Holidays (List) in July

Written By Ilse Haag

Thank you to all of you who have nudged me toward this--I have finally applied to have a "storefront" on Amazon! I currently just have an "associate's" link, and when *enough* of my recommendations have been purchased, my application for an actual storefront will be considered. Please help me monetize my recommendations, at NO ADDITIONAL COST TO YOU!

I LOVE recommending products! In addition to my annual Holiday List post, I send my clients product recommendations in my emails leading up to my trips. And I also field a ton of requests from family, friends, and friends of friends, asking for advice, and I love it! Keep it coming!

So now, I'd like to monetize my knowledge and experience--again, AT NO EXTRA COST TO YOU!

And if you're looking for a recommendation that isn't included here, please reach out to me, and I can send you my recommendation, if I have one, and the link to go with it.

Please help me prove my worth to Amazon!

(Click on the underlined words, not the photos.)

AIRPLANE COCKTAIL KITS: I'm starting with something that is just for FUN! I love a useful gift as much as the next person, but when a gift is something that you know the person would love, but would never buy for her/himself, then THAT's a GOOD GIFT. Champagne Cocktail; Old Fashioned; Margarita; Daiquiri;

TRAVEL SAFE: I mostly trust hotel room safes, but when I don't, I bring this along. I always carry my passport on me, but I don't want to carry with me all my cash, my emergency credit cards, and the photocopies of those things. So when I don't trust the safe, I cable this to the inside of my suitcase (note the built-in cable), and bury my suitcase under a bunch of clothing (or other suitcases, if I'm traveling with my family). Thieves will have to steal the whole kit and kaboodle.

COMPRESSION PACKING CUBES: I bought each member of my family their own color (mine is orange!). If you're staying in more than one hotel or are traveling with only a backpack, these will make your life SO much easier! Your clothing will stay organized and less wrinkled. The only downside is, if you travel with a large suitcase (instead of a carryon), you'll need to be careful that you don't go over the weight limit. 

TRAVEL SCALE: Don't get caught with an overweight bag ever again! No need to stand on a scale, holding your bag, then subtracting your weight to get an *estimated* bag weight--if you're off the weight allowance by only 1 or 2 pounds, don't risk hoping your bathroom scale is calibrated correctly! These are so inexpensive, they should be in everyone's stocking and makes the perfect Hanukkah gift.

MULTI-CHARGING CABLE: I just bought this for my travels this past spring, and I couldn't be happier--ALL my devices can use this ONE charging cable! I got the new iPhone for Christmas, which has a different port from my previous phone, rendering all my cables obsolete--YEARS' worth of cables. In every room and car. My headphones have yet another port. And my external battery, yet another port! Now, I can travel with only ONE cable. Most of these multi-charging cables come in multi-packs, and I don't know why--I bought this 2-pack and gave the other one to my husband:)

INIU PORTABLE CHARGER: I love this brand. Charging is fast, and this battery pack holds power for a LONG time. Click the link to read all the specs. It's just awesome and the price is amazing.

UNIVERSAL ADAPTER: You can't travel internationally without an outlet adapter. (This is NOT a converter--if you don't know the difference, send me a note or call me!) This one has all the prong configurations you need and both styles of ports, USB and C.

AIRFLY PRO BLUETOOTH WIRELESS AUDIO TRANSMITTER: This is one of the best splurges I've ever made. It was a splurge at the time, because why not just plug in my headphones to the airplane tv? But now, I couldn't even imagine living like that. When I need to go to the bathroom, or my seatmate needs to get up, I just pause my movie and stand up--no unplugging anything! And you can connect TWO pairs of headsets to this, so you can watch the same movie with your traveling companion! One of you just has to lean over a bit more;)

COMPRESSION SOCKS: Don't laugh. These ain't your Granny's socks! This is one of the brands I have, in this blue color. Click through the designs--there's something for all genders/preferences. I first wore these when I traveled to Asia in 2019, and now I even use them for the relatively short 5- to 6-hour flights to Europe. I can't describe how much better my feet and legs feel upon landing--these socks are life-changing for travelers!

KULA CLOTH: I was introduced to this product by my hiking community, and now, I don't travel anywhere without it. When I'm hiking, this is a no-brainer. And when I'm traveling, how many times have I encountered a bathroom without toilet paper? Especially those squatty potties in Asia and Africa! In a nutshell, this is reusable tp for going #1. The silver-infused cloth keeps it antibacterial; you handle it on the printed side only; the quilted side is super absorbent and locks in the moisture, like a pad; when you get back to the hotel room, you wash it out with soap and water; when you get home, launder it in a lingerie bag and hang to dry. MUST. HAVE.

MACK'S SILICONE EARPLUGS: I've tried them all, and these are the only ones that actually work for me--I buy them in bulk now and hand them out like candy, to whomever I hear complaining about a snoring roommate or thin hotel walls. My kids stay in hostels when they travel on their own, and these are a critical part of their kit.

ANTI-NAUSEA WRIST BANDS: I've been getting a lot of use out of my wrist bands this year from all the driving! The roads don't even have to be twisty; put me in a car for 10 hours, and I'm not going to feel well without these.

PRODUCTS WITHOUT A PHOTO:

HANGING TOILETRY BAG: I just bought this one this year, and am wondering what I was thinking all these years without it! I love that it's transparent and hangs--I can see everything I packed, no more digging, and it doesn't take up counter space. And the best part for me is that there's a TSA approved section that zips off--so I can pack it separately at the top of my carryon, in case I need to remove it at security (which I never have to do, because I have Global Entry, and you should have this, too! I do not receive compensation when you buy Global Entry). And when I get to my hotel room, I can reattach it to the rest of my stuff, so I no longer have a separate liquids baggie that ends up in the room, not the bathroom, because counter space is often non-existent! It's glorious--visibility and everything in one spot. OH--and it packs flat! Or you can fold it up.

SOLID BODY LOTION AND FACE OIL: I don't get any compensation for recommending these products, but you have to know about them! I travel with only a carryon, so I'm always researching ways and trying products that will minimize my liquids. These are are DELICIOUS! Not only are they made with beautiful ingredients, but they work; even in the Sahara Desert, my skin stayed hydrated all day long!

BOOKS:

THE ART OF PILGRIMAGE: THE SEEKER'S GUIDE TO MAKING TRAVEL SACRED: This is the book I gift to people more than any other. This is the book that changed the way I travel and made my life richer, as a result. There isn't any "religion" in this book; this book is about how to travel more consciously, how to make your travels more meaningful, no matter where you go. This is a gift for the person who loves to travel, but wants to up-level their experiences. You'll reread this book multiple times, learning new things each time.

A PILGRIMAGE TO ETERNITY: FROM CANTERBURY TO ROME IN SEARCH OF FAITH: This travelogue does, indeed, have religion in it, but it stays in the background. There's no proselytizing; Mr Egan keeps his own religious journey to himself. What he shares with us is a full-sensory experience, while giving us the Cliffs Notes version of thousands of years of history. This is a gift for the person who loves to travel and eat; and who enjoys learning about history, as long as it doesn't take long;) Egan's writing is easy to read, his descriptions of food and weather and terrain had me there with him. I've never been really interested in walking the very famous Camino Santiago, but this book made me add the lesser-known, but equally important, Via Francigena to my "list".

WIND, SAND AND STARS: I read this book in 2003 because it was listed as the #1 Outdoor Adventure Book on Outside Magazine's annual list of books that year. It's also "A National Geographic Top Ten Adventure Book of All Time." So, how do you NOT read this book?? (Also, it's written by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, who also wrote The Little Prince, which happens to be my most favorite book. I believe every person on earth should read The Little Prince, and reread it every 7 years.)

This is a gift for the people who appreciate a philosophical and positive existential view of humanity, and who believe pioneers are the bad-assiest of us all. Did you know, Antoine Saint-Exupéry, a pilot, was instrumental in establishing the first airmail routes across the African deserts and the Andes Mountains?

Here's an excerpt from a review that I love:
One can't help but feel that the title ... and the billing as a top "adventure book of all time" are a bit misleading. Not because this book isn't a fabulous adventure, nor that Saint-Exupéry doesn't portray the wind, sand, and stars with incredible beauty. But rather because, as Saint-Exupéry states explicitly himself, his main interest is not the sky but rather the earth that he flies over, and the people that inhabit it. At the heart of this book is the chapter that deals not with flying, but rather the Spanish Civil War, where Saint-Exupéry attempts to understand men and mankind. Even for as much passion as Saint-Exupery has for flight and flying, they are a means rather than an end: again, he quite explicitly states that he doesn't do it for the adventure or because of some kind of deathwish, but rather to think, to explore, to live so that he may better understand humanity and the bigger Truth of the world.--CE Stevens

JUST GO. A GLOBE-TROTTING GUIDE TO TRAVEL LIKE AN EXPERT, CONNECT LIKE A LOCAL, AND LIVE THE ADVENTURE OF A LIFETIME: This is a gift for the "beginner" traveler, who might like a practical handbook. Like most handbooks, the writing is at a middle-school level for easy understanding. Mr Binsky's content IS relevant and informative, but sometimes, it rubs me the wrong way. But the beginner traveler will find some great takeaways!

STORIES ABOUT PLACES AND PEOPLE THAT WE (mostly) DIDN'T LEARN ABOUT IN SCHOOL: These are books that affected me on a very deep level. These are gifts for the armchair travelers and for the travelers who like to have a richer experience of the places they visit. (These are links to the paperback versions; if you'd like to purchase a hardcover, Kindle, or Audiobook version, please let me know, and I can send you a link for those!)

FREE TIP:

Register each of your international trips with the closest US Embassy or Consulate in that country to not only receive alerts, but also for them to know you're there, in case of an emergency situation. Register at the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program, aka STEP. 

Ilse Haag
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