The next ten days are going to be a WHIRLWIND.

Why are the next ten days going to be a whirlwind, you ask?

I am taking a vacation to rejuvenate from another crazy semester so I can PWN my thesis in July and August.  I ended up with a nice tax refund this year, have a nice chunk of vacation pay built up at work and didn’t eat out ever so I could afford this trip.  Then I got into a PhD program.

I knew my grandmother would have wanted me to do something fabulous for myself to celebrate.  She died last July after a difficult battle with Multiple Myeloma. I spent most of last summer as her care taker.  On one of her more difficult days, she told me (among other things) that I needed to live my life and stop waiting around for life to happen. She said I had to start saying No to others and saying Yes to myself.  I took her up on that advice.  In August 2009 I said No by setting boundaries with a certain family member and a graduate advisor.  And this semester I said Yes when I planned a ten-day vacation.*  The best part of this vacation is that I will spend every second with new friends and old friends.

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May 20 – 23rd: Vegas

I am attending Bloggers in Sin City.   Tackle hugs, bar crawls, Cirque du Soleil, Elvis drive thru chapel weddings… with all of these lovely people… Need I say more?  I started blogging in January after a long hiatus. I have been so moved by the friendships I’ve made in such a short time.  I cannot express how fortunate I am to have people like you in my life.  You all make me want to me be a better person.

{Where we’re staying for BiSC – via Declan McCullagh}

May 23rd – 27th: Denver/Boulder

I spent New Year’s with Doniree and will see her again in Vegas. Then I get to chill with her more! Also, I CANNOT WAIT to meet Ashley and Cali in person.  Must refrain from screaming out loud when I meet them… for… real.  I have the most ridiculous girl crushes on them.

{Beautiful photo of Colorado – via Cali Harris}

May 27th – May 31st: Boston area

I am spending time with some wonderful people in Boston. I will see Elizabeth and her Geek!  I adore the idea of relaxing and taking some pictures with her. I hope I can cuddle with those adorable puppies, too!  I will hopefully get some work done while I drink coffee with my Trance-loving, law student friend, Taylor. I am looking forward to relaxing with his lovely wife, Anne.  Geez I can’t wait to drink his coffee and eat her scrumptious food.  Swoon.  I will also catch up with some non-blogger friends!

{beautiful picture of Boston – via Anne Black}

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I’ll only be sitting still for a few days in June before I go to DC and Glasgow for work. More summer travel?!  Oh yeah.

June 4 – 7: NorVa & DC

Originally I was going to DC this week for work and play.  The training I was supposed to attend at the Navy Yard was cancelled, so now I’m just going to play.  I’m going to see one of my favorite bands, The National.  I’m going to house sit for one of my most favorite couples in the Universe.  And I plan to visit with some fabulous DC bloggers.  (I hope everyone voted for June 4th for Happy Hour.)

{photo taken by moi in 2008}

June 13 – 23: Glasgow & Southampton

I have to collect, transcribe, code and analyze video game voice chat communication data from 70 teams by mid-July?  I have to defend my thesis by mid-August?  I have to have copies of my FINAL thesis in the Dean’s office by August 20th? I have to move on August 1st?  I have a full time job?  Who freaking cares? I’m going to Scotland to have an affair with a hot Scotsman and to attend a Human Performance at Sea conference.  And then we’re going to take a day trip over to Southampton for a conference I am not at liberty to discuss with the public. For free. Because I have the best job in the entire Universe. No, really.  I do.  There is no job that could be more perfect for me or about which I could be more passionate at this point in my life.

{University of Strathclyde, conference location}

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So really…

The next five weeks are going to be awesome and busy and fabulous and stressful.  A whirlwind.

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*I seriously considered canceling this vacation when I was having a mini-major freakout at work Tuesday over everything I have to complete by mid-August.  Why did I decide to take a ten day vacation knowing I would be working full time, moving into a new place, having to completely change my budget so I can live on like $5 a month AND collecting thesis data under extreme time pressure so I can defend my thesis in July and graduate in August? Because I’m fracking nuts. I also had no idea this UK trip was going to happen for sure until the last few weeks. I must have anticipated that I would need a vacation around this time.  And I do. SO deserve a vacation.  I will need to edit and submit my HFES annual conference paper, work on thesis edits, make Power Points for a Human Factors seminar I’m teaching the day after I get back, and pray that our lab assistant is collecting data properly while I’m away.

Photo credits: Inspired Verses, Declan McCullagh, Cali Harris, Anne Black, Myself, University Fairs

scene from Up in the Air

“He who would travel happily must travel light.” – Antoine de St. Exupery

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I have been a traveler since I was a newborn. Traveling has always been part of my life.  Because my family was spread out over the country*, we often traveled during the holidays to see different family members.  We always took family vacations and road trips for long weekends. In high school and college, I did not need much of an excuse to drive two to five hours to a neighboring city for a weekend or even a night.  Now that I am in graduate school (and an adult), I don’t have as much “free time” or “fun money” as I did in college.  I still travel often, but now I have to budget my time and money.

Lindsey shared a great article from The Everyday Minimalist: 10 Days in a Carry-On.  I loved the article because I identified with the flight attendant’s packing habits.  Over the years, I learned how to pack light and how to pinch pennies while on long** vacation. In the last two years, I have rarely checked a bag at an airport.  I have honed my light packing skills and figured out ways to cut back on spending money while traveling.  I am about to go on a ten day vacation to three different states.  I’m going on a graduate student’s budget with only a carry-on and a messenger bag. Did I mention I’m going to Scotland for six days with only a backpack?

Here are some things I do to pack light, save money and enjoy an extended vacation. There are countless websites outlining the what, where, how and why of packing light for leisure and business travel.  I understand this is all common sense, but sometimes it’s nice to hear again from someone you know.

My twelve tips for a lighter, cheaper & happier vacation

1. All you need is a carry-on and a messenger bag or laptop bag. If you check a bag, you will probably end up spending $20 each way to check that bag.  Why not save that $40, a wait at baggage claim and the potential stress of a lost bag?  Carry-on instead.  Put your purse in your messenger bag.  If it doesn’t fit, find one that does. Make it work.
2. I know it may be hard to believe, but you really do not need ALL of your toiletries. Ladies, you don’t need to bring ALL of your makeup with you on vacation.  Downsize.  Buy travel containers. Buy travel sizes of your skin care and hair care and refill them.  Bring only what you need.  Use an Intuition razor for travel so you don’t have to bring shave gel.  Make it work.
3. Wear the same thing multiple days. You really do not need to bring a different outfit for every day.  Pick two pairs of shoes (one dressy and one comfortable for walking) and plan outfits around those shoes. There is no need to bring a suitcase full of shoes.  You will still look fabulous. If you are weird about wearing a shirt or dress or jeans two days in a row, bring a little bag of detergent and hand wash your clothes in a bathtub in a hotel.  Hotels have irons for a reason.  If you stay with friends, I bet they will let you use their washer and drier if you ask really nicely.
4. But what about my HAIR?! I have wavy hair that requires blow drying and flat ironing.  I bring my flat-iron and hair dryer and put them in my messenger bag with my laptop.  I make it work because I prioritize. I find room for some things by not packing other things.  Figure out what you consider an essential travel item and sacrifice bringing something else.
5. Sign up for frequent flier miles with some major airlines. Don’t wait until you get that dream job.  Sign up now because you might be surprised how many flights you will take in any given year for work and leisure.  I fly US Airways, Delta and Southwest depending on my destination.  Because I signed up for frequent flyer miles in college, I’ve already been able to use miles to pay for flights.
6. Be flexible with your flight schedule. Thursday night to Monday morning round trip flights are often substantially cheaper than peak flight times.
7. When you can, stay with friends and family. This is a self-explanatory money saver.  Sacrificing a little privacy and control can go a long way when you are on a budget, but always remember to be a low maintenance house guest.
8. If you have to stay in a hotel, stick to one or two brands. Sign up for those brands’ rewards programs so you accumulate points.  It may be a better deal to stay a cheap motel if you are alone on vacation, but often a name brand hotel comes with amenities that a motel does not offer (including but not limited to your personal safety). If multiple people can stay in a room, I highly recommend staying in a name brand hotel.  I stay with Hilton properties if I can help it. I worked for Hilton for two years and am now partial to the brand.  My preferred Hilton property is Embassy Suites for three reasons:  1) Free happy hour (drinks and food; 2) Free cook to order breakfast; 3) Suites equal a pull out sofa for extra guests.
9. When you arrive at your destination, make a trip to a grocery store, a drug store and/or a liquor store. If you are visiting a big city or tourist trap, there will be one on every corner.  Buy a case of water bottles.  Buy some snacks.  You can keep snacks and water in your bag with you at all times so you don’t have to spend $2 on water every time you are thirsty.  You will be less likely to spend money on junk food that will make you feel lethargic. If you know you will go out drinking after Happy Hour is over, a $10 of pregame wine will go a long way.  You will not have to spend $10 for a glass of wine later.
10. If you’re really up for being as neurotic as I am, pack your own snacks. For long trips, I always pack oatmeal, power bars, whey protein and hot tea bags.  I can’t tell you how much money I’ve saved on vacation by bringing these items.  I have some dietary restrictions.  One of the worst things that can happen on vacation is to be hungry without anything to eat.
11. Create a budget.  Stick to your budget. Duh, right?  Sadly, a lot of people don’t plan out their vacation before they go and they end up spending more than they anticipated.  Calculate the maximum you are willing to spend and stick with it.  Include things like lattes, souvenirs, alcohol and local transportation.  If you know you cannot stick to a budget, withdraw cash.  I know, “cash is so 1997,” but some of us cannot spend $200 a day while on vacation.  If you are one of us, use cash so you stick to your budget.
12. Bring a bag of disinfecting wipes. I worked in a hotel for two years.  Housekeeping has fifteen minutes to clean your room before you arrive.  Your room is not clean.  Trust me.  People get sick on vacation because of other people’s germs.  If you get sick while on vacation, it is waste of your time and money.  If you get sick after vacation, you will have to take sick leave from work or will be unproductive.  Your vacation ends up costing you twice what it should when you get sick.  As soon as you check in to your hotel, wipe down everything in the room.  I’m talking the phone, the remote, the clock, the sink… everything.  When you are on a plane and in an airport, use hand sanitizer and wash your hands with hot water.  Being neurotic by taking your vitamins and keeping your hands clean will go a long way in making your vacation worthwhile.

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How do you stick to your budget on vacation?  Do you pack light or carry your house with you on vacation?  How do you avoid getting sick after vacation?

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*I was an Army brat.  We moved every few years until I was in high school.  We traveled out of necessity if we wanted to see family.  Once I started college, I took road trips constantly to visit friends and family in other cities. My family also instilled in me a love of travel for leisure. We took short trips out of town all the time to go camping, shopping, sight seeing, etc.  I don’t really have roots like many of my friends. I have wings instead.

**This post does not apply to road trips.  Packing for a road trip is much easier than packing for a vacation that requires air travel.