Help, I Need Somebody

Happy Thanksgiving week to my US friends! Gobble gobble! 

I need help! So I am calling out to you. Here are a few things I am looking for and I thought I would crowdsource to see what y'all had to say about the following. 

I no longer need these!

Unicorn Pants. Sometimes you look for a unicorn, and my unicorn is traveling pants! I want them to be black, in a fabric that I can hike in, lightweight, packable, quick drying, and look nice enough that I can wear them to dinner/out. They don't have to be fancy, but they should be versatile. I don't want to pay an arm and a leg, but I am willing to pay if they are going to last and are good quality, and it would be even better if they have a good return policy. Am I asking too much here? (FYI I tried a pair of Patagonia that did not work, and have heard good things about pRana; have you tried them?)

Offline Feed Reader. I use Feedly, but this is not that helpful when I am out of service and am looking for some quick entertainment or the ability to catch up on news. I would like it to be free and if it is in the format of Feedly, that would be nice (aka clean, easy to sort and categorize etc.) I would also like it to have both mobile and web based (for use on laptop) versions. 

New Pick Me Up Playlist. A couple years ago, I asked for a few pick me up songs from each of you and I got some great suggestions. This playlist got me through almost 9,000 miles of cycling and really helped me on some rough days. It's still good, but I need a refresh! Can you give me 1 - 3 fun peppy songs to keep me inspired throughout the day when I am on a long hike or bike ride? 

Packing cubes. I have some super old ones, but it's time for a refresh! I like these, but I was wondering if anyone had a less expensive version that they like, as I would prefer to pay a little bit less. I would like them to be compressible, I actually don't need more than two or three and it would be nice if they were durable. 

Can you help me? 

FAQ: Traveling Full Time (E1)

As many of you may know, since March 2024, I have been full time traveling around the world, and doing it a bit more slowly, generally one month at a time in one place. I will fill in shorter gaps with 4 days to a week somewhere from time to time, and I also will add stints of hiking or active adventures. 

One month in Antalya Türkiye 

My (our!) friend Elisabeth just announced that she and her family are moving to Europe for a few months next year and she had a few questions for me. She and I talked about most of them already, but I thought I would put some of them here and also add some of the other ones that I have been asked a lot by other people in case they will be helpful to anyone. 

How do I find a long term furnished rental (and get the best deal)? 

Airbnb and Booking.com give a discount for a 28 day stay, so I usually just book my stays through one of them. You could book through a more local provider, but that will require a little extra work and will also be different per country, so for ease, especially if you are just starting out, one of them will probably work just fine. 

Pros of Airbnb: better communication with check in procedure etc., better messaging system, better conflict resolution (as long as you communicate on their app), much better review system (aka renter is also rated, does not show rating until both people rate)

Cons of Airbnb: no loyalty program, usually you pay full amount up front which can add up fast, often less cancellable options, have heard that some reviews may be removed (inaccurate ratings?)

Pros of Booking: loyalty program, can pay later or at least closer to reservation date, often properties that are not cancellable on Airbnb are cancellable on Booking

Cons of Booking: communication is inconsistent, sometimes only cash is accepted for payment, conflict resolution does not seem good

What does the Schengen or the "Schengen shuffle" mean?

The Schengen is a set of countries in Europe that have an agreement, and because of this, they have open borders and essentially for visa purposes act as the same entity. Think of it like the US; you can fly into New York, travel around, and leave from San Francisco, but you don't get to reset your visa time just because you crossed a state border. The same goes for the Schengen, but with country borders. You only get to stay for 90 days out of the last 180 days, so you look back each time at those 180 days, count your days and you must not have more than 90 or you may get barred from coming back. 

The Schengen shuffle usually consists of traveling in the Schengen zone for roughly 90 (or less!) days, then going to a non-Schengen country for 90 (or more!) days before going back to the Schengen zone. However, this is getting harder, as each year more countries get added to the Schengen zone. Currently you can stay in the Europe area, but not be in the Schengen zone if you go to: the UK, Ireland, Serbia, Albania, Montenegro, Bosnia & Herzegovina, N. Macedonia or Kosovo (or the nearby countries of Türkiye, Georgia & Armenia). 

As of 2025

How do I use my phone while abroad (and get the best deal)? 

This is a two step process. 

For your usual phone number, which is needed for two factor authentication (2FA): You will need to port your number to a internet based provider. For US you can port to Google Voice, which costs about $30 one time fee, or Tello, which costs about $5 per month to maintain your US number. For Canadians, you can do the same with Fongo, which has a $25 transfer fee and plans that start at around $10 per month. 

For data: You can buy an e-SIM depending on which country or region you are going to. I use the company Airalo, but there are several options. You will need to download the app, buy the e-SIM you need, and install it over WiFi before you go into the new region/country.  Some examples of prices include: Europe region 90 days + 50 GB = $100, or 30 days + 20 GB = $49. Personally I usually use WiFi for about 99% of my data, and I download things like maps and info for offline use, so I only need 1-2 GB per month. So in my case, 30 days + 3 GB = $13.00. 

Examples for the Europe Region e-SIM

Tip: don't forget to check sites like Rakuten for cash back opportunities; right now they are doing 4% back on Airalo. Also there are often coupons. I got my last e-SIM, which was one year and 20GB worldwide for about $30 after discounts and cash back! Also FYI, even if you are not traveling abroad, this may be a good workaround for in country phone use too! Tello has US data plans or if you use Airalo they range from $9-$45 a month, depending on data use (5 GB - 50 GB in this example). 

How do I get health insurance while traveling? 

There are nomad insurance plans and depending on your health and age etc. you can get them for a fairly low cost. I use Genki's basic plan, which cost about 74 euros per month. It does not cover preventative care, but often that is not very expensive when abroad. For example, I got a dental cleaning for about $60 in Georgia. Also medication can be a lot less expensive abroad, and often in Europe, things that are prescription in the US are over the counter, or you can get them after talking to the pharmacist (no doctor appointment needed).

Genki has a 50 euro deductible and the basic plan covers treatment for any new issues or injuries. There are some restrictions, namely that coverage in Canada and the USA is limited to the first 7 days of each stay and only includes medical emergencies. Coverage in your home country is always limited to the first 6 weeks of each stay and only includes medical emergencies. The higher coverage plan has additional items. 

You can also get a global health plan, like Cigna Global for example. I had this when I was in the US and Canada, and it cost about $250 per month. 

How do you budget and/or how much do you budget? 

I budget $2,500 per month. I started by looking at what I normally spent each year and then adjusted each category with estimates. The most expensive thing for me (about 50% of my monthly spend) is accommodation, so I went on Airbnb to find out what I would pay for a month by doing the following: 

Add guests. Select the following: washer (do not select dryer), kitchen, wifi, TV, Entire Home, #bed/bedroom, #bathroom + any others that are must haves. I also prefer self check in, as it saves you having to coordinate, but that is a personal preference, and sometime coordinating is unavoidable. 

Choose a price around what you would really be excited to get something for (low end). For example, I put in max $1,400 just to see what would come up. You can always go up higher later if needed. I also said 2 BR, 2 bath, 3 beds. 

Optional clicks: guest favorites, if possible cancellation option (ideal if it is cancellable), then click "show X homes" even if it says zero. Zoom out on the map and zoom into the area you want. Then see how much you can get them for. 

As you can see there are options, but you need to dig in a bit to be sure they are close enough to transport, have a couch and a workstation etc. Ones I have messed up on are: no couch, no table to work on (sometimes the counter works, but if you are there for a month you don't really want to do that forever), no oven (if you care), no coffee maker, no microwave (if you care) or no AC (if you care).  If any of them do work, you can then use that number as your accommodation budget! Like I said, for me it is about 50% so I would just double that for myself and know that I would likely come in somewhere around there for a total. Obviously if you already know exactly where you want to go, you can put in a location instead. 

What things are "must brings" from home (aka you can't buy them abroad)?

Not a lot. Literally, your passport and phone is all that you really need. But...some countries have weird rules, like in Poland you can't get ibuprofen over the counter, so if there is a medication you need, you may want to bring a few of them. However, often they are much better, like in the UK they have a magic potion called Lemsip (is a powder you add to hot water for cold/flu) that beats Theraflu in a heartbeat. In some countries you may not find your normal brand of running shoe, but really there is not much that you cannot buy when you are on the road, or maybe just do without. 

What apps are helpful? 

Trainline -- for looking at all countries, all companies of train schedules and prices (then I usually buy the ticket on the actual app, but it is not always cheaper, so you CAN buy them on Trainline as well.)

Organic Maps -- offline maps, has streets AND trails, and it is FREE to download any region or country offline. This is a crowdsourced app, so it also has toilets, water fountains and other items notated. You can route a walking route from A to B and see the elevation gain, all offline. 

Moveit -- in some countries (Turkiye, the Balkans, etc.) Google maps is okay for public transit, but often it does not update the realtime. Moveit shows which buses are coming to the stop where you are waiting and when, and has realtime departures for the line you are trying to catch. Also depending on where you are, Yandex Go also can be helpful for the same thing (Armenia, Georgia etc.) 

Google Translate --  you've heard it before. Moving on. No, but really, if you don't already know, you can set it to translate (real time) your audio conversation, or you can type in and translate, or you can hold it up to menus, strange things in the grocery store, etc. to read any text you need to translate. Pro tip: Download the language offline so you can use it without using data!  

How do you fit everything in a carry on? 

One bite at a time. No wait, that is an elephant. One word: layers! Also clothing that matches everything else, so you can easily mix and match. I basically carry one week worth of clothing for no matter how long I am traveling for, and for some things, like undies, I carry even less. These items can easily be handwashed, or if you really are in a bind, there are clothing shops everywhere. I also only carry two pairs of shoes; trail runners, which double as hiking shoes, walking shoes, and fancy dinner shoes (who am I kidding; there are no fancy dinners!) and one pair of sandals (which would actually be the fancy dinner shoes). 

I also carry 8 shirts (4 tank, 4 short sleeved), 3 pants (jeans, joggers, capris), 1 shorts, 1 running outfit, 1 sweater, 1 zip hoodie, 1 puffy, 1 rain jacket, 2 socks, 5 undies (the latter two get handwashed most days), a beanie, gloves and a pashmina (can use as scarf or to cover your head or legs in church/mosque/temple). I've talked about merino before, but a merino blend shirt is a good purchase, as it is more durable than 100% merino, it wicks moisture (so it is not hot in the summer) and it magically doesn't stink, so you may not even need to do laundry once a week after all. I also like merino socks for this reason, and have had luck with Darn Tough and Mammut. 

You can see my full packing list with photos in this post.  

The last tip is to leave your toiletries like shampoo or soap behind. Often the Airbnb will have products (and a hairdryer) or you can buy them once you assess the situation abroad. Or you can bring bar versions which don't take up as much space or weight. 

What other things are important to have? 

A VPN, which helps with security, which is important when you are using public wifi all the time, but it also allows you to set your location as your home country so that you can do easier banking, watch your normal streaming shows (they differ by country) and other things that require you to be in your home country (or are just easier if you are in your home country).  I use NordVPN, which I have been happy with so far. 

My portable charger has saved my butt a few times, when I was out longer than anticipated, taking too many photos, or needing to use maps which drain the battery faster.  

An adapter/converter with multiple USBs and input/output prongs. I like this Tessan one, which has three USB A and one USB C so I can charge everything (and use my computer) all at once. 

A collapsible backpack. I use this Osprey model and it has been great. It packs up into a tiny cube and takes up little space, but when folded out, I can easily do a day hike with it or use it to carry groceries. Speaking of groceries, I also carry a collapsible shopping bag. I have used Chico bags forever, so that is what I use, but there are several options available. 

What other things are important to know? 

If you book your train more than 30 days in advance, you often get a good discount. For example, when I went from Frankfurt to Strasbourg, I paid about $65 for a ticket on the day of travel, but would have paid around $30 had a bought it earlier.

You can also put many of the train tickets in your Apple or Google Wallet so you don't have to have a bunch of different train company apps on your phone. 

If you can get an ATM card that refunds ATM fees, do it. Two I know of are the Schwab card (I used this for my very first long journey) and the Fidelity Cash Management Account card. I chose the latter this time around because the interest rate for the cash sitting there was better. Plus if you want you can invest it (but you do not have to!)

Always download maps for offline use (and/or use Organic Maps). I also will often take a screenshot of a train ticket or put it in my Google Wallet so that I can access it if there is no service for some reason. 

 If you can get a travel rewards credit card of some kind, this helps offset the costs of your travel and may even afford you a few nights or so in a swanky hotel. For general travel I like the Chase Sapphire Preferred; for hotel brands I like the IHG card. Just the two sign up bonuses alone for those two cards would get you 1-2 round trip flights and 4-7 days in a hotel. 

I am sure there are some things that I am missing, so I will likely be back at some point with a part II! 

Any questions? Have you ever done a multi month trip to a different place than where you are from? 

Twenty Questions (E10): Aye, I Speak Scottish

After hanging with my friends and their kids in Scotland recently, it reminded me of the first time I heard some Scottish words and wondered what the heck they were saying. My first recollection is the song Loch Lomond, as my Mom sang it to me. If you haven't heard it, the chorus goes: 

O ye'll tak' the high road, and I'll tak' the low road,
And I'll be in Scotland afore ye,
But me and my true love will never meet again,
On the bonnie, bonnie banks o' Loch Lomond.

So my first Scottish word was probably bonnie, but over the years I learned many more. It is funny though as the different regions also have different accents and the people from Glasgow seem to have the hardest one to understand. So sometimes if they are drunk or I don't know they are talking to me, I don't even understand what they are saying at all! 

Highland cow

Some of these are ones I learned long ago and others are ones I talked about recently with my friend. It would be fun if you copy and paste them into the comments and then just guess what they mean! I will put a link to the answer key at the bottom so you can see how many you got right or close (and you can post again your number if you want to!) Good luck, or should I say lang may yer lum reek (long may your chimney smoke)!!

(To copy, highlight the list, click CTRL-C; to paste, click into the comment box, click CTRL-V)

1. oose
2. hoachin
3. give it laldy
4. crabbit
5. haud yer wheesht
6. peelly wally
7. wean
8. bairn
9. eejit
10. coorie in
11. bluttered
12. steamin
13. piece
14. wee
15. numpty
16. ned
17. jobby
18. manky
19. nick
20. braw

Have fun! Here is the key for when you are done. If you are unable to access it, please email me and I can reshare it with you. 

Twenty Questions (E5): Travel Inspiration

Are you looking for travel ideas? When I asked readers for their input on the question, "what is your favorite travel destination and why?" I got so many fun responses! So for this post, it will be twofold! First I will go over some of their answers, and next I will talk about some of my own! Don't forget to add your answer to the comments below! 

You can see other posts in the Twenty Questions series here. Also, if you want to be featured in a future list, don't forget to fill out --> THE QUESTIONNAIRE!

1. Lisa said: Paris! It’s a gorgeous city with excellent food and there are direct flight options. Domestically, anywhere with mountains/hiking. [I agree! Paris is a classic and I am always down for mountains/hiking too!]

2. Ernie said: Vancouver- only been once but loved it. So much to see and it had everything- city and outdoorsy stuff like mountains and ferry rides to islands and whale watching. Went there for Irish dancing national champs and turned it into a vacation. [I agree! I love a place with city and outdoor all in one!]

3. Melissa said: Tasmania, has such outstanding nature scapes, history and food in a tiny landmass and is only a 1 hr flight away. [I have never been! Added to my list!]

4. Nicole said: I have had so many and they change throughout my life, depending on what stage I'm in. Currently I'm going to say Italy, but ask me this time next year as I have a few different continents that I will have travelled to. [I totally agree; how can you pick a "favorite!?" But I will ask you again next year!]

5. Nance said: Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada. Fantastic wineries/wines. We go frequently and have made so many friends there. We've learned about the terroir, the wine-making, the wines. We know so many winemakers personally. Now, when we open a bottle of wine from NotL, we experience a visit all over again. [I have never been! I biked past it last year but did not have a chance to stop. It's on the list!]

6. Tobia said: Everywhere I have not yet been ;-). Nordic countries over Southern. [I also have a long list and it keeps getting longer!]

7. San said: Dolomites. I grew up skiing there every year. [I have only been in summer time and loved the area.]

8. Stephany said: A cruise ship! Okay, not a destination but my favorite way to travel. I love that everything is included, I love that I can REALLY disconnect and feel like I'm in a whole different world, and I love not worry about the logistics of getting from place to place. [I have not tried cruising yet but have plans to try it soon!]

9. Kat said: Amsterdam; I went on my first (and only thus far) solo European trip there and spent three days walking the city, touring museums, going on a boat ride, visiting parks and markets, and going to the symphony. It felt so special and magical to do something like that, on my own no less (even though I was 36! But an inexperienced and anxious traveler overall so it was a big deal for me.). And it was a beautiful and welcoming place. [I agree; it is beautiful and the Dutch speak perfect English so it is super easy to get around.]

10. Suzanne said: Big Sky Montana: 1. I've been skiing at Big Sky since I was two, so it has decades of sentimental feeling and good memories built into it. 2. It's one of the most beautiful places on earth, especially when it's a-glitter with snow and sunshine. 3. The skiing is better in Big Sky than anywhere else. [I have never skied in MT or been to Big Sky!]

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Thanks everyone for chiming in! Here are some of mine. Keep in mind, my "favorites" list is very long, so there are a lot more where these come from, and as always, I will avoid mentioning the obvious ones like London or Rio, since you all already have heard of these already! I will also exclude any US locations for this post.  

11. Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Over a year ago, I chose this destination as an answer to a question in an interview with Elisabeth about somewhere I had on my travel list, and I finally made it there! It is not only beautiful but there is so much history to be learned; I highly recommend it! It is easy to get to from Sarajevo, plus the train ride itself is a beautiful experience! 

Mostar

12. Vilnius, Lithuania. Not somewhere that you probably have at the top of your list, but move it up! The town itself is charming, has a lot of history, plenty of green spaces and good food, and easy day trips to places like Trakai or Kaunus, where you can see castles and drink beer. I also rented a bike, went swimming and had a great time perusing the thrift shops for 1 euro finds! Oh, and of course, don't forget about the quark bars! 

Vilnius

13. Ushuaia, Argentina. The bottom of the world (almost)! You can do a boat trip to see penguins and birds, do plenty of hiking, or if you have the means, get a ship to Antarctica from here (I have not done the latter yet, but I have it on my list!)

14. Lençóis Maranhenses, Brazil. Sand dunes for days! It is a little hard to get to but it is well worth it and you can take a jeep trip along the dunes, or even swim in some of the little dune pools if you so desire! 

Lençóis Maranhenses

15. Mestia, Georgia. Mountains, food, hiking, good views and small town charm. What more could you ask for? 

Mestia

16. Biarritz, France. Food, beaches, waves and cliff walks! It is the ideal spot for a vacation, although be careful because the surf is strong! This is also the first place that I went topless on the beach, which as a modest person, was actually quite freeing!  

17. Kaş, Türkiye. You may have heard of Turkish beach towns like Antalya or Izmir or Fethiye, but there are plenty of smaller gems that sit right on the Turquoise coast, and Kaş is one of them. I also like it because you can hike into the hills straight from town and in a mere few minutes you will have outstanding views. Also, Turkish food is excellent and coastal Turkish food is even better! 

Kaş

18. Fernie, BC, Canada. You are probably seeing a theme here, but I do love small mountain towns! From Fernie, you can hike, bike or ski depending on the season, without even needing a car for the most part. Also there are a couple of breweries, lots of camping spots (and hotels for those of you who want a warm bed and a shower) and some swimming holes, so it is the perfect place to go for a summer outing! 

Fernie

19. Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Germany. It's touristy, but its a cute medieval town to walk around for a few hours! I went in early January and maybe because of the cold, it was not too busy, but pro tip, get a dinner reservation early because we tried to do a walk in and were shut down! I don't think you need more than a day here, and there are lots of other fun towns to visit in Germany nearby so you can easily do a loop to a few different places in the same trip! 

Rothenburg ob der Tauber

20. Tijuana, Mexico. Of course, you must visit Mexico City; however, I was pleasantly surprised by Tijuana. I thought it was going to be dirty and gross and full of drunk 18 year olds from the US, but I found it to be walkable in some cases, easy to get an Uber in others, and the food was delicious. Also, it is close enough to mountains and beaches to do a day trip from there! If you go, you must visit Tacos El Franc. Note: Upon getting the link for this, I noticed that they recently got noticed on a Netflix series so they are probably going to be busy! I was lucky to go there before that. However, I thought it was delicious, so hopefully they haven't changed due to fame! 

Now, my questions to you are: have you ever been to any of the places on this list and if so, what did you think? If not, are you adding any to your bucket list? And of course, tell us, what is your favorite travel destination and why!  

Twenty Questions (E4): Strange Things Abroad

Fresh produce! Don't take it for granted!

I polled four people who have lived or do live outside of their home country and asked them to tell me what things they found or find strange when they first arrived in their home away from home. Here are twenty of their answers, along with some of my comments about the subject! 

First, some introductions: San is a German woman living in Sacramento, CA, Daria is a Russian woman living in New Jersey, Tobia is a German woman who lived in Idaho during her high school years, and Rachel is an American living in Wales (I think that may be a Sting song?😁). These are only some of their answers, so there may be a part two! 

I want to stress that there is no right way, and nobody in this post is saying that one way is better or worse than another. These are just reflections on differences and/or things people aren't used to. 

You can see other posts in the Twenty Questions series here. Also, don't forget to fill out --> THE QUESTIONNAIRE if you want your answers to feature on a future list!

1. San: That tap water is always free (yay!) and that you get free refills on soft drinks at most restaurants. (I say at most restaurants, because I have experienced the occasional exception in places like San Francisco, where they’ve adopted the European way of charging for every single glass. Beware!)

My take: I hate paying for water, and Germany (sorry San & Tobia) is a country that if you ask for tap water, they basically deny you, which really chaps my hide. There are some countries (France for example) where if you ask for water they will bring you a bottle, but if you ask for a glass of water, they WILL bring you tap water. As for soda, I don't drink it, but usually in Europe you don't get free refills on coffee either (boo)! 

2. San: That  (mostly) everybody calls everybody else by their first names. As you might know, there is a formal and informal way in Germany to address other people. The formal Sie is used in situations requiring respect or formality, such as when speaking to strangers or in professional settings, and you’ll also address the person by their last name (Mr/Mrs). The informal du would be used for family members and friends, and with people with whom you are on a first-name basis (e.g., colleagues). I’ve really gotten used to it and like that it’s more informal here (it has less of a hierarchical feel), but at first, it was really hard for me to call my professors (at university) or supervisors by their first names.

My take: I was raised to say Mr. or Mrs. so-and-so as a child, and in college, we did call the professors Professor so-and-so (last name). However, my friend Bugsy is a professor and I think that they are more informal now, like they just call him Dr. G. Also when I learned French I was taught to always say vous (formal) but when I worked in France, they all told me to call them tu (informal) which surprised me! Readers, feel free to chime in. What were you taught and/or what do you teach your kids? Do you still call anyone Mr. or Mrs.? 

3. San: That there is a lack of good public transportation options (and/or bikeable areas). Sacramento is actually not that bad in both regards, and over time, it has improved in some places, but the reliance on your personal car is still mind-boggling to me. I remember when I first came here, I took the bus to a shopping center in the afternoon (and keep in mind, that was a time before digital bus schedules or the UBER app at you finger tips on your smartphone) and I got stranded because, for my return trip, the last bus had left the shopping center around 5 p.m. AT 5 PM! The stores were open til 8 p.m. I did not understand how there could be no later bus. (I ended up having to walk to a gas station to use their phone to call a taxi, and it was hellishly expensive to get home.)

My take: I totally agree! I have taken a train or bus to a small mountain town in Europe, which is nearly impossible in the U.S. Also in some places the public transit is FREE (Belgrade, Luxembourg, Tallin)!!

4. San: That stores are open 7 days a week. In Germany, stores - for the most part, with some exceptions - are still closed on Sundays. I’ve really gotten used to being able to run errands every day of the week, and I would probably miss it.

My take: I have gotten used to stores being closed on Sunday, but I still don't love it. Also they often are not open as many hours on regular days. However, I have found this differs depending on where you are (for example in Spain, grocery stores are closed on Sunday. In France, they are starting to sometimes have limited hours on Sunday, and in Belgrade they actually have 24/7 grocery stores in some places).

5. San: That people still write checks. When I moved here, checks were everywhere (and still are, although it’s gotten more common to pay through other means). In Germany, checks were something that I remember my parents using when I was little, but by the time I was old enough to have a bank account, financial matters were handled with bank transfers. I only ever had a checkbook - and wrote actual checks - in the US. 

My take: The US has been behind Europe for a while regarding payment options. I remember when credit cards became more common (when I first moved to France, I used cash for everything) and I was asked where my chip was because they were using a chip reader rather than a swipe. Well, we got the chip finally, but it was probably a few years (?) later! However, did you know that many European countries don't have credit cards? They have a Visa or whatever, but it comes straight out of their bank account every time. Readers, feel free to chime in. Do you or does anyone you know still write checks? 

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6. Daria: From heat straight to air conditioning. I was surprised that once the heat was off, the air conditioning came on pretty immediately. Back home we crack windows open in the dead of winter to air out the room. To this day my windows are open quite often. I cannot sleep in a stuffy room, my husband, however, does not have that problem.

My take: I agree with you. I prefer open windows, and when I lived in Florida and Louisiana, I hated the hot outside/freezing inside contrast. I would prefer to be a little warm than have fake air on me all the time! In Europe they are starting to get AC more, but it used to be very rare! 

7. Daria: Breakfast. Back home we ate a very small breakfast, some bread, butter, maybe, some cheese and sausage if we were lucky. Eggs were like gold and eaten for dinner. In the US the breakfasts were more like desserts, and I very much enjoyed pancakes and waffles. 

My take: Amen! I notice that everyone is a little different. In France it is very common to just have a croissant and coffee for breakfast. In the Netherlands, they usually eat cold lunch (sandwich, some sort of salad). In many European countries, they have bread, cheese and lunchmeat for breakfast (which was weird to me at first)!

8. Daria: Lots of positivity. By nature and culture I am a pessimistic person. That is simply how you survived since caution was imperative to be in Russia in the 90s. So it was weird to me to hear my fellow peers at the university say things like "I failed my test today. But the score will only go up from here." I thought "well, the score can go either way, up or down." Or "when I graduate and make a lot of money, I will…”Schooling was much harder in Russia, and gainful employment was not guaranteed, like, at all (unless you knew a guy who knew a guy who knew a guy). For me, that statement was more along the lines of "if I graduate, I hope I get a job where I make good money."

My take: I have been told over and over how "cheerful and friendly" people from the US are. Some people love it; other people think that it is very fake! By contrast, I do think a lot of cultures that were under the Soviet umbrella don't smile very much (not all of course, but some)! 

9. Daria: Dusting. We dusted with clean, moist clothes, while in the US folks used something fluffy/feathery that, in my opinion, was not effective?…

My take: We used a feather duster when I was a kid, and you are right Daria, it is not that effective! Readers, feel free to chime in. What is your dusting method? 

10. Daria: Back home, it was not customary to eat anywhere but these two places: home or restaurants/cafeterias. In the US I was surprised to see my peers at university eat during class as the professor lectured, eat while walking down the street, eat in their cars and public transportation.

My take: This is also true in Japan. Eating in public can actually be considered rude, and they often don't have public trash cans! 

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11. Tobia: Tampons - when I had to buy tampons for the first time after arriving I was so overwhelmed. The boxes where huge and and they all said "applicator." I had no idea what that was. I had to ask my host mom which was a bit embarrassing as she was a Mormon and wasn’t using tampons. I ended up getting a box but I had issues. I think first time using it I left parts of the applicator in. Also they were so huge you couldn’t fit them in your pants pockets or hands when going to the bathroom. I ended up buying none ever again and bit the bullet and getting the very overpriced OB tampons I knew from home. 

My take: My aunt used to use OB and I remember the first time I tried one. I did not do it right and it was so uncomfortable. However, after realizing that they save the environment (no plastic) and are much easier to carry for backpacking or traveling, I have been using OB for years! And luckily I can find them everywhere in Europe. 

12. Tobia: School you move around - another thing that was different in school was that we moved a lot. In Germany it’s common that each class has a designated room and teachers come to your classroom. Only for special classes like music, art, PE or science you would go to the teachers room – mainly because of the equipment in the room. But everything from languages, math, history and stuff is in your class room. 

My take: That would be awesome to not have to lug around your stuff from room to room. Readers, feel free to chime in. Does anyone have experience with a place where the teachers come to you?  

13. Tobia: Fresh food – I was lucky enough that my host mom cooked dinner every day. But still I had the feeling I hardly ate any fresh veggies or fruits. I was a vegetarian when I came to the US and I missed greens. So much so that I was looking forward to when we were on the road with the team because I could go to subways and get some greens on my sandwich. I was not aware that I ate so much more colorful in Germany.

Bonus from Daria: Fruit and vegetables available out of season and year around! In contrast, we had to wait for the summer months to get fresh fruit and vegetables. 

My take: I feel like this may be a rural Idaho thing. When I lived in Iowa, I was shocked by their idea of a "salad" which was iceberg lettuce with a tomato and dressing. Full stop. In California we grow a lot of produce, so get a lot of fresh foods in season, but of course, like Daria said, we can also get a lot of out of season things year round too! Readers, feel free to chime in. What is it like in your state/province? 

14. Tobia: Milk and water. The amount of milk drinking I have seen in the US. Argh. I came from a non milk drinking family but even milk drinking families in Germany don't have milk for dinner. And lunch. And breakfast. I hated it. The only option for me was water as my host family didn't have anything else. There was no pop or iced tea or coffee for the Mormons. It was so boring. 

My take: Our family was a water drinking family. I would never drink an entire glass of milk. Yuck. However, we also did not really drink soda or juice either! I am still mainly a water drinker to this day! And beer, but beer is mostly water, right? Readers, feel free to chime in. What did you drink at meals growing up? 

15. Tobia: Eating with knife and fork. I was really surprised about the different way Americans eat with knife and fork. In Germany the fork is in your left hand and switching it to the right is a no go. Unless you don't need a knife. Then it is in your right. Also I realized many people hold the cutlery in sort of fist which looks a bit rough. I had never known there are different ways to eat with cutlery.

My take: Before I left for my summer in France, we were shown how French people use their cutlery so that we would not be perceived as rude. I actually prefer the "European way," but I was having lunch with people from all over and we were talking about this, and people from the UK also hold their cutlery differently. Also, did you know that in Japan you are not supposed to stick your chopsticks upright into your rice? It is considered disrespectful and a bad omen because it resembles an offering made at funerals for the deceased. Readers, feel free to chime in. How do you hold your cutlery (Knife in the right/left? Fork in the right/left? Put it down between bites? Hold it in your fist?)

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16. Rachel: Wales exists! Back in 2007 I was doing the backpacking thing and I had just returned from a trip to Belfast.  My travel started in Dublin, then went to Edinburgh and London.  I was so proud that I had visited all the capital cities in the UK and started to write a blog post about my trip, but when I googled “Map of the UK with capital cities” I discovered I had missed a capital city!  There was a country called Wales and a capital called Cardiff and I had not been there. Keen to write my blog post, I decided to visit.  It was 2 hours from London. I did not think this would be the start of me living in the UK, but I found out Wales existed and now I’m here.

My take: I have not had this exact issue, but I definitely have gone to some places that were not high on my list because they were on the way to somewhere else, and have been pleasantly surprised! For example, Lithuania or Armenia! I highly recommend both of them!  

17. Rachel: Ok, controversial topic here, but Brits love their beer.  I was a little shocked how normal it was to see people using all sorts of things as urinals at night.  For instance: Cashpoints (ATMs). Here is a link for a photo journalist who documented a night out in Cardiff.  It’s kind of wild. Also, no one wears a coat on a night out.  I had a friend ask if people were cold, and I replied that beer is the jacket you wear on the inside.

My take: This is one of my favorite YouTube videos about a Scottish Sobriety Test. It's only about 30 seconds long and worth a laugh. Also I celebrated New Years Eve in Sydney with a group of Scottish people and it was....wild to say the least. 

18. Rachel: Perceptions of distance. When I first moved to Wales I got a job in a town (Pontypridd) 12 miles away.  I was serving beer to a customer and he asked where I was from. I said I was from the USA. “Wow!” he said “Imagine that, you moved all the way to Pontypridd from America!" “Oh no” I said, “I live in Cardiff.” (12 miles from Pontypridd) “Wow!” he exclaimed, in the same tone of awe, “and you come all the way to Pontypridd for work!” Wales is funny with geography.  I have met people who have moved 4 streets over because they wanted to be closer to their family.

My take: This happens a lot in Europe too. I was in Spain and was going to rent a car and drive to a place about 100km (60 miles) away and then do a loop back and I asked my Airbnb host for suggestions of places to stop along the way and he told me that I better stay the night in the middle because that was too long of a drive for one day. Readers, feel free to chime in. What do you consider a "long way" from home? 

19. Rachel: Things that I expected to be meat were not meat. When I arrived in Wales I was so hungry I went to a pub and ordered Welsh Glamorgan Sausage.  When it arrived, I was surprised to see my sausage was made out of potatoes and leeks and was actually vegetarian. Another national dish is Welsh Rarebit.  It is not rabbit or meat, it is cheese on toast.  Very good cheese on toast. While Wales does not have a particularly inspiring cultural dish to eat, it does have absolutely amazing cheese.  Wales used to host the Great British Cheese Championship, but it’s been replaced by a series of local cheese festivals instead.

My take: I have tried and enjoyed rarebit (usually on eggs and/or toast). Readers, feel free to chime in. Have you tried rarebit and if so, what did you think? 

20. Rachel: Bog snorkeling. Wales is home to the Bog Snorkeling World Championships.  These are held in Llanwrtyd Wells. I watched these in 2012.  It was just as weird as it sounds.

My  take: I had never heard of this before now. If you click the link, you will see that it is a sort of triathlon, and it's only £15 to join! I think I might put that on my 2026 event calendar! 

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Your turn to weigh in! Here are the questions; feel free to answer any or all of them!

Were you raised to call people by their first or last names? 

Do you still write checks or know anyone who does?

What are the "fresh vegetables" like in your state/province? 

What did you drink at meals growing up?

Does anyone have experience with a place where the teachers come to you?  

How do you hold your cutlery? 
What is your dusting method? 

What do you consider a "long way" from home? 

Have you tried rarebit and if so, what did you think?

Have you ever heard of bog snorkeling? 

Bonus questions: 

Which one of these made you giggle? 

Which of these were you surprised by? 

Summertime, and The Living is Easy?

I had to do several things when I was in the country of Georgia and it is amazing how hard a normal everyday task can be when you are in a place that you are unfamiliar with. We kind of take for granted the fact that if we need batteries, we can just go to Target (or wherever) to get them, or we can order them from Amazon. But where do you go to buy batteries in Georgia/Turkey/Thailand? Here are a few things that I did and a quick(ish) note on how they went. 

Getting your teeth cleaned. A few months before I left home, after having one filling keep falling out over and over because it was kind of situated on the side of the tooth so it couldn't hold on, my dentist told me that I needed a crown. When I inquired about the cost, the receptionist told me that actually their office did not accept my insurance for this procedure. I found this odd, since I had been going to them for years at this point, and had even had fillings redone with no (insurance) issues. They told me I had to have the PPO vs the HMO type insurance in order to do the procedure. So during open enrollment (December) I swapped to the PPO only to find out later (doh!) that my dentist was not in the PPO network. What the what? So I had to find a new dentist two months before I left, book an appointment and ask them to do a crown. However, the new dentist told me I did not need a crown and that she could fix my filling. In the end, this is probably the best accidental decision that I could have made. She also did a cleaning, fixed another filling that was kind of old, and fit me in on a Saturday to get it all done before I left. Best dentist ever (but this bar is pretty low to be honest). 

Bear with me here! My point is that I don't love going to the dentist in good circumstances, when I speak the language and know how to use (kind of!) the insurance system. But I had waited long enough; it had been a year since that last cleaning and I knew I needed to get my stuff in gear and just get it done. I looked into it in Türkiye, as they are known for dentistry, but nobody got back to me; I assume it could be because I was only wanting a cleaning rather than some huge dental procedure. Also when you ask about a good dentist in the expat group, you get some answers that kind of look like ads (this happens for apartments and other services as well) and so it doesn't inspire confidence. 

Turkish Dentistry Ad (not my teeth😊) 

So I asked about it in the Georgia expat group and got a few answers, so I started emailing dentists. I find this easier because if I call and they don't speak English it is hard to communicate over the phone. Also it gives me an idea of whether or not someone in the office does speak English. I emailed three and two of them got back to me and they both spoke English but one did not really answer my questions so I went with the other one that was more expensive but had better communication skills. 

I went to the office on the day of my appointment and it could not have been easier! The receptionist spoke English, the office was clean and cozy, it had a clean bathroom and a water cooler, the dentist was very nice and she explained everything to me before she did it, and she told me I had good teeth (I love her!) It was all very professional and I was in and out in about a half an hour. I could use my credit card to pay and the dentist even asked if she could write me a note or something to use for my insurance so that I did not have to pay it all out of pocket (my insurance only covers dental emergencies). In the end, it cost me about $60 USD. 

Getting a haircut. Luckily, in my case, I don't really care about my hair. The last time I got my haircut was when my friends came to see me in Canmore (June 2024) and I had my friend trim the ends. 99% of the time, my hair is up and so this is not something I really worry about too much. However, I was starting to have a little trouble putting it up (it was getting very long) and also the ends were pretty ragged, so one day I was walking around a small town and I saw a hairdresser and I got a wild hair up my a$$ (pun intended) and decided to walk in and see if they had free time. 

The hairdresser did not speak a lick of English. She spoke Russian, Armenian and Georgian, which did not really help me, but thanks to Google translate, we figured it out. I told her I just wanted to cut it shorter, she asked me a few questions, we negotiated a price of 40 GEL, which is about $15 and we were off to the races. She did an excellent job shampooing and massaging my head and then we were in the chair doing a bit of a blow dry when the power went out. This kind of cracked me up because (a) normally when I get my hair cut, they cut it when it is wet and (b) of course the power went out and (c) she refused to cut anything until it was more dry. So we had a coffee and sat and waited. It took a while for my hair to dry, so I probably sat there for about a half an hour before we finally got started with the cut. 

Getting a haircut in Borjomi, Georgia

Interestingly, she actually did the first cut with a pair of hair clippers. I have had people use razor blades, but never hair clippers, on the ends (not to shave the sides or something). Then she fine tuned it with scissors. When she was done, she styled it and waxed it and sprayed it. She then told me that since I had to wait so long, she would only charge me 30 GEL ($11). All in all, it took about an hour and 15 minutes maybe, and I was very pleased with the results. 

FYI, I have also had my hair cut in Argentina (a bob) and Thailand (a pixie) and in both cases, they did an excellent job. 

Buying running shoes. Luckily, I am not super picky about my brand of running shoes. I have tried several with good results, but I normally go with Saucony. At home, I put several pairs in my Amazon cart and let them sit there until the price goes down and I always (ALWAYS) buy them on sale. So usually I get a pair of $125-$150 shoes for about $50-$60. Well I don't have the luxury to do all of that when I am traveling! First of all, and I will talk more about this in another post, I sometimes don't have an address to send things to. Second, they don't always have the brands that you may be used to. I don't really want to buy a European brand unless I have heard of it or tried it. For example, I have used Solomon before and I would buy those if I saw them. Also La Sportiva is well known throughout the running world and so I might buy them, but I have never tried them. 

I really needed to go to a brick and mortar store. Have I mentioned that I hate shopping? Do you know the last time I bought shoes at a brick and mortar store? It's been a while! So I look up sporting goods stores and go to the first one near me. I walk in and the salesperson automatically asks me if I need help (in Georgian) and I go through the "do you speak English" rigmarole and find out that the running shoes are downstairs. I go downstairs and the salesperson asks me if I need help (in Georgian) so I go through it again and find out that they only carry Nike, which does not work for me, plus their running shoes are more like walking/jogging shoes, and I need something substantial. 

I go to the next store, do the Georgian/English dance with the salesperson, and they only have La Sportiva, and they are around $180 USD. I don't really feel comfortable paying that much for a brand I have never tried. I am okay paying normal retail (I mean, I am not, I would rather have them on sale, but needs must) but not for an unknown brand, and I will be leaving Georgia soon and would have no way to return them later if needed. Plus, do they even do that here? I don't know. 

I go to the next store, which is a New Balance store, and do the Georgian/English dance with the salesperson. I haven't worn NB since the 90s but it could do in a pinch. Once again, they cost around $150 USD and they are mostly walking/jogging type shoes. I really want a trail running shoe if possible or at least a hefty street shoe. 

I go to the next store, and do the Georgian/English dance with the salesperson. This store has a few brands, one being Jack Wolfskin, which is a German brand of outdoor apparel and all I know about it is that it is expensive and popular, but I have never tried it myself. I consider this but then, lo and behold, I spot a familiar logo, Hoka! I wore Hokas back in the day when they first came out and had those huge soles, but have not worn them in probably at least 10 years. However, they are one that I know works! They are around regular price ($150) and only have my size in one style (the Clifton). I would have preferred the Challenger, which is a trail running shoe, but they did not have my size, and after going to three stores already, I was ready to go home and have a glass of wine. Have I mentioned that I hate shopping? So I bought the Clifton, paid twice as much as I would have at home, and got a brand that I probably would not have bought had I had a choice. However, I was quite happy about it. See what happens when you lower your expectations!? 

Old shoes vs new shoes

I realize that this post is getting a lot longer than I thought it would so I will do a part two where I talk about the following "easy" tasks: Getting a new credit card sent to me. Shipping documents to the U.S. Getting something notarized. Doesn't that sound exciting? Stay tuned...

Have you ever had to do an "easy" thing in a different country that was harder than it should have been due to the customs or language barrier etc.? Or...what thing at home is always harder than it should be? 

What I Learned & Looking Back & Looking Forward: June 2025

Happy summer! Happy belated independence day to everyone from the U.S. and Canada! The heat is on! I hope that everyone had a great long weekend and is ready to jump back into it! Its time once again for a monthly wrap up! Please copy and paste the questions at the end and add your answers to the mix! 

Where was I? Georgia & Armenia.

Ice cream for breakfast, kitties, lots of churches
and mountains and historical buildings!

1. What is the name of your last month's chapter or the theme of your last month if you prefer that? 

January: Baguettes and Many Steps

February: In Like Minnesota; Out Like Hawaii

March: Wet and Wild

April: My Life is in Ruins, and Beaches Too

May: Al Fresco 

June: Tales as Old as Time: The Christianity and Wine Versions

P.S. Armenia holds the distinction of being the first nation to adopt Christianity as its state religion in 301 AD. Georgia has a rich history and archaeological evidence suggests they were among the earliest regions to develop winemaking, roughly 8000 years ago, or around 6000 BC. Also, fun fact, they do not call their wine "red" and "white," they call it "black" and "amber."

2. What did you learn last month? 

Aside from the above (that is a long time to be drinking wine!) I learned a lot, probably too much to go into here. However, here are a few notable things. First, there are a lot of men in Georgia named Georgi. My walking tour guide, whose name was...you guessed it....Georgi, said that if you ever forget the name of a friend or a cab driver or whatever, just call him Georgi and you will probably have a good chance of being right. 

Interestingly, Georgia was not named after St. George, as some people may think. The natives do NOT call it Georgia, they call it Sakartvelo. However, Türkiye and Iran (and perhaps others) call it Gürcistan and Gurjistan, and Gurj means wolf, so the theory is that the Persians called the Georgians wolves because there were wolves in the region where Georgia is and it morphed into Georgian in English. 

I looked up how the state of Georgia was named just for fun, and apparently it was named after King George II. But wait, you may ask, why was it named after a Brit when the US was trying to escape them? Well, supposedly it was named this in 1732, before the US had independence. Also, at this point in time, Georgia was a colony that also encompassed part of what is now Alabama and Mississippi. Woof, I think I need to brush up on my U.S. History! 

Province of Georgia, USA

3. What was the weather like where you are? 

It was hot enough to go swimming (or to want to!) a couple of times, and then rainy a few days, but otherwise mostly in the 70s and lovely! 

4. What event last month was your favorite?

I really enjoyed the churches and the wine; I mean learning about them! Okay fine, and drinking them in the case of the latter. If you ever see a Georgian Saperavi in the store, snag it, because that is my favorite kind! 

5. What was the best thing you read, listened to or watched last month?  

Book: How To Read a Book, or Look Closer

Movie/Show: N/A

Podcast: The Choose FI guys did an interview with James Clear that I found interesting.

6. Tell us one funny recent story. 

This is not really that "funny," but when I was in Armenia, I got food poisoning (I think?) for the first time in my life. Although this is never really a fun thing no matter what, it was even worse, as I had booked a guesthouse with a shared bathroom (but my own room) since I was only going to be a few days there and I still kept my apartment in Georgia at the same time. Not only that, but I also booked a tour for the day after I arrived, and the night before, I was not doing so well, and so I tried to get them to change the date, but they wouldn't, so I decided that rather than lose money, I would go on the tour. I mean, at this point, I was not needing to run to the bathroom a lot, but I was not really feeling great. 

The tour was good, but it was super hot that day and there was a lot of stopping to get out of the car, get back in the car, get out of the car etc. and every time we stopped, I would go to the bathroom just in case, but was doing okay for the most part. However, I did not have breakfast as I was not feeling great, but I thought maybe I would try having lunch and that would help. It did not help and luckily the last stop of the tour had lots of bushes, as I had to lose my lunch in one of them when everyone else's back was turned. It was not ideal. 

7. What are you looking forward to this month?

I am looking forward to a lot of things! I will be moving a bit faster, which can get tiring, but will cover a lot of ground and will finally do a hiking trip that I have been looking forward to for a while! 

JUNE:

1. What is the name of your last month's chapter or the theme of your last month if you prefer that? 

2. What did you learn last month? 

3. What was the weather like where you are? 

4. What event last month was your favorite?

5. What was the best thing you read, listened to or watched last month?  

6. Tell us one funny recent story. 

JULY: 

7. What are you looking forward to this month?

Bonus question! If you are from the US, what did you do for the holiday weekend? If you are from Canada, what did you do for Canada day? If you are from neither, when is your independence day holiday?

Our Small World

If you know me, you know that I am not one to discuss politics. I think it was Elisabeth that said that this was not good small talk, and I agree. Why would you bring this up in a group that you are not familiar with, and especially when we (by we I mean the US) are currently in a climate that is less than stellar?

However, I have been in an area with some political things happening lately! In Georgia, the country, not the state, you may or may not know that they have been having protests lately. I actually got a notice from the US State Department warning me of this and I did look into it to see if this was something that should keep me from traveling there, but it is not currently a dangerous situation. However, I want to say clearly that the US State Department is in the business of covering their donkeys, and often ramp up the warnings at the slightest provocation. I have been to several countries where they have had some sort of warning against traveling there, and I have been totally fine. 

Ilia State University, Tbilisi

Currently Georgia is on the Level 1, "exercise normal precaution" list, which is the top (best) one. However, Türkiye, where I just was, is on the "exercise increased caution" list, as is the UK FYI. And my favorite, Columbia, is on the "reconsider travel with higher security risk areas to avoid" list and several parts of Mexico are on the "do not travel" list. You can find the current travel advisory map here. Obviously Russia is on the "do not travel list." 

Current map (June 2025)

So I have some things to say about Russia. Firstly, the other day I was 3.7 km (2.3 miles) away from the border, which is the closest I have ever been to Russia. In addition, there are two parts of Georgia that are still occupied by Russia. I have been around a lot of Russians lately, as the countries that they can travel to at the moment are few, and also the proximity to Russia to where I have been is close. So that brings me to these questions. Do you know the details of the situation between Russia and Georgia? Or any of the other former USSR countries? 

There is a large mountain in between

FYI, creepy shirtless guy took this photo for me. :)

Or what about the history of Yugoslavia? Do you remember hearing about Serbia and Bosnia and Kosovo  on the news? Did you know that it was only in the aughts that some of them broke free from the regime (Serbia and Montenegro did not dissolve until 2006!)? That area has had a lot of conflict. I was in Albania in 2010 and the host at my lodging in Saranda was talking about the recent civil wars. Did you know that they were warring as recently as the late 90s, basically just over 10 years before the time that I was there (PS it was probably on the "do not travel" list at that point!)? 

All of these things make me realize how small my world really is, all of the things I have not learned, things I do not know, and people whose stories I have not heard. And the more I travel, the more I realize this. When I was in Türkiye, I went to a ruined town called Ani, which sits right on the current border with Armenia. I could look across the river and wave at the Armenian side. However, this land was at one point part of western Armenia, and they had their own dialect, and the town of Ani was a strategic trading hub for them. Currently, you cannot cross the border from Türkiye to Armenia by land, as the relations between the two countries are not great.

I later went to Armenia and learned a lot more about the history there, but also, while I was there I had a conversation with a woman from Iran about the current situation and how she had to travel over land for 24 hours to get a flight from Yerevan (the capital city of Armenia) because all flights from Iran (in and out) have been canceled. There were many Iranians seeking refuge in Armenia when I was there (you can read more about it here), and once again, this made my world, and all of my "problems" seem small. 

I will not talk about being on one side or the other, or believing in one political thing or another. What I believe in is the importance keeping our minds open to learning new things, and listening to the people who are living through or have lived through things that I cannot even imagine. As I have mentioned once or twice, I also believe that people are inherently good, and I refuse to believe that all of one group is bad just because there is a bad apple in the bunch. Lastly, I will once again say how grateful I am that I am happy and healthy, have clean drinking water and a toilet, and that I am able to travel and learn more and more every day. 

Are you well versed in world history? Have you spoken to anyone who has been through any of these conflicts? Would you travel to a country bordering Russia right now? What was the last thing you learned that you thought, "wow, why didn't I know more about this already?"

Living Out of a 40 Liter Backpack

The last time I did a packing round up was when I was still carrying everything with me on my bike and that was extreme! Now, as you know, I am traveling abroad for a year, and so I thought it was time to do an update! (also Birchie's post the other day where she asked if anyone had packing posts reminded me that I have had this one in my drafts since March! Oops.) As you know, I am a carry on only type of gal, and also prefer a backpack to a rolling suitcase for ease of maneuvering up/down stairs, over cobblestones and using small forms of transportation (crowded minibuses with no luggage storage means I have to put my bags on my lap sometimes). 

All packed and ready to go

Everything that is inside the bag

Let's talk about the weather. Since I was going to be in the northern hemisphere for the entire year, I pretty much needed clothes for every season. Also, I planned on doing some hiking, so I would also need to pack clothing appropriate for this, as well as some equipment for this too. This also meant that I would need to have a vessel to carry my hiking gear. So, although it is not the most practical for when I am not hiking, I opted to carry my hiking backpack as my carry on for this trip. For those of you who have been here for a while, this is also the same pack that I used as my rear rack pack when cycling last year. I will get into this more in a minute.

I also knew that I would have downtime and I did not want to be doing everything on my phone, so I am carrying my laptop with me, along with various camera gear. This meant that my personal item would have to fit my laptop, and luckily I have a huge purse that actually fits my laptop in it (I have a 16 inch screen)! Inside this purse, when I am traveling, I also put the following: pashmina (doubles as scarf, headscarf, blanket, pillow), electronics (charger, Kindle, cables, battery bank, camera, phone), empty water bottle and puffy jacket (no matter what season it is; sometimes the plane/train/bus is cold). Also in winter, I put my umbrella, gloves and beanie in here too. 

Laptop fits!

Personal Item

Wintertime contents of my purse
(plus laptop, minus fanny pack)

I also carry my trusty fanny pack with me everywhere, and in it I put (did you ever play that game? I packed my bag and in it I put...?) the following items: passport, headphones, wallet with ID, credit card, ATM card and small amount of cash, ChapStick, and floss pick (never leave home without it).

I am all about the layering system. What does this mean? This means that I basically have one of every layer, plus extras of some of them. But you don't want to hear about it; I will show you! 

Ready for every season

As you can see from above, I have a top for everything. Actually I have more than one, so let's break it down. 

Tank tops (plus the one worn in the photo)

Tank tops: Five. I believe that more lower level layers is better and it gives you a chance to have a variety when it is hot out, plus have more clean shirts when it is hot, and you are probably sweating more. Two of them are merino wool, including the one shown in the main layering photo above. 

Short sleeved shirts

Short-sleeved shirts: Two. In this case, one is a strictly running shirt and the other is a merino wool shirt that could be used as a out and about shirt except that I used it for backpacking and it is now permanently grey (not a good look) so it is now actually only an active shirt as well. Bottom line: I need a new "out and about" short-sleeved shirt.

Long-sleeved shirts: Two. Pictured above. One sweater (merino wool), and one zip-up hoodie (Uniqlo), which can be used as an out and about shirt or an active shirt, as it technically is a sunscreen hoodie, but is black so is a little more versatile. However, this one too is also on it's last legs (I also wore it the entire year last year while cycling, so I am surprised it has lasted this long to be honest. Uniqlo for the win! Well worth the $30 price tag!) 

Jackets: Three. Pictured above. The windbreaker is a great light layer that packs up into itself and is easy to carry around when its in the 40-60s just in case. The puffy, as I mentioned, goes everywhere with me, stays in my purse or daypack, and is a great pillow, extra layer on the plane, or emergency layer and I also take it with me backpacking. The rain jacket is mostly for backpacking, but when I was in France and it was below freezing outside I wore it when I went for runs. Its not the most attractive thing, but it does the job. If I had my way, it would be black, but that was not an option for this model. 

Pants: Four. Jeans (shown above), capri pants for either active days or travel days, jogging pants for lounging around, or going outside when you are lazy (if you are in Poland, but not when you are in France) and rain pants for hiking mostly, but hey if it was really cold I guess I could wear them outside! Also when I was in Germany in December/January, I did wear my capris under my jeans as an extra layer. Aside from the jeans, the rest are all black. 

Pants/shorts (jeans not shown)

Shorts: Three. I have one pair of "going out" shorts, one pair of running shorts, and one pair of lounging/pajama shorts. To be honest, I have rarely used the latter, but they take up basically no space. 

Undergarments: Four undies, four socks, one sports bra and one regular bra. I normally am fine with having two pairs of undies and handwashing, but this time I decided to splurge and bring more so that I don't have to handwash as often. Same goes for the socks, especially when I am in one place for a few weeks or so, it is really easy to just wash and hang each evening (especially for my favorite pair of Darn Tough socks, which are also merino). However, sometimes there is not enough time to dry in one day if you are moving faster, so this way I have a little leeway. As far as bras go, the tank in the photo above has a built in bra, so I can wear that when I need to wash my sports bra. To be honest, I have not worn the regular bra yet. 

Packed! Still have a bit of room!

Accessories: Beanie, pashmina (can be worn in churches, or used as a scarf, skirt or blanket), gloves (all black), running hat, buff, umbrella, sunglasses, and a swimsuit that I have barely used (one time so far in six months! What can I say, I like to swim in the buff. Just kidding!! Haha. I usually just swim in my running clothes/sports bra). 

Toiletries: My rule about toiletries is that you can always buy it where you are going if you need it, so I don't bring a lot. Also I don't really wear makeup, or care what brand of this-or-that that I use, and I don't really need to condition my hair. Here is what I do bring: 

Liquids

Liquid: contacts, contact solution, hand sanitizer, mascara, Vaseline (mostly for running/hiking chafe issues), sunscreen, extra ChapStick. 

Non-liquids

Non-liquids - packed

Non-liquid: Shampoo/conditioner bar, soap bar, toothpaste tabs (now all gone, so I am back to regular toothpaste), toothbrush, floss picks, fingernail clippers, glasses, dry wet wipes, feminine supplies, TP (must have in some countries!), brush, earplugs, pills, laundry sheets, razor + extra blades, q-tips, hair ties, sewing kit, facemask. 

For toiletries, I usually just keep them separate and keep the liquids handy when I am flying, but they both do fit in the one Lermende bag if needed. Also, I have a little reusable zip-up baggie (the blue one under the sanitizing wipe) that I will put my "essential" items in if I am traveling by train or staying in a place with a shared bathroom (toothpaste, toothbrush, contacts, shampoo/soap, earplugs) so that way I just have one essential bag to keep handy. Also, as a side note, in the last year, I have stayed at literally well over a hundred different places, and there have probably been about three of them that have not had soap and/or shampoo.

Electronics: Kindle, battery bank, adapter/converter, cords, running watch, GoPro, phone, headlamp/Inreach for hiking.

I also have these essentials: Osprey 18L foldable daypack (seriously, I have gotten so much use out of this bag!), Chico bag, my Solomon running hydration vest 2L. What can I say; I like bags! 

Foldable backpack

Shoes: Two. One pair of flip flops and one pair of running shoes. No fancy shoes. If I need to go somewhere fancy, I will buy something to wear. Until then, I will wear my running shoes. 

Camping Specific Gear: I also carry these camping items which will be of no use to anyone else most likely: sleeping mat, sleep sac (actually, even if you stay in huts or hostels, this comes in handy), water filter, stove, emergency items (first aid kit, lighter, headlamp, Garmin Inreach satellite tracker, athletic tape, duct tape and various other items). I also acquired a pot/bowl/cutlery set and a sleeping bag when I was in Türkiye and I can fit it all into the carry on but I have not had to fly with these last two things yet. 

Guilty pleasure and/or random stuff. I do carry a few extra ziplock bags with me just in case. I like to keep my passport in one and have one extra that I have in case I need to toss my phone in there. I will also snag a lotion or a shampoo if I stay in a hotel, but if I am flying and I need to cut weight, those are the first to go. 

I basically wear my heaviest item on the plane, which means: jeans, tank top, sweater, running shoes, socks, and zip-up hoodie. 

Are you a carry-on only person? Backpack or rolling suitcase? What is your guilty pleasure?