Travel Tips- Travel Items and Apps to Have

Hello all!

This post will be a little different than others, because this one is meant to share and record some of the helpful tools we used on this adventure. I've always wanted this blog to help and inspire others to travel as well, so I think this is helpful info to share (I also want a record so I can remind myself for future travels!).

Travel Items

• Travel towel. I bought ours as an impromptu Cyber Monday deal on Amazon and it was well worth it! It's 32" by 72" so big enough to lounge on at the beach. And it dries quickly and packs small. Here is the link to the ones I bought for us.
• LifeStraw Personal Water filter. This one is pretty self-explanatory; you can't trust the drinking water everywhere so it's nice to have this just in case. Also we could drink water straight from a stream if we were on a hike and thirsty.
• Power Adapter. Again, self-explanatory. Most of the world has different power plug-ins, so a universal power adapter is necessary. And if you only want to bring one instead of one for each device, then see the next item.
• Surge Protector+Power Strip. This allowed us to plug in all of our devices using only one adapter. It had two wall outlets as well as 4 USB charging station. This is the one we bought.
• Packable Day Pack. Most of our luggage (carry-on roller suitcase and backpack) was pretty large and durable, so we were glad we brought along a packable day pack that allowed us to put in just what we needed for the day (water bottles, umbrella, jacket, etc). It packed up nicely so it didn't take up much space. Here is what we bought.
• Compression Packing Cubes. I could probably write an entire article just on these things. They were so helpful in keeping our luggage organized and the compression really helped us maximize our limited space. I don't think I'll ever travel without them. Here are the ones we bought.
• We also brought along a mini collapsible cooler which turned out to be super helpful since most days we packed food for lunches and were often transporting refrigerated food from one location to another.
• Along the same lines, we also found a set of reusable cutlery to be super helpful for our many picnic lunches.
• Detergent/softener/dryer sheets. Obviously traveling for 6 months with only carry-on luggage meant that we had to do laundry frequently. We found these sheets to be effective and space efficient.
• Pill organizer. We took lots of vitamins and just-in-case meds along with us so it was much more space-efficient to carry them together in a pill organizer than in lots of individual bottles. You do have to be wary of this with prescriptions though and we kept those separate (in the original bottles and with the prescriptions), although we were never questioned about them.
• Lots and lots of ziploc bags. I took several of various sizes and packed them all in one of the gallon-sized. We found we needed these often, so they were quickly a premium item that we used sparingly. Whether it was carrying left-overs, keeping all of the random foreign currency we collected, or storing unique black sand (who did that?!), they were very helpful.
• Bonus tip: A couple of dryer sheets. I tucked one in each of my packing cubes and that kept my bag smelling fresh. Once they lost some of their scent I would throw them in the dryer. I also packed a few extras in one of the ziploc bags.

Apps to get before traveling:

• Google maps- if you don't want to use data navigating in a foreign place, download offline maps of where you'll be going. It's amazing.
• Google Translate. You should download the languages you'll need ahead of time. This way you are able to use your phone like a camera over menus or whatever and it will translate in real time (for the most part. Sometimes you get wonky translations but it's generally enough to get the gist). You can also talk into it to get the translation and it will speak it out loud so you know the correct pronunciation.
• Currency Conversion app. I can't do simple math under pressure while bartering with a local about how much to pay for a bag of oranges or whatever, so I need to be able to quickly convert the currency to know what we're talking about. Using an app allows you to favorite the ones you'll need so you can access them quickly, and this way you don't use data every time you do a conversion. Also, since conversion rates change constantly, the good apps will update to the current rates when you connect to wifi so you'll have up-to-date information.
• Google Sheets (or some other budget tracking tool). I was obsessive about recording every expense so that I could stay on top of finances, but that's probably not as important for a shorter trip.
• Settle Up. This was an app we used to keep track of who paid for what. Since we were traveling in a group of 2 or 3 we generally paid for each other for meals or lodgings. This app allowed us to track each purchase and then at the end we could "settle up" with each other. This app was very easy to use and allowed us to say that multiple people contributed to a purchase in custom amounts, and it also let us enter if someone spent more than another.
• A VPN app. This is a necessity if you plan to check your bank accounts or other personal info while on the road.
• Airline apps are nice to have, especially if you will consistently use one or two airlines. We used a different airline every leg so it wasn't as practical for us on this trip.
• Airbnb and HotelTonight. These were apps we used to book lodgings. Pick your favorites.
• Bank apps. These made it easier to quickly check our bank accounts, which you want to do fairly often to make sure there aren't any suspicious charges. (but remember to use your VPN when doing this!)
• Google Photos. I took almost 8,000 pictures on this trip so it was super helpful that my pictures would auto-backup to Google Photos when I connected to wifi.
• Netflix and other offline entertainment. You need something to do on long flights, and Netflix now allows you to download shows and movies so you can watch offline! Best thing ever. We also had a couple of books and games downloaded as well to keep us occupied.

I'll also mention that I switched my cell provider over to the Google Fi network (it's a cell service through Google) because they have great international rates. They have service in over 135 countries (all but two countries we visited were on the list), so in all of those places I was able to text for free and my data was charged at the same rate it is at home (1 GB for $10). I could also place calls at a decent rate as well, but as long as I was connected to wifi I could place calls to the US for free so that's what we generally did. In the 2 countries we visited that didn't have Google Fi (New Caledonia and Botswana) I was unable to use my phone at all in those countries unless I was connected to wifi (then I was able to make calls, text, whatever). Matt approached it differently and updated his AT&T plan to include international service which increased his bill a bit, but that way he was able to use some data every month and had free texting. He generally used my phone for calls.

That's about all I can think of for now, but feel free to comment and share your own tips and useful things to get!

Also, a quick update on my current location: I am traveling back to Madison this evening! I was glad to be able to spend some time with a friend in South Carolina for awhile, but I am ready to be home for a few days! I've spent less than 24 hours at home since we started this adventure 7 months ago, so I'd say it's time! This weekend we start our next road trip- to the east coast! We plan to catch the Wisconsin Badgers season opener at home Friday before heading out, then catch the Notre Dame season opener on Saturday with a friend before making our way to Virginia for a wedding the following weekend. I'll try to keep you posted!

Denver to South Carolina

Hello everyone!

I figured I'd give y'all a quick update on life the past few weeks. It has been weird not blogging. I mean, if I don't blog about it did it really even happen? ;)

Denver

We spent a full week in Parker, CO which is a suburb of Denver. We had a blast staying with my family there and spent much of our time visiting with them and playing games with my cousins.

Our first full day there we ventured over to Castle Rock and hiked the Devil's Head trail which ended at the fire tower lookout. The hike was just short of 3 miles roundtrip and took us just shy of two hours. It was a great hike and took us through tall aspens, by some near rock formations, and up to the fire tower were you could get 360 degree views of mountains. Unfortunately for us though that it was pretty foggy when we got to the top so we couldn't see very far. After we got back down we were shocked to discover the battery in the car had died, and with virtually no cell phone signal we were in a bit of a pickle. Luckily a family of hikers came down not too far behind us and they were able to get us jumped and on our way. Whew! Later that evening Matt and I went downtown to meet up with some of our Denver friends at Lodo's near the baseball stadium. We had a lot of fun and really enjoyed catching up with people. First day was a total success!

We had another big day the next day. We started off by going to the Aurora Reservoir with my aunt and the kids and I got to try stand-up paddle boarding for the first time! It was easier then expected and we all enjoyed paddling around the reservoir for a while and watching the boys trying to push each other off. That evening we all loaded up and met my Uncle Tad out at the Rockies game which was a ton of fun. We shared drinks and peanuts and got to watch the home team get a victory!

Saturday was mostly a lazy day but we did make it out to the gun range with my Uncle Tony so that was fun. That evening we had some other cousins and their little girls join us for a dinner so we had a fun time visiting with them!

Sunday we drove out to Red Rocks amphitheater. It's such a beautiful venue! We enjoyed the scenery while we watched an a capella group practice and the exercise enthusiasts run up and down the stairs. Then we grabbed some delicious pizza at Beau Jo's in Evergreen.

Our last day in Colorado we went down to Colorado Springs. We decided to go up to the top of Pike's Peak which turned into an adventure! When we got to the top we again had some unfortunate luck with the visibility, but we snapped some pictures and headed back down. Then a sudden afternoon storm kicked in and there was lightning all around us and hail raining down on us! That made driving down those curvy roads a bit more interesting, and I was also fretting about the hail damaging my aunt's brand new car! But we luckily got all the way down unscathed. We also got to drive through the Garden of the God's and admire all of the cool red rock formations, but since it was raining we didn't get out to walk around.

After a week we sadly had to leave; the kids were starting school and we needed to head east to see more family. I got to drive for the first time since February! I insisted on driving once we got to Kansas and I really enjoyed it since it had been so long. We made it the hours all the way to Wilson, KS where we stayed the next two nights with my grandma!

Wilson

We only had one full day in Wilson so we took advantage and did all the touristy things that we generally never make time for. Zuzu (that's my nickname for my grandma) first took us out to Wilson Lake, which Matt had never been to. We drove around a bit out there; it's such a nice lake! Then we went into the town of Wilson, which is where Zuzu grew up and where my mom and aunt went to school. While there we got to see the World's Largest Czech Egg! That was pretty cool; I'd seen it before many times but this was the first time I'd seen it completed. Then we took a tour of the historic Midland Railroad Hotel which was awesome! I'd never actually been inside before so it was really cool to see some of the unique rooms all with custom furniture. It would be a very quaint place to stay! Our last stop in town before heading back to the farm was to grab lunch at the local Snack Shack for delicious burgers and shakes! We spent the rest of the time there visiting with Zuzu and doing a few chores around the house for her. She made all my favorite food for us, including peach pie, roast with mashed potatoes and sauerkraut, and kolaches!

Coffeyville

We arrived in Coffeyville the next day and spent an entire week there during the annual Fair and Rodeo. It was so great to finally be home and it was the first time seeing my dad since February! We spent a lot of quality time with my parents visiting, sharing pictures, and doing chores around the house. I also got to see a ton of friends and eat at all of my favorite hometown restaurants. We went to the fair almost every evening and saw the demo derby, monster trucks, bull riding, rodeo, and LoCash in concert. I don't remember the last time I was able to spend a whole week at home and it was awfully hard to leave! My mom also spoiled us with all the best foods while we were there, including homemade salsa, homemade pickles, steak, stuffed peppers, and even homemade vanilla bean ice cream (made my Mark Jackson, which he promised to make me if I made it back home safely!)

Now I've made it all of the way to the other side of the country and I'm spending some time in South Carolina with one of my best friends! And luckily for me, I've made it just in time to see the eclipse tomorrow!

Family Time

Hello Everyone!

Matt and I have spent the last three days camping in a beautiful spot by a lake and surrounded by mountains near Frisco, CO. We spent our time admiring the natural beauty and exploring the quaint downtowns of Frisco and nearby Breckenridge. Every day we were there it rained on us for about an hour in the afternoon so we were glad we had put up our canopy tent! We were also treated with several beautiful rainbows arching over the mountains.

Nutella s'more!

Breckenridge:

Beautiful rainbow!

Now we've made it to Parker, CO where we'll be spending the week with my aunt, uncles, and cousins and catching up with some friends and family in Denver. We already made it to the pool today with the kids and had a great time!

I'm going to be pausing the blog for now since for the next month at least we'll be spending quality time with friends and family. After we leave Colorado we'll go to central Kansas with my grandma for a few days and then head south to Coffeyville, KS and spend a week with my family and friends there during Fair and Rodeo. Then we'll slowly make our way up through Kansas City and then probably back to Madison before heading to the east coast for a wedding in early September. I might post a bit in September if we do some east coast exploring, but then we're probably done for awhile! :(

It's been such a fun ride and I really appreciate all of you following along, the comments, and thoughts and prayers along the way! If you've enjoyed my blog and want me to keep writing then feel free to send me some money so I can keep traveling! :) (just kidding) (kind of).

So long for now!

Andi, Brayden, Ty, and Matt!