| Journeywoman's
Top 25 Picks....
Ms. Fix-it
...18 A
small roll of electrical tape has a myriad of uses. A
skirt hem come down? Tape it up in a pinch. Leaving your
luggage at the hostel for a few days? Tape everything
closed so nothing can be slipped in or out. Shipping a
box home, want to put souvenirs into your journal, need
to take fluff off a black sweater? Hurrah for electrical
tape!
...19 Don't
throw away the plastic canister that your film comes in.
They make perfect do-it-yourself sewing kits with enough
room for needles, thread, a few extra buttons and safety
pins.
 She's
a Hungry Girl
...20 Many
hotels and B&B's now provide electric kettles in their
guest rooms. To satisfy those middle of the night munchies,
it's great to have packets of dehydrated soups, powdered
hot chocolate (and a light-weight plastic spoon) on hand.
...21 Girl
Travellers Have Special Needs! Having your period while
travelling can make your body feel extra tired. Pack dried
fruit (heavy on the apricots) and pop them at "period
time." These magic morsels help to replenish the iron
your body has lost and you'll feel great again.
Making Connections
- Discouraging Connections
...22 When
on holiday, leave those formal business cards behind.
Instead carry colorful postcards from home and give your
new acquaintances a glimpse of where you live. Relevant
contact info can be printed on the reverse.
...23 Carry
ball-point pens for the kiddies you meet. In some Third
World destinations young irresistible children will beg
you for candy. Why help to rot their teeth? Instead, before
you leave home, check your local phone book for those
companies that personalize ball-point pens. They generally
have no use for their misprinted stock and will be happy
to give you some free of charge.
...24 Want
to discourage unwanted and persistent male advances while
travelling? Pre-trip, pick up a (Chinese) magazine in
Chinatown. Then when someone invades your personal space,
pretend that you don't understand English, absorb yourself
in your Chinese reading material and watch the guy's puzzled
reaction. (P.S. If you do read and speak Chinese...all
the better. You don't have to pretend).
She Finds Many
Uses For One Item
...25 Always
carry a few cotton handkerchiefs. They're cheap, they're
light, they fold flat and they serve a 1,000 purposes
(well...almost...) Use them to carry groceries, sit on
them, tie one to your backpack for instant creative color,
wrap them around your favorite travel hat to spice it
up. If you need a drain plug, a hankie comes in very handy.
Want to stay cool on a hot day? Simply wet it and wrap
around your neck. They work wonders at keeping your hair
up or pulled back. If you exercise while traveling, they
make super sweat bands. Want to take an unexpected dip
and don't have a towel... use a hankie. They dry real
fast. Cotton handkerchiefs can carry leftovers from lunch
picnics. You can put them on your head when visiting churches
or when walking in the sun. Tie one around a backpack
handle or strap--it makes yours easier to spot when in
a train or bus luggage pile. You can hold it in your teeth
and dance with a Greek Adonis in a taverna. Italian and
French dogs love them around their necks and so do their
masters --they're a yummy ice breaker. You can use one
as a belt. Or an arm sling (heaven forbid). Want to say
thank-you for something special? Always keep a few new
ones aside and give them as gifts. |
