Travel & Leisure

We are all looking for that perfect niche, talent or function that makes us important to others. A place where you can go and feel that you have given a part of yourself and that part has significantly helped, somehow make this world a better place for others. I guess what I mean is, we are all looking for our significance in this world in one form or another. Sometimes this search is more pronounced than other times.

As a mother, I realize I do have significance in life by merely existing because my children need me. But sadly, sometimes that is not enough. So, I search to find my significance through my passions in life. My passions happen to be sharing the wonderful world of travel with others. Working in the travel industry for over a decade in my life, I really enjoyed planning vacations for others. The world around us is a big playground and I felt significance in helping others enjoy this outlook as well. After 9/11, the travel industry was not the same. Gloom-ridden clouds covered my blue skies of possibilities. The excitement once felt at the thought of visiting all the wonderful places was replaced by fear. The business competition to keep even the slightest customer happy was near impossible. This became the end of my then, passion-filled prosperous career. This was not an exciting atmosphere I once flourished in. Negativity breeds more negativity, so sadly I said goodbye to what had been my great passion and began my search for new passions.

Besides getting married to my prince charming and starting a family, I had not found a passion that resonated as deeply inside me as my work in the travel industry until the recent recession hit. I know, I know. Very unorthodox timing for passions to flow when devastating economic downturns are taking place all around us. But this is when I happened upon my renewed passion.

My love for planning travel quickly returned when I began my adventures of finding the hidden gems inside our beautiful Orange County. Things were looking grim for us financially, so to keep my spirits up, I began planning daycations with my family, which of course had to be on a budget. I found that sharing the experience of these adventures my husband and children and seeing all the beauty that exists in our local area was just as full-filling as planning vacations for others. There was the challenge of not being able to splurge but keep the daycation exciting enough for us all to enjoy. In fact this was more fulfilling because I began to blog about our adventures. This served a larger purpose than I expected. I found that others families in our surrounding communities were looking for fun adventures on a budget too, and I could share our finds with them. Not only this, but our local tourist attractions that once flourished from travelers afar, were finding themselves without business. Since people weren’t traveling far, they must be staying close. This was when the idea of a daycation was born. What a better place to be a tourist than Southern California, I thought. Experience everything as a tourist would but there’s no need to drop that heavy check on airline tickets or hotels stays (except for the occasional splurge which is a “must” every now and then and experience the real tourist side of town). At the end of the day, I love my life and feel passion for what I can offer to others in my community. There are so many daycations to plan and I am just getting started.

Going on a trip is always exciting, and if you are traveling towards a great vacation instead of a series of boring business meetings, it’s even better. But no matter what your destination is, packing is always a difficult and sometimes even an annoying process. You either pack to light and find yourself missing some important item or you over pack, stuffing you bag with a lot of “just in case” cloths and shoes. In order to avoid such uncomfortable situations, keep in mind a couple of simple tricks that will make your life on the road a lot easier.

First of all, don’t forget that, when traveling, information is vital. So, pick up the phone and call the hotel you are staying at and ask if they have a hairdryer, an iron and other such necessary but bulky accessories. This is particularly important if you are planning to stay for more than just a couple of days since you may need to wash your cloths. Remember to also ask about the weather: this piece of information allows you to pack only clothes that you will actually wear and avoid “just in case” sweaters, boots or umbrellas.

Make a list! Of everything: places you have to go to, events you have to attend, things you want to do. If you are going on hiking expedition with no party in the program, chances are you won’t need that evening gown or high heels shoes. Also, if you will only be gone for three days, there is really no point in packing six pairs of shoes and a dozen pairs of jeans, now is it?

Once you’ve decided what you are planning to wear, take everything out of your closet and check it one final time. Is that all you need? If the answer is “yes”, then it’s time to start packing. Unless you actually like ironing and want this to be the first thing you do when reaching your destination, do what the experienced backpackers do: just roll them. This method saves you a lot of space in the suitcase and it’s guaranteed to make your cloths wrinkle resistant. You will therefore be able to start enjoying your vacation from the very first moment you get to the hotel. A quick shower, a bit of shaking out your favorite shirt and you are ready for a night out.

Toiletries are just as important as cloths. Call your hotel and find out if they have soap and shampoo. If they do, don´t hesitate to make use of what they offer. If they don´t or if you simply are not comfortable with using those, bring your own products. Buy travel-size versions of your favorite products or get small plastic bottles and decant from larger ones. And remember: don’t pack all your beauty products. Your skin can make it without a scrub for a couple of days. Instead, go for 2 in 1 cosmetic such as shampoo/conditioner combination. It´s a much more practical choice and, when combined with the above tips, allows you to enjoy your vacation and return home without back pain.