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The Wonder Luster

For Those Of Us Whose Dreams Won't Die Between 17 and 65.

Life is wondrous! Feed your lust for life with the tools & inspiration to help make it a great one.

5 Travel Problems You Can Easily Avoid

Travel | January 10, 2018

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my Disclosure Policy.

Whether you're a new traveler or seasoned adventurer, everyone runs into travel problems. Here's how to avoid the five I find the most obnoxious.

Hey Lusters! If you’ve had a chance to peek at the travel section of this blog, you know that I have taken quite a few domestic and overseas trips. Unfortunately, I still run into my share of travel problems and I make plenty of mistakes. Each trip is a unique and potentially frustrating puzzle – with numerous moving parts – making for some complicated planning. It’s not hard to mess up.

I’ve found that I can usually avoid most of the potential mistakes that traveling can pile on you when I remember the following 5 preventable travel problems. I’m hoping they will save you some money and heartache!

Neglecting to Shop Around

I love myself some Airbnb, both as a lodger and host. You can potentially find some wonderful accommodations in the center of your destination, at prices usually better than hotels. This is especially true if you’re looking for certain amenities like a kitchen, extra bedrooms, etc.

Unfortunately, I’ve realized that using Airbnb can be stressful when you’re in a country without a phone or easy access to Wifi. This is especially true for me as I rely on internet access for my blog and work. So I recently came up with a good compromise: bed and breakfasts. They’re much more likely to have necessities like wifi, but you save money while still enjoying the local flavor.

You can always check out hotels that are a little ways off the beaten path, too. But, the moral of the story is to shop around.

Packing Too Much

I get it, the thought of being without a necessity while you’re far away from home is nerve wracking. But if you’re a terrible packer like me and always haul way too much crap around the world with you, you probably realize by now that you NEVER use all that you bring. So pack those extra pairs of undies, your meds, and some good walking shoes, and stress less about the rest.

Plus, if you love bringing home souvenirs, you need extra room in your bags. If you want to buy that gorgeous, handmade rug or a gift for your mama, make sure that you pack light on the way there. Shipping things back home blows any money you saved by buying locally, especially if you’re abroad.

Not Taking Advantage of Credit Card Perks

Credit cards are useful for more than just big purchases and points. Case in point: travel insurance. Many cards offer basic travel insurance coverage, including delays, cancellations, and more. Some also have rental car insurance.

If you’re traveling overseas, you will also want to bring cards without foreign transaction fees. When you’re purchasing meals, lodging, tours, and souvenirs, those fees add up quickly. So check with your credit card companies and if you don’t have a card that offers these perks, consider signing up for one.

Forgetting Your Faults

Do you have a hard time sitting still and relaxing? Then booking a tropical vacation where you lay on the beach all day may not be the smartest choice. On the other hand, if you get stressed in crowds and big cities, you might want to avoid traveling to Paris or Rome.

When you hear the hype of all the “dream” destinations, it’s easy to forget your quirks and preferences. But what’s the point if you are miserable, anxious, or bored out of your mind? So don’t be afraid to book your trip around your personality, even if that means skipping the major sights. The more you travel, the more you find out what kind of trip you actually enjoy.

Hidden and Forgotten Expenses

When planning a trip, it is so easy to forget to budget one or two expenses. Case in point, I recently parked my car at the airport as I was taking the red eye and didn’t want to bother my friend or partner with driving me. Unfortunately, I forgot to budget for that expense. Granted, it was only $75, but a few of those “oopses” really can add up. If I had used half my brain, I probably would have avoided that unpleasant surprise.

 

Let’s hear from you! Are there any other easily avoidable travel problems that you do your best to remember when planning a trip?

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Some people just make the world a more vibrant pla Some people just make the world a more vibrant place, simply by being in it.  I can say that about these people- who make life more colorful, brighter and true just by being themselves. 

Grateful we could slow down to capture a little snippet in time for our family before we grow again. ❤️
IYKYK, bath time edition. 🛁. #bathtime #travelb IYKYK, bath time edition. 🛁. #bathtime #travelblogger #travel #familytravel #travellust
3 years since this photo was taken and my former k 3 years since this photo was taken and my former kidney became this guy's kidney. ❤️

I can say, I've grown to appreciate this moment a lot more as time has gone on.  It hasn't been an easy road for my recipient, he and his family have had a few health scares and ups and down, but I'm so grateful we are in each other's lives.

Chances are, you may know of someone in need of a kidney. 1 in 3 adults in the U.S., over 80 million people, are at risk for kidney disease.  While not every diagnosis leads to kidney failure, there are millions of people in this scary limbo hoping for good news.

I didn't know my recipient before this process started, but when I found I could live healthfully with one, I knew I had to try.  Donation is low-risk, my costs were generously covered by my recipient (both through insurance and the kindness of others) and I was back at work in 4 weeks.  Needless to say, it was easier than birthing a baby.

Candidates for kidney donation are thoroughly vetted to ensure the surgery, and life with one kidney are a good fit.  Trust me, your team will not ask you to donate if you have any risk factor of being in need of a transplant yourself down the road.  Testing took months and was incredibly thorough.  Your remaining kidney can do the job of two, and my kidney levels are normal and healthy 3 years later.

Even if you don't personally know someone who needs a kidney, please consider living kidney donation.  You can anonymously donate, be paired through a registry or find someone on social media who is in need, like I did.  There are literally thousands of people using Instagram and Facebook to try and someone who is even willing to get the basic tests.  You could be their person.  Have questions? I’m here for you! 

Being a living kidney donor absolutely enriched my life beyond imagination and has blessed my little family with a beautiful extended family to celebrate with.  Grateful for this day.
Life’s moments are made better with our pets. ❤️

Joey had been with us for nearly 4 years, made possible by the kind folks of South Texas Boston Terrier Rescue. I picked him up, intending on fostering him for a few weeks and ended up falling in love with his sweet spirit, exuberance for anything food related and his lovable derpiness.

Previously, he was kept in a small cage with two other terriers, all day every day and used as a stud. When he was no longer profitable, he, like plenty of others, was surrendered to rescue.  He was blind in one eye, needed teeth extracted and had skin lesions from life in a cage. 

Life hadn’t been easy for him, but I’m glad a rescue was there to give him a second chance, and they trusted me to give in his second chapter.  He was a well travelled dog and he was the Best Pup on our wedding day in Marfa.  Last night we said goodbye. Hubs and I will miss him dearly, but savor the moments and adventures with our little tank. 

Adopt, don’t shop.  Support your local rescues and give your fur kids an extra squeeze for Joey tonight.
“Is this enough for you?” My husband has asked “Is this enough for you?” My husband has asked me this before. To which, I answer- life is full, wonderful, and I am grateful. 

I believe he asks because before kids, I had a very different lifestyle. I traveled to Europe by myself, started businesses, donated a kidney, ran half marathons, got my master’s degree.  I lived a full life, then too. I was fiercely independent because I had to be.

I’m still that person, but fortunately I have more people to share it with. I also have to be more vulnerable than ever.

I had years to find myself and don’t plan on losing that woman I forged. Being a mom has also helped me heal some of the hard parts of the experience I had with my own mom. (I didn’t see that last part coming.)

Being a mom can make you lose yourself.  For me, it’s helped me discover myself once more. Grateful for this day and so many days - I’m just happy to be here. 

Happy Mother’s Day everyone. I hope you discover yourself, heal what you need and feel the love today and everyday.

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