Karen Leslie ~ Writer

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Packing List—20 Things to Pack for Warm Weather Travel

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How to Be a Smart Packer!

I love lists, especially when I’m packing for a long-anticipated bucket list trip. I’m a kitchen sink kind of packer. Making a list helps me be an efficient packer, which is a work in progress! My mother—she’s the neat one—keeps handwritten packing lists in her luggage. That sounds like a great idea to me, so now I create and save my own packing lists on my iPhone in “Notes” or as a “Reminder List.”

Packing from a list helps eliminate unnecessary “stuff” in my suitcase. I have packing lists that are specific for warm, cold, and international travel. You might have a camping list, a cruising list, traveling with kids packing list, and a going-to-visit-the-kids list!

I’ve curated a new list with warm or hot weather destinations in mind. Your bags won’t pack themselves, but maybe sharing packing lists with you will take the heavy thinking out of packing, so you can spend your mental energy dreaming of soaking up the sunshine instead!

Here’s a just beyond-the-obvious packing list for warm weather destinations:

1. Sunscreen

  • Okay, this one is obvious, but don’t forget it! Choose paraben and fragrance free. I love Blue Lizard for sensitive skin.

2. Lightweight “Packable” Hat

  • Wallaroo is très stylish.

3. Packable Rain Gear or Compact Umbrella

  • Self-contained, packable rain gear is best. You can throw it in your tote when site seeing. If you don’t need it, it won’t take up souvenir room in your bags. I’m a Marmot fan, myself.

4. Walking Shoes

  • Bring at least one pair of shoes with treads for walking tours, hiking, and less than ideal weather. Sturdy, “pretty” sandals or shoes can be dressed up or down, depending on your itinerary. Colorful espadrilles are another lightweight choice that are happy and easy to find even on the road.
  • Suggestions: I’ve found that most European brands are incredible walkable, long-lasting, COMFORTABLE, and cute. I’ve included a few American brands. I own all of these brands, so I’m absolutely not goofing around with these recommendations! Dansko, ECCO, Taos, Chaco, Born, Jafa, Romika, Pikolinos

5. Packable Tote

  • Bring a packable or wearable water-resistant beach bag, fanny pack, or back pack for heading to the beach, site seeing, or shopping. Just be sure you have room in your luggage or carry-on for the trip home. My favorite is this stylish black Tumi bag. The sleeve that allows it to slide over my suitcase handle sold me.

6. Collapsible Water Bottle & Spork

The Mighty Spork!
  • Collapsible Water Bottles are genius and available on Amazon or at any sporting goods store. They are extremely packable and allow you to breeze through airport security lines (with the body empty, of course). You can fill it between security and boarding now that clean water stations are popping up everywhere. Carrying a collapsible water bottle with you will save you a few bucks every time you’re thirsty and keep you hydrated. They are also a “travel-green” alternative.
  • A fellow travel and writing buddy presented me with a spork one Christmas and it’s been a packing staple ever since. Obviously, it’s a spoon and fork combo, plus it has a short, serrated feature that works for most road trip grab-and-go fare. Thanks, Anna!

7. Sunglasses (see #1)

8. Clothing You Can Layer

  • Some islands and beach areas also have high elevations, so it can get cold at night. Throw in a neutral colored sweater and snazzy scarf to layer over your warm-weather clothing. You can always wrap your sweater around your shoulders or waist when you warm up (or throw it in your packable tote). “Breathable” fabric pieces are wonderful for traveling, too. They don’t wrinkle and allow for some fluctuation in your own body temperature.
  • A word about curating a “Capsule Wardrobe.” It’s the French way to have a stylish, minimalist, mix-and-match wardrobe. The pieces must be well-made to last years, cut to flatter your shape, and play a main or supporting role in more than one or two outfit combinations. For me, I chose three base colors for my palette: black, blue, and gray. I accent with red/burgundy, taupe, and white. Almost every color combination works. Pops of color or pattern come with scarves (which are easy to pack!), and occasionally a crazy shirt. I get to jazz up my jewelry, too. So, the focus is where I want it to be. When I started thinking this way, my clothing impulse buying disappeared. Now, before I buy, I consider how many different ways a new piece will fit in my wardrobe. The unexpected benefit to curating a “Capsule Wardrobe?” It’s so much faster and easier to pack! Want to investigate more? Check out Justine Leconte, a French fashion designer. Warning, her videos are a little addicting!

9. Travel Documents

  • Make a copy of your passport if traveling out of the country, this includes Canada and Mexico, folks. There’s still some confusion out there about this. Leave a copy with your loved one or your emergency contact at home, stash another in your luggage.

10. Government Issued Picture ID

  • While this includes your driver’s license or equivalent, if you are a resident of Kentucky, Maine, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Washington, you’ll have to use an alternative form of ID (passport). Here’s an article on T & L.

11. Medical Cards

  • Include a list of prescriptions you’re packing in your suitcase.

12. Emergency Contact Numbers

  • Leave a copy of your itinerary and travel “whereabouts” with your contact at home. If you’re traveling with a tour company, include your Tour Director’s name and their office number on this list. Keep a paper copy of your emergency contacts in your purse, wallet, or luggage. Make sure at least one traveling friend knows where it is. Don’t forget to return the favor.

13. Cell Phone

  • A cell phone can double as a camera and emergency information holder.

14. Ziplock Bags and Packing Cubes

  • Ziplock bags are handy to stow your toiletries when flying, separate delicate items from heavier clothing, gather dirty laundry (okay, this might be a small kitchen or plastic grocery bag), hair accessories, quick-grab items in your oversized purse, handy wipes, daily vitamins and prescriptions, and more. Separating items in your luggage with packing cubes makes it easy to keep your bath items neat and out of your roommates way. And, of course, they help you unpack efficiently. If you travel a lot, keep some items in the packing cubes for the next trip. It’s an old Army trick, but rolling your clothing will squeeze the most space out of your suitcase and keep your clothing virtually wrinkle-free! Some travelers pack their clothing in extra large ziplock bags, then squeeze the excess air out. Voila! More packing or souvenir space.
  • Not all packing cubes are equal. Some are stiff and don’t last. PRO packing cubes are great because they’re durable and have a see-through mesh top.

15. Reading Material

  • One of the best things about traveling is the luxury of a little more reading time — or, a lot! While it’s more pleasurable to hold a book and turn the pages, depending on your luggage space and how many books you read while on vacation, an electronic reading pad is a convenient way to travel.
  • Choices! Choices! Folks, books matter because reading matters because Story matters. Story changes us. Story helps us empathize. If we become more empathetic, we bless the world around us. If we bless the world around us with empathy—good, solid, grounded, healthy empathy—we change the world. What’s that mean? Support writers. Support your local bookstore. Support your local Library. Visit my Bookshop Bookstore for curated reading lists (curating lists as you read): Karen Leslie @ The WordShop.
  • *www.bookshop.org returns 10% to independent bookstores. Go Indies!

16. Black Dress or Button Down Shirt and Tie

  • A black dress, constructed with jersey or a wrinkle-free material, is cool and comfortable for strolling through the streets, as a beach cover up, and to wear to dinner at an upscale restaurant. You can dress it up with a scarf and your “pretty” sandals. Button down shirts are a simple solution to dressing up or down. All it needs is a tie! (I prefer bowties.)

17. Mini-Emergency Pack

  • You can purchase a small, hard-cased emergency pack with alcohol pads, Band-aides, and such at the drug store before you leave or after you arrive. Or, you can make your own emergency pack! I always throw in a pack of Pepto-Bismal tablets, pumpkin seeds, and charcoal tablets to keep my digestive system happy and safe, especially when traveling out of the country.

18. Disposable Toiletries

  • Put your favorite toiletries in a 3 oz. empty, I-don’t-have-to-take-it-home bottle that complies with airline security and discard it at the end of your trip. Recycling empty — or nearly empty toiletry bottles — frees space in your luggage for souvenirs and makes unpacking much more efficient. The art of decluttering feels just as good on vacation as it does at home. I keep a box of travel items I collect (unused hotel room toiletries, a throw-away toothbrush, travel sized items, plug adapters, hand sanitizer, facial wipes, etc.). It’s a faster-packing method for the whole household.

19. Hand Sanitizer

  • If you’re a germaphobe, you don’t need me to remind you to carry hand sanitizer (gel or wipes) to wipe down phones, door knobs, toilet handles, and tv remotes when you’re traveling. It’s not fun to get sick when you’re on a vacation looking for a “Thin Place.”

20. Travel Journal — Capture the moment while you’re in the moment

  • Okay, I’m a writer. I read, I write. I teach writers. I encourage EVERYONE to put their words down for the shear pleasure of “having written.” It’s more than that, though. It’s a record of a day—or trip—in your life. It doesn’t matter if you think you can write or not, if you can put words on paper, you can write. And, you’ll be better for it. While I’m a big fan of slim, moleskin journals because they’re relatively inexpensive and fit easily in my purse or luggage; I really love to shop for a journal on location the first day of a trip. I often find a beautiful journal or tablet unique to the area. You could always look for ones that are roughly the same size and start a collection on your bookshelf at home. If you’re short on space, your cellphone can double as a travel journal. Start a “Note” named after your tour. Either way, capturing travel moments are priceless for remembering the fun little details or emotions you may forget…

Happy travels chasing your Thin Places!

~Karen Leslie

The Thin Places Travel Writer

Originally published on the BNT Travel Blog at www.bobnefftours.com©3/25/18 Ranks #1 in Google Search for: warm weather packing list

How (and Why) to Write a Love List

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PUT ON YOUR OXYGEN MASK FIRST: IT’S NOT SELFISH TO EMBRACE WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY AND WHOLE-ER, IT’S “SELF-CARE”

I know what makes me happy and whole. I also know the list of things I need to thrive is not simply filled with selfish wants—and, those things aren’t solely self-focused. Often, even if an act of self-care starts with a form of isolation, it will press outward in some way in want of connecting with another human being or a higher being. I believe we need downtime alone, with our loved ones, and with the world at large—all of these to thrive. To move out of survival mode. Writing a “Love List” is a good start.  

So, put on your oxygen mask first, friend. 

This has become one of my life mantras. Let me tell you that it’s not selfish to embrace what makes you happy, what makes you whole-er. It’s called “self-care,” according to Annemarie, my psychologist friend. It’s funny that I’ve had to learn this.

You fellow givers, empaths, children, and parents might identify (as I do) with willingly—happily—putting yourself last out of love for another. This isn’t a “wrong” message whispered from the deep; however, we might’ve misinterpreted it at first. Or, at the very least, we might’ve formed the short-sighted understanding that taking care of our loved ones means not taking care of ourselves.

BE-ing

We are human beings, as in be-ing. I’m not referring to Hamlet when he waxes existential in his soliloquy whether “to be or not to be,” I’m talking about how to be. Just…be, so you can find—yes, I said it!—or get back to yourself. Becoming your best self requires self-care.

Hang on. Just when you think I might be getting a little woo-woo or trying to loosely tap into a trending keyword, let me explain. I’m saying that writing is one way to practice be-ing, and thus, self-care. And, for now, I’ve winnowed it down to a simple writing exercise: the Love List.

Self-care requires stillness, silence, and a little navel-picking. And, getting away for an hour, a day, or a week, having meaningful conversation with a friend, laughing with and listening to my kids, breathing in nature, exercising, and detoxing in an infrared sauna. It always requires reading, writing, and cuddle time with my loves. That’s what I’ve figured out in my exploration of self-care over the past few years.

What you don’t see on my self-care list is work. That’s because, while it fulfills me, and because I’ve chosen work I love, there’s always plenty of it spilling over into my first life. As in, pressing the last bits of oxygen out of my waking hours. Work might be on your list, just take care to measure it by whether it’s an act of self-care or not.

SOUL SURFACING

This blog on self-care, in fact, is a result of self-care for me. I recognized a few years ago that I was constantly deferring my be-ing, and thus, my growing, to “okay, tomorrow morning” or “starting next month” or “in the new year.” I was chasing survival, rather than chasing a life in which I could and would thrive. What that led to, eventually, was apathy. I woke up one day and recognized that I had checked out so that I wouldn’t feel too much. I had given myself no time to process what emotions and epiphanies my life was producing. And, I wore myself out checking off my list of “to-do’s.” 

That led to my “soul surfacing” season. I felt limp personally, then. And so, by what was a God-breath for me, I rose to the surface and found myself gasping for air. I wanted to thrive. I wanted to stop drifting through my loved one’s lives and live in them. I had to put on my oxygen mask first, take care of myself—and figure out exactly what that looked like. I had to trust the process long before I heard the term “self-care.” I had to rise above the noise in my life, be still enough to hear what my soul was saying, and then, make healthy shifts.

MY STREET-SMART SCIENCE

It didn’t take long to see results from putting on my oxygen mask. I was calmer, happier, more patient. I started sleeping better, so I lost weight (no lie). My focus wasn’t as scattered. I finished writing projects. Most importantly, I began listening deeply to others. For me, listening deeply when someone is trying to communicate is the single most life-changing, outwardly pressing action that arose from my self-care. Newton’s third law is: “For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.” Out of every good act of my self-care came a good reaction. A good measure. That’s the street-smart, scientific logic I’ve applied to this practice. That’s why it’s now one of my life mantras.

As another outward pressing, I’m compelled to share this self-care message with others. I encourage my grown Mama-daughter to practice self-care. She gives and gives as a young wife, mother, friend, daughter, and business owner, but she’s learning much earlier than I did that it’s okay to give yourself gifts…because they keep on giving. I hear her sharing the message, the “permission,” if you will, in her sphere of influence. 

Self-care is akin to hitting a reset and recharge button. What I can’t and won’t do is tell you what kind of self-care you must practice to be whole-er. Though, I will offer some writerly advice on how to figure out what makes you thrum.

THE LOVE LIST

So, to the writing bit. As a writing instructor, I believe everyone can write—and, should! It’s good exercise for your brain and good therapy for your soul. Certainly, writing can be a conduit to the condition of your heart. One way to put on your oxygen mask is to get still and quiet enough to listen. There’s a running stream of thought—even conversation—we’re having with ourselves. Most of time, we only air out the safest or loudest thoughts, and then, they define us, whether we like it or not. When we write a “Love List,” we’re tapping into that stream while using a sieve.

With a “Love List,” we capture the beauty in our life, and usually, discover what’s beyond the obvious. I’ve found it to be one of the most accurate records of my life experience. Writing our “Love Lists” has the power to recalibrate us on overcast days. Focusing on beauty and how it speaks to us—how it moves us—is an act of self-care.

So, every February in “love month,” I write a new “Love List.” Then, I add it to my last one, so now I have an unending “Love List” as a partial record of how I view beauty in my life.

WRITING EXERCISE: WRITING A LOVE LIST

Setting: find a quiet spot with a journal or a blank document. I encourage you to hand write it, though, because the act of scratching pencil to paper exercises our minds in a different, deeper way. 

Instruction: set a 10 minute timer. Start writing and keep writing the entire time. Don’t erase. Don’t correct. Don’t re-read. Don’t stare into space (too long). Don’t worry if it’s “okay” to write something. Don’t put your pencil down until the 10 minutes has passed. Just write without stopping for 10 minutes. If you find you want more time, repeat your timer—or, ignore it and stay in the flow!

Time: 10 plus minutes

That’s a lot of “do not’s” 

What these rules allow is for you to just write. You’ll learn to silence your inner editor (she’s the one who tells you not to write things, not to write at all because you’re not a real writer, blah blah blah). You are NOT writing to your inner editor with this exercise; you’re listening to your heart and writing down what it tells you. 

Okay, so I get a little woo-woo with my writing exercises, but I’ve never run into a student or friend who hasn’t been satisfied with this process. It’s so freeing—and often, revealing! What it is, technically speaking, is a practice in stream of consciousness. Check out James Joyce if you want a heavy dose of it. You are following your inner voice. You might be surprised where it leads you and what you write down. Can you edit later? Sure. You’re in charge when your inner editor is allowed out of her cage. I would also encourage you to share it somewhere. “Showing” is a huge part of writing, and a list like this increases the world. You can also tuck it away like a private diary entry. This is a no-judgement zone.

A DEEPER DIVE: PRACTICING MY “READ, THEN WRITE” METHOD

This idea about writing is so simple that it took a beloved professor in the first semester of my MFA to sum up what is now my best writing advice: “Read, then write. Read, then write. Read, then write.” That epiphany changed my writing practice and skyrocketed the potential of it. 

I believe our writing is the sum total of what we read plus what we live plus what we practice. 

Whatever it is you set out to write, read a version of it. For example, want to write more stream of consciousness passages about other things in your life? Read James Joyce or Virginia Wolf. Want to write a narrative song? Listen to the best narrative songs. Want to write a news article? Read a respected newspaper or newsfeed. Want to write a Love List? Well, here’s one of mine. I don’t claim that it’s the greatest or most earth shattering, but it IS a record of what I love:

Being in nature makes me happy. Hearing the sound of water lapping the shore. Having an old conversation with someone new. Staring at pictures of my family. Laughing with girlfriends. Reading. Giving myself the necessary gifts of fitness and writing time. Making my mom laugh. Getting Italian cooking lessons from my dear friend. Watching my children discover themselves and the world and Truth. Being still. Teaching. Stepping foot in a new country and trying out a new language. Hugging. Nesting. Buying a new book. Eating outside. Getting a pedicure and haircut. Serving the homeless. Having conversations with children. Watching an old movie. Watching a new movie. Snugglng. Deep, nerdy literary gymnastics with my Spalding peeps. Attending a book tour talk. Listening to live music. Voxxing with a faraway friend. Having a girlfriend sleepover and staying up late talking about LIFE. Finding a new coffee shop. Laughing. Did I mention that one? The list goes on and on. I don’t have to explain me to me. What a relief.

Karen Leslie ©2015

Share yours with me here.

How to Make Perfect Baked Brie

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Making Baked Brie for your next gathering is a guaranteed hit. Baked Brie is easy and quick to assemble, and you can keep all of the ingredients on hand to throw together in a pinch. You can even assemble it the day before and pop it in the oven at the last minute. Voila! Delicious, decadent, gorgeous Baked Brie! Make sure you clear the area around the Baked Brie. It draws a crowd.

Ingredients

  • 1 Brie wheel or wedge (8oz + for party size)
  • 8-12 Phyllo Dough sheets or 1 sheet Puff Pastry (thawed)
  • Melted Butter or Ghee
  • 2-3 T organic Apricot Jam (low sugar)
  • A handful of Almond Flakes
  • Crackers of choice
  • Step 1
  • Step 2
  • Step 3 with Puff Pastry option

STEP 1 & 2 ~ PREP & BAKE

For Baked Brie in Phyllo Dough – Thaw 1 sleeve. Start with a large piece of foil coated with non-stick spray. Carefully unroll Phyllo Dough sheets and lay the first sheet on the foil. Brush with Butter (do not completely saturate). Lay another sheet cross-ways on top of the first sheet. Brush with butter. Repeat until you have  8-12 sheets layered in a circle. Place Brie in the middle of the phyllo dough layers. Carefully fold layers to cover the top. This is a bit messy and the dough may flake. Press down to slightly flatten top. Spread with Apricot Jam and sprinkle with Almond Slivers. Brush exposed phyllo dough with melted butter. Do not saturate. Fold foil up around the brie and close loosely so that the foil does not touch the top (like a cocoon with a 3 inch opening). Place brie foil packet on a cookie sheet or directly on oven rack. Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes, loosen foil so the sides become crisp and golden. Bake an additional 5-10 minutes. Phyllo dough will be crisp and brie soft to the touch. Remove from oven and allow to cool 10 minutes before serving.

For Baked Brie in Pastry Dough – Thaw 1 sheet. Lay down parchment paper, dust lightly with flour. Lay down thawed Pastry Dough sheet. Dust lightly with flour and roll until flattened a bit. Place Brie in the middle of pastry dough. Fold dough up around the brie. Twist or wrap the ends together. Brush with Beaten Egg. Do not allow egg to pool around the bottom edges of the brie. Transfer parchment paper and brie to a glass pie plate. Bake at 400 degrees for 35 minutes or until golden brown. Allow to cool 10 minutes before serving.

STEP 3 ~ PRESENTATION

For the Phyllo Dough version, I removed it with a spatula from the foil packet and place it on a wooden cutting board surrounded with crackers. If you use parchment paper with the Pastry Dough version, you can simply transfer the pie plate to the serving area.

Crackers: My current favorite are Trader Joe’s Norwegian Gluten-Free Crackers broken “artistically” and stacked in a small colorful ramekin.

Make Ahead: Up to 24 hours ahead, do Step 1 (minus the jam and almonds), cover and refrigerate. Be sure to allow it to warm a bit between refrigerator and oven. Add toppings just before baking. If I’m able to use my host’s oven, I check to see if I can bake it just before serving.

A Note about Xylitol: The low-sugar alternative I have linked in the ingredients list contains xylitol. This is a natural sweetener, HOWEVER, don’t share it with your puppy. Xylitol can be lethal to their systems. To be safe, simply look for a reduced-sugar alternative.

How to Make the Perfect Dukan Diet Galette (Recipe!)

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Dukan Diet oat bran galette with sugar free syrup. Low carb!
Dukan Diet Galette with Cinnamon

The Dukan Diet galette recipe offers up a tasty low-fat, low-carb breakfast delight. This galette recipe has been a long-time favorite of mine when I crave something warm and bread-like. The galette is a healthy low-carb, fiber-filled pancake, so I make it for breakfast a few times a week. As a traveler, when I know I’ll have access to a kitchen, I pack a small container of gluten-free oat bran (Bob’s Red Mill) and stop by a grocery store for the other ingredients. Whether you are following the Dukan Diet, counting carbs, or simply searching for a healthier version of the pancake, here’s my tweaked recipe for this sorta finicky breakfast treat. I hope you enjoy the galette recipe as much as I do!

The Perfect Dukan Diet Galette

Makes 1 yummy galette

Ingredients:

  • 1 egg, slightly beaten
  • 2 T oat bran (1.5 T for Attack Phase)
  • 1 T wheat bran (optional)
  • 1 1/2 – 2 T non-fat, plain greek yogurt or quark
  • Dash of cinnamon

Spray an omelet pan with coconut oil or vegetable spray and heat the pan on medium. It’s important the pan is hot, so while it’s heating, mix the first three ingredients together with a fork or whisk until smooth. If you want options like fresh or frozen blueberries, add them to the batter now. Berries do add a few carbs in case you’re counting. Pour mixture into the hot pan and sprinkle with cinnamon. I like a lot of cinnamon. Cook until edges are defined (cooked), but middle is still slightly gooey. Then flip and cook until solid, about 1 more minute. Serve with monk fruit sweetened maple syrup, if desired. Lakanto is pretty perfect.

What is Mindful Eating?

Sit down, turn off your devices, enjoy the silence and savor this healthy morning treat. It’s important to take time to mindfully feed your body. I consider exercise and good, clean food sources a gift to myself. And, it’s taken a long time for me to give myself gifts. I want to be healthy now and all my life, as much as I can help it! It goes back to my “put your oxygen mask on first” mantra. If I care for myself, everyone around me gets the best version, and I have more good stuff to give. The result? A better small and big world.

Dukan Diet Galette Ingredients

Dukan Diet

Get the Book. Includes a lot of lovely recipes.

Oat Bran

Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-free Oat Bran, because it’s “pure organic” and sturdy.

Wheat Bran

Again, Bob’s Red Mill Wheat Bran. I prefer unprocessed everything, when possible. It’s possible!

Sugar Free Syrup

My favorite is Lakanto Maple Flavored Syrup, sweetened with monk fruit. Walden Farms has a low-calorie syrup, too. I don’t recommend syrups with malitol as it generally has unpleasant side effects…if you know what I mean, [Wink. Wink.]

Non-fat, Plain Greek Yogurt

Check the nutritional information and ingredients to make sure there is no added sugar. I personally like Triple Zero Greek Yogurt in blueberry flavor. You can use regular, coconut, or cashew yogurt, however, it’s not as dense, so you may need to adjust your amounts until you get the consistency you like. If you want a galette resembling a crepe, choose a thinner yogurt.

Non-fat, Plain Quark

In the dairy section at Trader Joe’s.

Variations for The Perfect Dukan Diet Galette

Mix in any of the following: fresh or frozen blueberries, diced sautéed veggies, or 85% chocolate bits. Note: each of these will increase the carb count.

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