The Travel Bug

This goes without saying, obviously. This little bug is the first thing to be packed *anywhere* I go, and I’m including Tesco in that statement.

Sometimes he even comes with me on my journeys to work if I’m having a particularly crappy week, but that’s a whole other post.

I feel odd if I leave the house without my intrepid explorer and, let’s face it, he’d be a pretty rubbish Travel Bug if he stayed home.

‘TTB sits at the top of hand luggage and often earns me odd looks from security when they rifle through my stuff looking for liquids, tweezers and Semtex…’

I often worry that some over-caffeinated security guard will think my little stuffed amigo has a kilo of heroin stuffed up his bum.

This will lead to him being ripped to shreds in front of my eyes, rendering me speechless and heartbroken.  It hasn’t happened yet.  The thought of it, however, is the reason I always look so nervous at airport security. Honest…

This little champ is my constant travel companion. The wine in the background is mine.  He prefers red.

Phone

On a flight back from Paris recently, I spent the entire journey home blogging.  I use the WordPress app, so it means I can just turn on aeroplane mode and furiously type away.

It makes the time pass a bit quicker and makes me feel like I’m being all productive and stuff.

I only start once I’ve read the in-flight magazine, obviously, because no one wants to miss the Captain’s message, do they?

iPad

I *need* this in my hand luggage as I only get a chance to catch up on all my shows when I’m off.

Holidays are the time I get to sit back and do nothing with the guilty feeling that I’m sitting back doing nothing.  Seriously; that honestly happens to me. It’s so annoying.

I use my iPad for the Audible app every night to help me sleep so, aside from my passport, it’s the first thing in my hand luggage.

‘I’m also finding it increasingly difficult to be away from Doug the Pug and on my travels, so I need my iPad for the whole ‘Dogs In Outfits On The Internet’ obsession I have…’

I need this with me constantly for blogging, Twitter, Insta and reading news.

Baby Wipes

‘Brace yourself while I tell you this, but you DON’T EVEN NEED A BABY to buy these wipes.  It’s shocking but true…’

These bad boys are packed at the top of my hand luggage as they’re perfect for keeping you from feeling completely disgusting on a flight.

They’re cheap and cheerful and can be used for pretty much anything, including mopping up any wine you spill.  Although, if you do this on a regular basis, you should probably get a different glass.  Or, you know, stop drinking; whichever you feel is best for you.

Also, whipping out wipes on a flight totally makes you look like you’ve got your shit together.  This is regardless of the fact that you might well have forgotten your toothbrush.  Am I right?

Two Purses

I hate mixing my currencies; it’s so confusing.  I take a *teeny* little purse with Sterling in it, which I use to pay for all the overpriced shit you get in the airport. All my holiday spends then go in the other one.

This means I don’t have to spend aaaaaages looking through coins when I’m on holiday, going:  ‘Oooh, this one was from my week in Valencia…and this was from….mmmm…might have been Krakow?….or maybe not…is this coin even Polish?, I don’t know….. This is all while people behind me in the queue at the local Carrefour get really antsy.

I can’t deal with mixed currencies.  Gotta keep them separate.

Flip Flops

It doesn’t matter where on the planet I go – including my back garden in Wales – I will find a use for these bad boys. Even if I’m not going somewhere hot, I will make use of these for a few hours on the ‘plane.

For me, it’s the sight of my ancient, battered old flip flops that screams ‘HOLIDAAAAAAAAY!’.  Just picking them up to chuck them in my hand luggage makes me smile.  Actually putting them on my feet in a different country is my idea of Heaven.

‘Never, *ever* underestimate the positive, mood enhancing power of smelly old flip-flops: they are the Bank Holiday weekend of shoes’

What are your hand luggage essentials?

Suzanne x