Welcome To My Travel Channel!

In my pursuit to explore all things travel, I’ve delved into another platform… the world of YouTube!

As I gain more experience and crack the code of iMovie and HD cameras I will be uploading videos regularly, in addition to my blog posts. My video content will be a mix of first hand footage and photos of my experiences. You can expect themes like: Beauty & Fashion Tips, Product & Service Reviews, Day Trip Suggestions, & Event Coverage.

I’m even toying with a second channel, Candid Moments, which will offer a more behind the scenes, impromptu, day-in-the-life vlog style content. More on this later…

Please subscribe so you don’t miss the latest travel content on Meghan’s Guilty Pleasures Travel Blog. Join the conversation and join the community – new videos weekly!

In the comment section below, leave me your YouTube channel info and I’ll be sure to check it out.

Thanks guys,

 

Capsule Wardrobes & the Carry On Luggage Challenge!

I love the rush of finalizing travel plans!

Over the weekend I was able to confirm that May will be a hub of activity with two back-to-back adventures.  A little bit of West Coast, a little bit of East Coast – hell, a little bit of Western Europe to add to the mix would be fab… but I shouldn’t get ahead of myself. 

Once the initial excitement tones down, the daunting task of packing becomes a reality.  I love my pieces and my products, but for some reason I cringe at the thought of systematically weeding through everything.  I don’t know about you, but I hate packing.  I love planning, researching, booking, going, and documenting – but dread packing. 

So I’ve decided to challenge myself to not only stick to a capsule wardrobe, but… dare I say… only taking carry-on luggage.  I am open to tips & suggestions for those of you that are savvy travelers.  My most shinning moment is scaling things down to an overflowing tote bag and not exceeding 50 lbs at check-in! 

InStyle / July 2012 – “Blissed Out Summer” Travel Highlights

Flipping through the July issue of InStyle magazine, a summer spread caught my eye. 

“89 Best New Tips for a Blissed Out Summer” is overflowing with a variety of insight.  I became totally sucked in and pulled together some travel related highlights.  Get ready to pack those bags!

InStyle / July 2012 – Illustrations by Anna Bond

Procrastination! Trip Prep Travel Series – Pt 2

We all have a system…or think we do… and if you’ve found something that works for you, congrats!

Photo Credit: Hope Burkard-Cook (The French Mouse)

I have been the notorious last-minute packer.  I have been known to pull an all nighter rummaging around for things, debating about if I’ve over packed, and trying to figure out how to renegotiate the pounds if I’m over.  ….Nightmare!  I morph into an absolute zombie and it takes me three times as long to get a task done.  I shrug the last-minute frenzy off figuring I’ll slip into a coma on the plane and I’ll just sleep while I travel.  Who was I kidding?  When did that ever happen?  I’m usually so stressed, sleep deprived, and buzzed with excitement that I’m wide awake past the point of exhaustion.

NOT a good start to a business/pleasure trip.  What a fiasco.  It hardly sets the tone to a successful adventure!

Frazzled Isn’t Glamorous! Trip Prep Series – Pt 1

Packing List Cheat Sheet

What’s a girl on-the-go to do!  Save yourself the drama and give yourself some piece of mind by packing with a cheat sheet of sorts.

It may not be for everyone, but I find it’s a great go-to when you’re pulling together everything from outfits to toiletries to jewelery.  OCD is up to you and I’m not listing every last item.  Really, what I’ve put together are a wide range of categories that would suit a variety of destinations.  When I haul out my suitcase and stare at my closet cursing under my breath about how much I hate packing, it’s a bit of a relief to know that I don’t have to reinvent the wheel.  Give yourself a break; this is a great way to organize your thoughts.

Packing List Cheat Sheet

Packing List Cheat Sheet

I drag my feet until the very last-minute to deal with packing. 

How many times do you stand in front of your closet, take a deep breath, and can’t figure out what to take!  I inwardly cringe about having to weed through everything, but if I want to go on an adventure, I’m going to need clothes to wear.  So let’s get on with it!

Before I launch into pulling clothes, I figure out how many days I’ll be gone, if there are any special events that will require special outfits, and an approximation of what the weather will be like.

Travel Boredom Survival Kit

 It’s not all glitz and glamour. 

There are plenty of lines, awkward gaps of time to kill, endless commute times, and so on.  Keep yourself engaged and it will help keep you calm and less impatient.   If you have plenty of time and nothing to do, you’ll be stir-crazy before you know it.  Traveling is invigorating but it is also exhausting, demanding of your time and patience, and if you’re not prepared it can wear on your last nerve. 

Gadgets go a long way. But for the sake of being in transit, all of your power cords should be in your luggage (except for your laptop and possibly your cell) so you have to consider the life of your battery…and we all know they lie. 

My boredom survival kit is divvied up between my tote bag and my carry on.  Typically it includes:

• Laptop, cell, camera, & iPod
• Book, magazine, & journal
• Water and a snack (dried fruit/cereal bar)
• Something warm to wear (pashmina or a full on track suit). 

Choose easy breezy books that are light weight.  I’m not saying dumb it down, but when you’re killing time, you always have one eye and ear on the ready – so bringing a book that’s hearty, deep, and demanding of your attention may only further annoy you because you’ll constantly be rereading the same paragraph.  There are plenty of murder mysteries, trashy novels, and biographies that will easily keep you engaged with out you needing to be engrossed.  Grab a magazine that’s light weight and small.  I’ve noticed that there are travel size versions of Vogue and Elle.  They are perfect to thumb through and tuck into your tote without it becoming the “September Issue”. 

I Loath Packing!

I don’t know about you, but I absolutely dread packing and unpacking. 

 

It becomes the biggest ordeal and I lose absolute patience with it.  I want to make sure I’m prepared for my trip, but I refuse to over pack.  Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy fashion and dress for each occasion and activity, but it is imperative that everything earns its spot in my luggage.  I start with good intentions that I’ll pack the day before, but really it ends up being an all-nighter or being in complete denial and waiting until the ‘day of.’  If you’re disciplined, I beg of you to do it the day before.  You’ll be organized, good to go, and just have to dress for your travel.  Ideally you should get as much sleep as you can before you leave and be as Zen as possible, but all you can do is your best. 

Here are some musts: