I’m interrupting my parade of places to bring you this comprehensive packing post (at least from a woman’s perspective – guys, you’ll have to adjust accordingly). Many people struggle with packing, and have asked me for a complete list of what I’ve brought on my around the world journey. I thought 6 months into my travels is a good time to post not only what I brought, but what I wished I’d brought and what...

Following are 12 items that you might not think to pack, but that I find indispensable: 1) Pack towel – They’re a little bit of an investment, but well worth the price as they’re super absorbent, anti-microbial, and take up a fraction of the space of a regular towel. Most hostels don’t provide towels, or charge extra, and camping you need to bring your own as well. Staying in hotels? These pack towels still come in...

So you’ve been invited to stay with someone while you travel, maybe a friend or acquaintance, maybe someone you met through couch surfing, or while on a tour. How can you make sure you’re the kind of guest they’re genuinely sorry to see leave instead of the one they can’t wait to see go? There are no guarantees things will go smoothly no matter what the circumstances, as people and personalities and customs vary so much....

You’ve bought your plane ticket and packed your bag, and you’re ready to go! But wait…it seems like every time you cross one thing off of your to-do list, you add 3 more. Things like research and buy traveler’s insurance, as apparently most US insurance doesn’t cover you when you’re out of the country. You need to figure out where your mail is going to go, where your car (if you keep one) will be stored, how it needs to be...