Journeywoman.com is a great site and just sent out an email requesting women travel writers – in 150 words or less – to contribute their best travel tips for an upcoming newsletter.

It got me thinking,and once it was done,  I thought I’d post it here as well. It was fun to think about, though to tell the truth, I had to ask two of my girlfriends if they knew what my tips might be.  Considering they’ve both traveled with me on some pretty long journeys, it was illuminating to find out what they considered to be “my things”.

It was also cool to see it from their perspective, as so much of what I do now is kind of second nature, so I needed their wonderful outsider eyes. They told me some of this list and then I was actually able to drum up the rest.

Thank you Dee Dee Sjogren and Karen Judd, my fellow JourneyWomen.

What to Pack…

1) Open Mind

2) travel candle & matches for atmosphere in your tent/room/cabin/toilet.

3) sarong to use as a sheet, a wrap, or as…a sarong

4) Humour

5) Cipro – stop severe cases of gastro-inbloginal distress

6) headlamp – easy night reading

7) universal sink stopper, twisty-stretchy clothesline. Use hotel shampoo to launder.

8) Love

9) two-colour theme (ie: black & grey or white) so everything works with everything else in your carry-on bag.

10) scarves to brighten up those two-colour outfits.

11) costume jewelry to help make that aforementioned same black shirt look like a completely different outfit.

12) Empathy

13) compact nylon bag that zips into its own pocket, for any “extras” that need to come home.

14) Melatonin – avoid jet lag.

15) Compassion

16) old clothes if traveling in developing nations – donate as you go.

17) earplugs, eye mask and lavender oil. Drip lavender onto a tissue to line the pillow case – perfect sleep.

18) Equanimity