I travel a lot. I love it. I thought I’d share some tips and thoughts on how I travel…
Item you pack to remind you of home: I have a Boston Red Sox baseball cap that I take everywhere I go – it’s old and dirty and faded but I love it. (this photo is not of my actual hat)
Strangest item ever packed: I packed a six pack of Wisconsin brewed Leinenkugals beer to bring to friends on the East Coast because at that time, it wasn’t available for purchase there – and it’s awesome. And I brought a couple bags of Wisconsin cheese curds along too.
Last souvenir purchase: I don’t collect anything because I don’t like accumulating stuff. But I love picking up things for family or friends that do. I always pick up a fridge magnet for my brother who collects them. And one of my best friends collects Starbucks city mugs so I bought one for her. 
In-flight reading: Because I live in Honduras I’m totally out of touch with what’s actually going on in the world – which I don’t mind. But I love picking up a magazine at the newsstand to flip through and read on the plane – WIRED, Inc., Fast Company, Real Simple or Woman’s Day are some of my favorites (I don’t read fashion magazines or gossip mags – I’ll write a blog post about that one day). I also always have a book (or three) with me because I love to read. I’m currently reading a bunch of books and it depends on my mood which one I’ll grab. ‘Dad is Fat’ by comedian Jim Gaffigan – it’s hilarious and a light, easy read. ‘Walking with God’ by John Eldredge – it’s spiritual, deep and I can read it in short or long snippets. ‘The Pursuit of God’ by A.W. Tozer – it’s spiritual and deep too, and for me, it’s a little bit more difficult to read because of how it’s written, so it takes a little bit more concentration and focus – but it really takes me into deep waters with God and in my heart and I love it (and the kindle edition is free right now on amazon!).
In-flight snacking: I always keep a bottle of water with me and try to stay hydrated. I also take a long a granola bar and a small bag of M&Ms just in case I get really hungry or have a chocolate craving. 
Carryon of choice: I have a Samsonite roller carryon and the wheels go in 4 directions so it really makes it effortless (buy it way cheaper at TJ Maxx or Marshalls) – I carry all of my heavy camera gear in this. 
I also love my Nicole Miller laptop bag (that I scored at a Ross for a ridiculously cheap price) to carry my computer and all of my important documents. It looks kind of like this Adrienne Vittadini bag – but it’s lime green.
Travel uniform / what I wear: My favorite skinny jeans with stretch , a dressy but comfortable top with a cardigan and a pashmina scarf (which doubles as a blanket if I need it) – and Toms shoes – and my bangs in hair clip.
Favorite airport: I was totally impressed with the airport in Detroit – I was there for the first time on a layover and was amazed at how new & modern it feels, dare I say it’s ‘pretty’, it’s efficient and there are tons of fun stores for shopping and restaurants for eating. And I was UBER impressed that the Westin hotel is directly connected to the airport with it’s own security checkpoint even – so if you were say, to get stranded at the airport – you can walk straight into the hotel and get a good night’s sleep. Brilliant.
In-flight listening: Spotify (offline) – I’m obsessed with spotify and I have a ton of playlists for different moods. The playlist that gets the most use is probably my ‘christian worship music’ playlist. It’s chill and relaxing for an early morning or late night flight when I want to doze off and catch some z’s. But, if it’s mid-day and I want to get some work done and I had to pick an album – I’d totally go for Imagine Dragons.
Personal care essentials: A must have for me when I’m traveling is a small travel sized hand cream because I can’t stand my hands feeling dry. I also love the convenience of disposable face wash wipes to wash my face and I can’t live without my pressed mineral veil compact by Bare Minerals to get rid of any shine on my face. Oh, and I always have a tube of Chapstick with me too!
If you have any great travel tips or essentials, please share them with me! And as always, thanks for stopping by my blog!
Bethany Cox - Nice post! I liked reading it and being reminded of you coming to VISIT!!