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!