And there is a tsunami that is supposed to hit in about half an hour. My sister said they are at the airport, even though their flight doesn’t leave until 10pm local time (around 3am CST). And of course, that airport is ON the water, on the east side of the island. To say I’m a little freaked out right now is an understatement. Sending “be safe” thoughts to everyone in harm’s way.

Edited to Add: Thank goodness the tsunami fizzled about before doing  a lot of damage. I spent a few tense hours, but everyone is safe at home now. Sorry the honeymoon is over! Glad it ended safely.

This week I drove to Dallas.  It is very strange to me how much easier and less stressful it is to get ready for a car trip than a plane trip. I fly almost everywhere I go for work. It’s not that I stress about packing, exactly. It’s just that I know in the back of my head that when I fly everything has to fit in my suitcase in a certain way. And my bag of liquids has to be easily accessible, as does my notebook, and I have to wear shoes that are easy to take off and put on.

When I drive I can just toss whatever I want in my suitcase. Bag of liquids? Check! Makeup? Check! Container of soymilk for the road? Check! Tennis shoes? On my feet! And I know I don’t have to lug everything around everywhere, so I can take my jacket just in case, instead of weighing whether or not I want to carry it.

It is also nice just to have my own car. I drive so many rental cars, and I often forget which one I have and what it looks like. Sometimes I have to wander around the parking lot pushing the button to make the lights flash in order to figure out which one is mine. It was very comforting on this trip to have my precious Prius (and yes I got jokes about unintended acceleration. sigh) since I basically haven’t seen it in three weeks, and won’t for the next two.

I enjoy having a little more control about when I leave, too. This past week we had some CRAZY weather in Texas. I was supposed to leave Wednesday morning at 5am for Dallas, but there was snow and ice all over the roads (and remember, I don’t do well with snow and ice on roads). I was able to shoot an email to the office letting them know that due to inclement weather I would be arriving at 12 instead of at 9. I could change my travel plans without any change fees, or long hold times with the airline, or waiting at the airport for three hours.

I know it’s not feasible to drive everywhere, but I sure enjoyed it. Next week it’s off to New York! Flying, of course.

I know this is a few weeks late, but I’ve been super busy……Sorry!

Boston is a beautiful, interesting, historic city.  I had planned to take a few hours to do some sightseeing (Fenway Park or the Freedom Trail would have been awesome) but because of the stupid blizzard I only got a few nights on the town.  My hotel was in the super cool Theater district—the Courtyard Marriot Tremont. The hotel itself is in an old building, which is cool on the outside, and makes for a slightly “boutique hotel” feel on the inside (as opposed to the “mass chain” feel I usually get at Courtyards).  Entry areas are beautiful, rooms are very nice if a bit small, bathrooms are tiny with only showers and no bathtubs. The front desk people were incredibly helpful with recommendations on where to eat and where the nearest Kinko’s is. 

The first night I was there they sent me to the Rustic Kitchen (because I said I wanted good food and a good wine list in walking distance).  It was great! The décor is Italian country-farm home, but not in a pretentious way. The service was impeccable, and the little bread/hummus-like dip/olive tray they give you is fantastic! I had the haddock, which was a new fish experience for me. Fabulously prepared, delicious, filling without making you feel like it’s Thanksgiving—it was a win-win. And I didn’t have to drive home, and enjoyed the two block walk back to my hotel.

The next night I went to L’Osteria in the North End. I did not understand what the North End was, so I drove my car over there and then went straight into the neighborhood, naively thinking I would find some kind of parking spot in there. Uh, wrong. I managed to get out (after driving around the maze they call a neighborhood for a bit) and find a parking spot before walking back in to the restaurant. The neighborhood is super cool, despite the weird small street configuration, and I’ve decided if I ever have to move to Boston that is where I am living. My parents recommended that I go to L’Osteria  to eat “real Italian food,” and man were they right.  L’Osteria is a tiny, family-owned Italian place with a decent wine selection and excellent food. I had the chicken something something that was basically chicken stuffed with mozzarella, mushrooms, and pancetta. Yum! And the tiramisu, probably the best I’ve ever had. Only complaint—no sparkling wine by the glass. But hey, you can’t have everything.

A few other thoughts on Boston—people driving in the city drive without real thoughts for lanes. Also, I had to drive to Andover for my meetings, and it is amazing (to this Texan anyway) that one can drive halfway across the state of Massachusetts in thirty minutes.

I never dreamed this could happen. Lulu Lemon (possibly my favorite place on earth. ties with Sephora) has come out with…..wait for it…..cute compression socks!! I got the email yesterday and have already asked for them for my birthday (thanks big sis!!) which is in a week.  They are super cute and extra cushiony (according to the description). The last compression socks I got were black and very boring. Not ugly, just not cute or exciting. Sorry, TravelSmith. I’ll still use the other ones–it can’t hurt to have two pairs to help combat ankle swelling.

It says they are for running but I bet I can use them on the plane too. Can’t wait!

This really is a quick one, friends. When you are going through security, and getting all of your stuff out and into your bins, your suitcase may be the last thing you think about. Often people will just throw it up onto the table and push it through just like everything else.

I have a better suggestion though. Don’t put your suitcase up on the table that is placed before the X-ray machine at all if you don’t have to. Some people have to put it up there to get stuff out for the machine, but I recommend having that in your shoulder bag or an outside pocket so it is easier to get to. This way you are not taking up valuable room on the table that other people could be using to get their things in the bins, and everyone can get through security just a little bit faster.

When you get to the X-ray machine, don’t push your bins through. Instead, put your suitcase in first, handle first. This way when you get to the other side you can easily grab your suitcase and place it on the floor before it crushes your purse and shoes. Again, helping everyone get through security just a little bit faster.

It’s like she read my mind! Here I am, super busy, traveling Monday-Friday for many weeks in a row, worried about how to get everything done….And Corporette posts “Looking for the 25th Hour? Our Top Time Saving Strategies.” These suggestions are great!! I am especially thinking it is time to re-hire a cleaning person. I am interested to see if I can find any time saving strategies specific to women who travel. If I find any good ones I will let you know!!

Thanks Corporette!!

Today I start the third week in my five weeks of travel craziness. I have spent one week in Pittsburgh/Boston and one week in South Texas. This week I go to Nashville and Dallas. Next week I go to New york. And the week after that Ohio and Missouri. Whew!

How am I getting through it, you ask? Well first I have to admit that I am having to let some things slide. I am not cleaning out my personal email box as much as I would like, and the laundry is starting to stack up. However, I don’t feel like I am on the verge of a breakdown, which I was a tiny bit concerned about. I am very tired–but that could be because I got up at 5am this morning before flying to Nashville.

The main ways I am coping are:

1. Doing what several readers suggested–taking it one day at a time. If I focus on just the day ahead of me, it is a lot easier to keep from getting overwhelmed.  (Granted this is a little hard to do when I am packing, but that is where “Stay Organized” comes in.) Each night I spend at few minutes listing out what I need to do the next day, without really even thinking about the day after that.
2. Staying organized. Each night I list what I have to do the next day, for work, my blog, and other things. I also make very detailed packing lists, starting withwhat events do I have to attend, how many days will I be gone, etc., then planning the outfits for each of those. List making is a great thing to do during downtime at work.
3. Try not to stress. There are some things that I can do nothing about, and I just can’t spend my time worrying about them. Even if it is something that I could have prevented, I make a note of it so it doesn’t happen again and then I move on. Also, knowing that I will be gone so much for so long means that some things just have to give. For example, I am not able to do as much at church as I would normally do. Another example is the laundry–I just have to ask Home Warrior to step up and help with house chores more than normal.

I will keep everyone posted on my continued climb up the mountain…..stay tuned.

TravelSmith has updated their “Gear Guide“, and there is some cool stuff in here!! My favorites are on page 4–all the travel beauty stuff (shocker, I know). The dual voltage flat-iron and curlers, cute little travel bottles, and the super clever soap sheets are all great tools for a gal on the go. The last page has a lot of travel comfort items, which I also appreciate. Happy shopping!!

I’m back!! The wedding was amazing; beautiful (so beautiful! especially the bride), touching, fun (dancing all night! margaritas! Mexico!), and a great time was had by all. I will do a more in depth post this week.

Right now, though, I need a little help. I have decided to do a Frequently Asked Questions page, so that people who are not necessarily regular readers can find information quickly. This page will be straight to the point and almost entirely lists, with less of my amusing and clever commentary. Based on common Google searches and questions I am asked on a regular basis, I have put together a preliminary list. If you have an idea for something to include, please post it in the comments or email it to me! I want to make this blog as useful as possible, and I hope this will help some fellow travelers out.

My preliminary list:

• What to wear to the airport/on a plane
• Can I take makeup on a plane
• What to pack for a business trip
• How to minimize ankle swelling during travel
• Statistics on women business travelers
• What to carry in your purse during travel

Anything else? Did I get everything? Thanks for your help!!!

We have made it to the Rio Grande Valley! Yesterday my sister and parents set off for the Valley in a caravan of sorts. Five stops later (not kidding, we stopped at the Outlet Mall, Whataburger, the gas station, and to use the restroom twice) we made it to my Memaw’s house. Wedding preparations are well underway!! Today several more from the wedding party arrive, including our other sister and the groom.

All of this is to say–dear readers, I will do my absolute best to get another post off before the weekend, but because my Memaw lives out in the middle of nowhere, there is no internet. We have to go “into town” to get even a good phone signal. Don’t give up on me! I’m sure lots of funny wedding stories are about to unfold, some of which I may even be able to link to travel.

And for those of you who are wondering–no there is not actually a “valley” in the Rio Grande Valley.