)

Basically, it helps you define how you relate to others, your environment, your intellect, emotions, etc.  It's pretty interesting.  But, you ask, how in the world (get it?) does this relate to travel?  I did a little research and Voila!  According to Neris Analytics Limited © 2011-2016, the three most Introverted countries in the world are Japan, Lithuania, and Portugal.  The three most Extroverted countries in the world are located in the Middle East.  They had this really cool map that you can click on a country and find out what it is.  Most of the countries were only slightly more Introverted or Extroverted, such as France was more Extroverted by only 50.23% and Italy was more Introverted by 52.13%.   In the United States, Washington D.C., New York, and Mississippi were top for Extraverts, while West Virginia, Alaska, and Maine reported the highest percentages of Introverts. And drum roll for Louisiana..... we are reported at 50.08% introverted.  How about that?  Fascinating stuff right here.

If you want to find out what Personality type you are, here is a simple free version of the Myers Briggs test:

Myers Briggs Personality Test

Once you're done taking the test, check out a brief description of each personality type here:

Personality Descriptions

You can then go on to your more in depth, but still free description if you would like more information.

I really enjoyed learning about this information and I hope you can have fun with it too!  Don't forget to let me know what personality type you are!

My great walking shoes that turned out to be not so great

This past weekend, my husband and I and a couple of our boys went to Houston to do hotel furniture shopping.  After we flooded this past August 2016, we had to replace some things in half of the hotel rooms and everything in the other half of the hotel rooms.  Six months following the flood, and we are just now getting the final renovations done.  We went to a hotel furniture wholesale market and Ikea.  You wouldn't think that the walking was that extensive and it wasn't.  First, we went to these places to plan the layout of the rooms with what was available and what accents such as wall decor and rugs.  Then we went back and picked out what we wanted and calculated pricing and what was within our budget.  We went back a third time to load everything up.  This all circles around to an average amount of walking.
By the time we left Saturday night (Day 3) to drive home, my feet were in pain.  What I thought to be great walking shoes that I had owned for over six months gave me several blisters on the tops of both of my feet as well as a couple of blisters on the bottom (no heel blisters).

Part of the problem was that we ate sodium-filled junk food all weekend and my feet swelled up quite a bit.  Unfortunately, this is a common problem when I travel no matter how much water I drink.

I have to admit that blisters can just totally ruin a good trip.  These were Clark's brand walking shoes.  My impulse is to toss them in the dumpster but I'm giving myself time to reconsider.  I'm back on the quest for a cute pair of walking shoes that are comfortable, functional but look good with a skirt.  Got any suggestions?

A Few Travel hints for the Ladies

I am directing this post mainly to my lady travel buds out there.  You men might find a few of these hints helpful, but it will be like going through your wife's purse.  Ask yourself, "do I really want to do this?"

One of the most important purchases you can make for your trip is a good pair of walking shoes.  Don't buy shoes online, trust me.  Go to your shoe store and try them on.  Make sure to break them in long before you go on tour.  This includes flip flops.  Hurting feet and legs can ruin an otherwise good trip.  It's also important to bring blister packs just in case.  Shoes that you thought were great back home may still give you blisters after walking all day on uneven streets.

Unless you are traveling to very cold climates, leave the cute boots behind.  They take up too much room in your luggage as well as being heavy.

Always pack light.  The elevators in Europe were made during the Renaissance and are usually the size of my coat closet.  This means you will be lugging your bags up several flights of stairs to get to your room.  Make sure the luggage is as light as possible.  Don't waste your allotted weight limit on a great piece of luggage instead of that great bottle of wine.

Also, don't be that person who is holding up the line because her luggage is not within the airline size restrictions.  Check beforehand regarding the size allowance as well as the permissible items you can fly with.  Use your conditioner for shaving cream and cut one more thing you need to pack. I bet you have lots of ideas too!

Pack a dryer sheet in your luggage for a fresher smell, as well as a small bottle of wrinkle release spray.  The spray will give your clothes a cleaner smell and take that packed look away too.  Bring plenty of underwear and socks, but also pack panty-liners to keep you feeling fresh throughout those hot days.  Tide has travel packets of laundry detergent specifically made for hand washing in the sink.  This way you can pack even less.

There are lots of suggestions out there on how to pack.  Should you pack in cubes or zippered plastic bags?  I prefer a little of both.  I pack my shoes in a cube with my socks.  This is the cube I pack for my bras and panties. Usually I will pack some of my panties in the cups of my bras as well.

Amazon Bra Bag

The rest of my clothes I put in the zippered bags.  I put shirts together, bottoms together and pajamas together.  I don't like to pack by outfits because you can't be sure of weather and I'm fickle in what I like to wear on which day.

Keep extra change handy in case you need to use the restroom.  Most public restrooms in Europe charge a euro or two to use.

One of my last tips for the day is to wear clothes with pockets so that you can easily access your passport, money and lip gloss.  If your clothes don't have pockets, look into a travel vest.  A purse is easily picked up and can get heavy (even the cross body ones) depending on what you put in it.

If you have a great travel hint, I would love to hear it!

Bis bald!

What makes me different?

                                 

Photo by my friend, Rick Nesbitt
If you don't know me, you're probably wondering what makes me different from all of the other bloggers and travel writers.  Let me tell you a little about myself and then we can get on to the fun stuff like how to stuff the kids in the overhead compartment when they are whining and you have two hours left on your flight!

I have been traveling solo since I was two years old flying to meet my biological father for the holidays.  My grandmother said I was her little gypsy with my bag always packed.  It must be in my blood because she went all over the world and oftentimes took me with her.  My husband, Lance, and I have been married for almost 25 years.

Hot hubby, Lance

We have six children ages 22 to 10.

(missing Lance, adding Mom & friend)

I love traveling with my family except for those long car trips when you wonder where the benadryl is because "he looked at me" too many times!

We travel with our kids two or three times a year, as a couple two or three times a year, and individually when we can't both get away from our businesses.
Right after grad school, we moved back to Eunice and bought a vintage motor-court motel.

We added RV sites, bought an RV of our very own, made lots of renovations to our little inn and Voila!, I have been on the opposite side of the travel industry for about twenty years.

Once the kids were a tad bit older, I started helping with a few festivals in our town.  I was also elected to the St. Landry Parish Tourism Commission in 2015, and became a tour leader for EF Tours.

All of this brings me back to the question of what makes me special?  Is it my pretty pink toes?

Sorry, I got off track.  Anyhoo, whatever I post it will be with lots of experience behind it.

My site will be primarily geared toward the traveler on group tours.  Having experienced both, Lance and I love traveling with a group!  I'll go more in depth later, but essentially everything is done for us.  We live very busy and stressful lives and want to experience the world with as little headache of planning as possible.

Here are two fantastic articles to help you decide which is right for you:
Group Tours Vs. Solo Travel
Organized Tour vs. Solo Travel

Hasta la vista!