My quest for the perfect travel bag has been a long one. From my first travel bags that were more Little Mermaid inspired to those cheap tote bags that would never make it through the airport, I am a frustrated travel bag shopper. When I was contacted to try out one of Sanaa Hyder’s travel bags, I jumped at the chance. Could this finally be the one, the travel tote bag that is large enough to hold all of those precious items, durable and stylish at the same time? About The Sanaa Hyder Travel Bags The Sanaa Hyder travel bags are the work of founder and designer Sanaa Hyder. What Continue Reading
The Joys of Hotel Deal Sleuthing
My credit card company emailed me my year-end report. It featured a bar graph with my different expense totals throughout the year, outlining where I tend to spend and over spend. As I went over the chart, I noticed modest bar heights for gas, groceries and shopping. However once I came to the travel bar, the bold rectangular block resembled that of a skyscraper to the moon. Clearly this is the area of life that I devote the most money to and I have the bar graph to prove it. As part of an informal travel resolution, I decided this year that I wanted to try and cut down that travel bar on Continue Reading
My Packing Secrets: Dos and Don’ts of the Practice That Connects All Travelers
It is a strange process and yet one we have grown so accustomed to for travel. We either love it or hate it. Packing is a task that never shies away from opinions. How one man or woman packs is different from the next. For me, packing is a welcome activity, a sign that travels are imminent. You are forced to consider what you must have with you and what you really could stand to lose. What you carry with you and how you go about carrying it says a great deal about the self. A messy bag tells a tale of the person carrying it. An orderly and lightweight bag details another traveler’s story. Continue Reading
Getting More Out of Travel for Less: How I Travel on a Pauper’s Budget
When I looked back on my travels in 2012, there was a lingering question on my mind. How in the world did I afford all of that travel? While some of those trips were press trips, the majority of those travels were my own, out of pockets that I don’t have. The thing about being a freelance travel writer is that you must travel to have things to write about to keep your work going. In the process, you are spending money just to keep up your job. I have to be quite resourceful to continue my travels with very little cash coming into my bank account. For those that want to travel in 2013 but Continue Reading
My Beauty and Fashion Gift Guide For Travelers
Traveling is not always pretty. From the grimy airplane seat to those never ending travel days, looking the part of a fashionable traveler is not always the easiest trick to pull off while on the road. And just as traveling can sometimes be a mess, so can the gift giving for the traveler around the holidays. Most of us want items that we can use for travel, but the practical pieces don’t always help us put on our best face to the world. For those like me who believe in putting my best face and fashion forward when I travel, here are a few gift ideas to make the traveler in your life feel Continue Reading
Where Art Thou Perfect Travel Tote Bag? Tips For Shopping For Your Right Hand Man
I am naive every time. I think that I have found you. I was convinced that you had the most to offer. You had room for my laptop and all of the necessary beauty products that go into long haul travel. You even had a zipper to give that security that everything was in my bag, as opposed to those pointless travel bags that remain open and exposed to the elements and pickpockets. And then, the night before my big trip, I would attempt to pack you up. Your zippers would break. Your seams suggested an impending burst at any moment. A strap would give out in the middle of the airport. The travel Continue Reading
Redhead Reviews: New York Harbor Champagne Cruise Using GetYourGuide
Full Disclosure: I received a complimentary tour from GetYourGuide in exchange for this review. These are my opinions about the experience. Yours may vary. Clichéd songs about New York blast over the intercom as I board a bright yellow boat. I’m not completely certain what I have gotten myself into on a Sunday night in New York. We set sail to the screechy voice of our guide telling us about what we are seeing and what we will see. I somehow drown out the background noise and get lost in New York at night, all while sipping on cheap champagne. This is the life. What is Continue Reading