Travelling is one of my favourite things to do which one day I hope to turn into a full time profession. I will be a professional travel blogger. The beauty of travelling is that I get be stress free or at least it reduces the stress levels that day to day life brings about. It is like an escape. Through travel I get to break out of my normal daily routine of 8-5 and dive into new surroundings and experiences. It actually makes me happier as it has helped me build my self-confidence because nowadays I find courage to speak to strangers and strike a meaningful conversation. I have broadened my perspective on so many things. Nothing changes the way you view your own life experience like seeing the way other people live.You learn to live in the moment,value experience over things, roll with things,open up to different ways of life, learn how to save and budget, expand your network and the best of all is that you explore the world.
As glamorous as travelling sounds, it needs a lot of planning for it to be an enjoyable experience. If you don’t plan you are planning to fail. So, before I embark on any journey, I make sure I pack all my travelling essentials and tick them on my checklist. Packing is a very essential part when it comes to travelling. Apart from clothes this is what I pack when I am travelling;
1.Cash
Money is not everything but it is the only thing. There is no way you can leave your house without money in your pocket especially if you are going for a trip. Whether the trip is all inclusive or not you will still need a little money on the side for emergencies or when you want to buy a snack on the road or when you need to buy a souvenir for your people. Always have enough cash in liquid form and keep the rest in your debit/credit card or in your money transfer applications like Mpesa.
2. ID/Passport
This is one of the most important items to pack. This is your security and identification just incase anything happens to you or you are told to identify yourself. With the rising cases of insecurity in most places, you can be asked to show your ID/Passport at any point so you need to have it ready to avoid any inconveniences. You can not board a plane or even a train without your ID. You can decide to carry either of the two or you can carry both depending on where you are travelling to.
3. Phone
How can you even travel without your phone? Phones have become the go to gadgets for doing almost everything. From googling stuff on the internet, listening to music,ordering cabs, ordering meals, communicating with loved ones,taking photos the list is just endless. Nowadays you need your phone for almost everything you can think of. Never forget your phone while travelling.
4. Charger/Power Bank
There is no need of having a phone with no charge. It is useless. Remember to pack your phone charger or a power bank. The power bank also needs to be charged so carry its charger too. I prefer carrying both as sometimes you may have a long flight or road trip with no place to charge your phone. So always leave the house with a fully charged phone and fully charged power bank to avoid any inconveniences before you get to a place with sockets.
5. Camera
The only thing you should get out of this life is good memories. What better way to do that than taking pictures. I loves photos very much. My phone memory is three quarters full of photos. I take my travelling photos using a DSLR camera and sometimes just my phone. A DSLR camera gives my photos a better edge than what phone can and that’s why I prefer it especially when taking photos that I will upload to my website. If you don’t have a DSLR camera you should not be worried as there are so many other phones that take pretty awesome photos.
6. Toiletries
As a girl or I think me as a person I am an overpacker. I will pack things I think I will use even if I really don’t need them. But sometimes I end up using/needing them so it is a good thing. I always make sure I have a toiletries bag in my packing list. This bag contains bathing soap, petroleum jelly, lotion, roll on, Deodorant, face towel, perfume, pads, panty liners, tampons,extra panties,wet wipes, toothbrush, toothpaste, pocket tissues,sunscreen and lip balm just to mention but a few.
7. Sunglasses
This are a girl’s best friend. I always have a pair of sunglasses in my bag just in case. Sunglasses protect your eyes from sun rays and harsh weather conditions. As for me they help me to look at people without them noticing haha. I have very glassy/watery eyes and so this sunglasses come through for me as people don’t have to see my bare eyes and start asking why I am crying haha. They also just make you look cool.They enhance your beauty. Carry a pair or two when travelling. I always carry two pairs. One which has a very light shade which I can wear at anytime of the day to slay my look and one pair which is pretty dark for when the sun is too hot.
8. Book/Magazine
Some trips are super long and time consuming on road or air and you may run out of your phone or laptop battery. You need something to keep you busy especially if you are travelling alone. Carry some nice novel or magazine to keep you busy during the journey.You can also carry your journal and do some writing it actually helps. If you are travelling in a group I would advise you carry board games or just play games to kill time. Keep yourselves entertained.
9. Sandals
Unless you want your feet to be swollen when you arrive at your final destination, then you need sandals. Don’t be like the other people who get in buses or planes then remove their shoes and make the whole place stink like a dumpsite coz of their sweaty and smelly feet. Always carry a pair of nice comfy sandals with you to wear during your long safaris. If you wear closed shoes for long, your feet will be swollen that I can attest to. I went for a roadtrip to Dar-es-salaam for almost 14 hours and my feet were like potatoes even though I removed my shoes 6 hours into the journey. I learnt my lesson from that day.
10. Medical Insurance
Our health is not always guaranteed. Climate changes affect our health so much. You may never know what a different climate might do to your body. So, always carry your medical insurance card with you or at least an emergency contact person. Carrying painkillers also is a plus because sometimes you can get headaches from the long hours on the road so at least carry a pair or two.
So that’s what I always carry when I am planning to travel whether for a short trip or a long one.What do you think I should include or exclude next time?
Photos courtesy of Expert Vagabond, The whole world is a playground, Bex bond, never ending footsteps and edge creek.