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    Don’t Pack That
    Don’t Pack That
    Don’t Pack That
    Ebook263 pages1 hour

    Don’t Pack That

    By Sarah May

    ()

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    About this ebook

    This book is a companion for any traveler, regardless of experience. It is meant to be an introduction to traveling, a Travel 101, if you will. No matter how often you fly, inside are some basic tips to ease travel stresses, and a hopefully amusing recount of experiences from my travels. From packing strategies to cheap flights, annoying passengers to great friends, this book has it all. Whether you are thinking of taking a vacation, have just returned from a vacation, or hear more about other people’s vacations, this is the book for you. Peak inside to see what you can glean from my many, and sometimes embarrassing, travel stories.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisheriUniverse
    Release dateDec 31, 2019
    ISBN9781532083525
    Don’t Pack That
    Author

    Sarah May

    An avid traveler since a lucky break at 13, Sarah has visited 26 countries on 3 continents so far and she wants to hit every continent eventually. After nearly two decades of world travel, she decided to share her advice more broadly.

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      Book preview

      Don’t Pack That - Sarah May

      Copyright © 2020 Sarah May.

      All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

      iUniverse

      1663 Liberty Drive

      Bloomington, IN 47403

      www.iuniverse.com

      1-800-Authors (1-800-288-4677)

      Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

      Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

      Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

      ISBN: 978-1-5320-8353-2 (sc)

      ISBN: 978-1-5320-8352-5 (e)

      Library of Congress Control Number: 2019915509

      iUniverse rev. date: 03/06/2020

      Contents

      Dedication

      Introduction

      Chapter 1 PACK THIS

      Scarf

      Headphones

      Non-electric Form of Entertainment

      Filtered Water Bottle

      Phrase Book

      Travel Nail Kit

      Bonus Item

      Chapter 2 HOSTELS

      Horror Films Mislead

      Shared Rooms

      My First Hostel Experience

      Hostel Search in Amsterdam

      Sugar Cubes in Prague

      International Politics in Berlin

      Almost Lost in Budapest

      The Downsides

      Alternatives to Hostels

      Home Rental

      Overnight Travel

      Chapter 3 AWESOME STRANGERS

      A Winding Adventure

      Questionable Decisions on a Train

      The Error of My Ways

      Full of Surprises

      A Stranger’s Recommendation

      Dark Streets & Shady Characters

      Awesome Strangers are Everywhere

      Chapter 4 TRANSPORTATION

      Trains

      Buses & Metro

      Rail Passes

      Taxis

      Ride Sharing

      Ferries

      Deck Space

      Reserved Seat

      Private Room

      Vehicles on a Ferry

      Flights

      Security

      Budget Airlines

      Transfer Flights

      Window or Aisle?

      Chapter 5 SOUVENIRS

      Souvenirs for Everyone

      Only for the Important Ones

      Only for the Memories

      Functional Souvenirs

      Cheap Junk

      Small Tokens

      Helping Others

      Experiences – A Low Budget Alternative

      Chapter 6 LUGGAGE

      Packing Method

      A Packer

      B Packer

      C Packer

      Luggage Types

      My Luggage Crises

      Chapter 7 SECURITY

      At the Market

      Military Surplus

      Moving with Luggage

      Scammers

      Beggars

      A Token from a Stranger

      The Demand

      The Train Beggar

      The Peddler

      Just Walk Away

      Accountability

      Chapter 8 BIG DUMB AMERICAN

      English Only

      Local Customs

      Being Selfish

      Selfies

      Judging Local Food

      Stereotypes

      Chapter 9 WARDROBE

      Footwear

      A Feet

      B Feet

      C Feet

      Strike a Balance

      Shoes in Prague

      The Flight Attendant

      Why Two Pairs?

      Clothing

      Weather

      Time of Year

      Landscape of your Trip

      Your Personal Style

      Staying Organized on the Road

      Chapter 10 MISCELLANEOUS TIPS

      Learning a Language

      Toiletries

      Feeling Clean

      Food Trucks

      Potty Talk

      Bring your Own Pen

      Dining Out

      Smoking in China

      Go with the Flow

      Packing Cube Selection

      Grocery Stores in Europe

      Chapter 11 THE ROOKIE

      Which Airline do you Fly?

      Do you Check a Bag?

      How Do you Get Off the Plane So Fast?

      How Do you Get Through Security so Quickly?

      How do you Afford to Travel so Much?

      Why Even Bother Traveling, the US Has So Much!

      What Bothers you Most About Flying?

      How do you Know What Money to Take?

      How do you Choose a Destination?

      Where do you Look to Find Cool Things to Do?

      Aren’t you Ever Scared Traveling Alone?

      What is your Favorite Country to Visit?

      For the Seasoned Traveler

      Chapter 12 UNPLUGGING

      Unplugged Hotels

      Screens and your Health

      Surrounded by People & Silence

      Are you Really on your Screen for you?

      The Facebook Group Turned Bad

      Keeping the Balance

      The Short Version

      Chapter 13 SOMETIMES TRAVEL SUCKS

      Visa Trouble

      Mechanical Failures

      Busted APU

      Re-Routed

      Stuck on the Tarmac

      No Flight Crew, No Plane

      Flight Cancellations

      Medical Delays

      To Sum Up

      Chapter 14 BAD TRAVELERS

      The Crotch-ety Passenger

      The Yogi

      The Bubble Breaker

      The Foot Monster

      The Frequent Riser

      The Space Claimer

      The Fragrant Eater

      The Arrogant Jerk

      The No-Headphones Guy

      The Guy Who Gets Mad at Babies on a Plane

      The Parent Who Changes Diapers in the Seat

      The Parent Who Ignores Their Screaming Child

      The Slow Aisle Walker

      The Tray Leaner

      The Screen Poker

      The In-Seat Eater

      The Table Camper

      The Personal Groomer

      Chapter 15 PLANNING A TRIP

      Where do I Start?

      What Do you Want to Achieve in This Trip?

      What Do you Like?

      When Do you Want to Go & for How Long?

      How much do you want to spend?

      Budgeting: The Rule of Thirds

      Final Thoughts

      About the Author

      Dedication

      To all those in my life who have supported my travels. I thank you for all of your love, encouragement, and patience.

      Especially my Grandmother and my Aunt who taught me that the world is a place not to fear, but to explore.

      Introduction

      Hello world!

      Travel is a long-standing favorite of mine that I have made many efforts to include in all aspects of my life. In today’s world of the internet, I started a blog, then I started a travel agency, and now I’m going to try my hand at a book. Why not? The bottom line is that I love to travel, and I love to talk. So, I’m going to talk to you about travel.

      When I was a mere thirteen, I set foot outside of the United States for the very first time. I was fortunate enough to have a great band director in high school that swung the impossible. He arranged for us to take a cruise to Mexico to perform for our band trip my freshman year. I am convinced that this is the trip that gave me the bug for traveling. Since then, I’ve been to 26 countries and counting. Because of this, I get asked by friends and family where to go and how to pack for it. Typically, I end up saying, don’t pack that. It seemed a fitting title considering how often I say it, so here we are.

      If I could spend my life traveling from one awesome place to another, I would, believe me. Unfortunately for me, that is not a reasonable career path at this point. Consequently, I’ll settle for making a blog, helping other people see cool places, and writing a book. I hope that you enjoy this work and that you get what you are seeking from it. Whether you want to learn how to travel, live vicariously through my adventures, or just be entertained; I hope that you find it in these pages, and I thank you for taking the time to read them. Remember that the courage to take the first step is what counts and anyone can make adventure anywhere in the world.

      One

      PACK THIS

      Adventure is worthwhile

      Aesop

      44574.png

      A n adventure begins that day the idea is born, not when you get on the plane and not when you land where you’re going. A large portion of the fun of a vacation or a travel journey is the planning and understanding of what you are getting into. Don’t misunderstand in this moment. I am not saying that everyone should plan every moment of a trip. That is not my style. I spent a month in Europe in 2012 by myself with a small backpack. When I left the States, I had nothing more than a rail pass, some cash, and a return flight. That trip was as open ended as trips get and it was truly a liberating experience. That being said, not everyone is built to travel this way. The first step of planning a vacation is determining what level of planning you need. Move on from there. This disclaimer aside, let’s move along to the traveling part.

      There are so many things that I’ve learned through my travels to different places and I hope that at least a few of those lessons can shine through and help you to better prepare for your next vacation. So, long story short, bear with me and maybe just maybe, you’ll get a chuckle out of it at some point or another. Where to start? Just like traveling, you start by deciding to go. I’m inclined to start at the beginning, but I think that chronological things are organized and boring. I will start with my most common piece of advice.

      How to pack for a trip is the biggest question that I get asked. Nobody seems to ever know how to pack. Everyone is concerned with over packing, under-packing, packing the wrong stuff, just outright being lost in their own suitcase. So many factors go into a packing strategy. There are simple tips up front. Be organized, pack what you need, take things that fit where you are going, and keep track of what you take. Season, region, religion, budget, and duration all affect what to pack and what not to.

      There is no cookie cutter packing list that will work for every trip. Likewise, there is no cookie cutter packing method that works for every person. Research is needed and an understanding of where you are going and what you are doing is needed. When I went on that backpacking trip, I only brought flip flops. I did not have the correct planning at the time. I learned and I know better now. I ended up buying some socks in France and some better walking shoes in Germany. Apart from footwear, there are some things that are great to have on every trip.

      SCARF

      First of all, it doesn’t matter if you are a man or a woman, you should have a scarf with you when you travel. I suggest at least three feet by three feet, made of a relatively durable material, thick enough to accommodate the average temperature where you will be traveling in the season you will be traveling there, and a color that functions with all of your wardrobe. Obviously, if you are traveling to Finland in January, you will want a thick woolen scarf, whereas if you are traveling to Rome in July, you want a thinner fabric. You will have to gage the material for yourself.

      Regardless of whether you are traveling in a warm place, cold place, beach, or Mount Everest, you should have a scarf with you for various uses. There are so many things that a scarf is good for. Scarves serve to supplement a travel wardrobe in fashion, yes, but bear in mind fashionistas of the world; they are handy, too. Scarves are a tool in my mind and they are useful in so many situations.

      I was sitting on a train to somewhere from somewhere on a backpacking trip in Europe and I looked over and saw a heart-warming scene play out. A young girl was sitting with her mother cuddled up close. After some time on the train, the young girl scrunched even closer to her mother and was clearly a little cold. The mother, looking down at her young daughter and smiling, unwrapped a scarf from her neck and laid it over the pair so they could nap for the remainder of the train ride. In that moment, it hit me. Scarf-blanket! Those thin, stylish scarves are something that I never really understood, probably because I have no fashion sense; but this, this newly witnessed scarf-blanket concept was right up my ally thanks to its functionality. I was so glad I brought one with me. It occurred to me that a nap was a good idea, so I grabbed the scarf I brought with me and rolled it up into a little makeshift pillow. It worked pretty well for that, too.

      Scarves are also lesser known as a trusty laundry bag. Though laundry may not

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