How To: Pack Like A Guy & Still Look Like A Girl

Ladies, you may not like this. The short version of what I'm trying to tell you is: take less shit! Fortunately, that doesn't have to be a bad thing. What you pack and how you pack make all the difference. It's hard enough to stuff everything in if you have your own luggage, but if you are sharing with a significant other it gets even worse. The fight for your fair share of luggage real estate can get bloody, so let's try not to go to jail until you're on vacation.

Travel seems to boil down to two types: Luxury and budget. Since luxury travel lends itself to easily checking countless suitcases that will just sit nicely in your suite all vacation, I'll focus on budget travel. After several trips over the years and a recent 17 day Italy trip taken without checking a single bag, I've found the key to happy packing lies in these essentials:

OH! Before we get in to the packing tips DON'T FORGET TO DO THIS!: Check weather. Check itinerary & check dress codes. Have you heard the phrase "Don't work hard, work smart?" Same idea applies to packing. Only pack for what you have planned, not for what you may do....you probably won't end up doing it.

1. The generic Tank Top (in at least 3 colors)

    If you don't already own 1 million like I do, head to your local "cheapy shop" and grab a handful.
They are inexpensive and can be used to easily change up a look or color scheme. They fold up into almost nothing, can be worn alone, underneath a sheer top, layered with each other, and are comfortable enough to serve as your pajama top.

2. Pants Pants Pants ...

Try not to over think this part of your wardrobe. Think about what you typically wear at home, more than likely its pretty much a constant rotation of black skinnies and jeans. Stick to that! When traveling, your bottom half is not the place to show your impeccable style- it takes up way too much room and let's be honest most photos end up being taken from the waist up anyway. If you find yourself in a very hot climate trade out one of the pants for 1 or 2 pairs of solid colored shorts & try to wear your pants on the plane. It saves room... and planes get cold.

3. Dresses

  This should be a no-brainer but just in case I will remind you of the importance of a quality LBD. The one item that must make it's way into your bag for a nice dinner or a
night of drinks and dancing should be a classic, comfortable & stylish little black dress. Any colorful accessory, belt or jewelry will instantly change the look. Depending on the weather and the length of your trip I would also recommend a cotton maxi dress in a bright color. Just make sure it is also in a solid color so you can easily accessorize this dress differently as well.

4. Ugh, Shoes.

   Yea, I know shoes are the bane of your packing existence. If I could get away with only taking the flip flops on my feet I would, but if you've ever stepped foot on European soil and took one look at a stylish Euro man or woman, you will fight the urge to burn your ghetto flip flops in shame by day one....but don't worry. Pack the flip flops you'll need them, it's just not all you'll need.

The basic ABC's of shoes are: Athletic shoe, Boots & Classic wedges (or your most trustworthy, classic black heels.) Feel free to get creative with this combo and definitely feel free subtract, but just
don't add! In my experience this is more than enough. If you do pack boots you will have to wear them on the plane and on all travel days, boots and suitcases just don't mix... but it's usually worth the effort, flat boots are not only comfortable but really stylish.

Pack shoes first and line them along the bottom perimeter of your suitcase. Don't forget to stuff your shoes with socks, scarfs, phone chargers and even jewelry to save space!

5. Toiletries & Accessories 

    With toiletries, (assuming you checked if your hotel provides basic toiletries,) this is the time to gather up all those hotel shampoos, conditioners & lotions you acquired or samples you scored from the department stores. I have found that it is better to pack multiple small travel sized toiletries and toss the empties out along the way than to pack 1 larger bottle of everything and have to lug all the empty & half empty bottles home. Anything that makes your bag lighter is a great thing.

  As far as accessories go, this is your time to shine. Go crazy....(within reason!) Rings! Statement necklaces! Earrings! Oh my! But who is the queen of all accessories you ask? The scarf! Pack a few!
They are not only functional but quickly change the look of an outfit and can double as your beach coverup.

Now that you have packed the essentials feel free to fill in the holes with trendier tops and a few extras you have room for. Make sure you take a large neutral tote as your "personal item" its will easily carry your make up bag, iPad and can be used as your everyday bag as well as a beach bag if needed.


I know these tips seem obvious but we all know packing will bring out the hoarder in all of us! Stick to the basics and you shall emerge victorious in the battle of fashionable travel.

A Story About A Man

Today I met an interesting person. That alone is rare. I found myself in the travel section of Barns & Noble- a place where minutes somehow always turn into hours. Although I went for specific reasons I couldn't resist thumbing through a Nicaragua travel guide in preparation for my upcoming trip.

As I reached for the book an old man standing next to me, holding a travel guide of his own, tells me "Nicaragua is a beautiful country." He looked to be in his 70's and had a slight Spanish accent. The man asked me when I was leaving. I told him one month and he seemed eager to tell me all about it. He told me, in an unpretentious manor, that he had visited 43 countries. I learned all about his countless trips to Central America in the 60's and 70's and how the rain forests stood untouched in places where resorts now reside. He scrambled to tell me about the boat he had in Mexico and the river fishing he did in Panama and the bad taste Germany left in his mouth after serving there in the War. I watched his eyes light up as he remembered Thailand the "amazing food in Vietnam." I chuckled to myself as he vividly described vistas, locals and landscapes but repeatedly forgot the names of the towns he was in... every time he got frustrated, apologized and blamed his lack of memory on old age.

He was reading a book on Costa Rica. He told me he had been there six times before but was looking for new information. "So much changes every few years" he said. "Every time I read these books there is something new."

The man rolled his eyes and laughed as he told me about his honeymoon in Brazil. He had married a French painter and they traveled to Rio de Janeiro. Excited to do some painting of the people out on the sand, they ended up on the beach of Ipanema surrounded by beautiful ladies in tiny bikinis. This wasn't what she had in mind and he chuckled as he explained he didn't have a problem with it, but his new bride was not pleased.

His stories could have gone on for hours and I would have loved to listen to them all. He was kind, full of experience and knowledge; anyone would have been privileged to pick his brain. He had seen the world and he really seemed to understand the value of travel. With conviction he told me "every country has something beautiful to offer."

I think I'm writing this so that I don't forget that statement and so I don't forget that awesome man. I never got his name but I've always believed travel makes you a better person and today I met living proof that it does.

Eco Travel for the Part Time Environmentalist

I have been thinking about writing something like this for some time now and mostly I'm doing it for my own personal interest in the subject.  The word "eco" is gaining a lot of momentum in recent years and sometimes holds the stigma of being a "lifestyle". Some may think if you have any interest in eco-anything you are presumably a tree hugger who bikes to work and doesn't own a television and has a strange affinity for granola.

I mean, I'm not by any means the asshole who dumps my empty Taco Bell bag in the parking lot when I'm done ...but, I'll be the first to admit, I occasionally buy the big flat of water bottles, I don't enjoy backpacking, I don't own a Prius and more often than not I forget to bring my reusable bag to Trader Joe's...actually, my Trader Joe's bags are currently holding my Christmas wrapping paper :/

That being said, most of us probably fall somewhere in the middle. We want to help but ....ya, uhh we'll start tomorrow. We swear! We can all agree on one thing, we all love traveling and we all love vacations and at some point we all will take them. I have seen some really beautiful places as I'm sure a lot of you have, and can appreciate a hotel, business, city or country that takes pride in preserving it's treasures and handles it's tourism as responsibly as possible.

I guess I  just figure, if your going to travel anyway why not stay somewhere that's a little more eco friendly than the place right next door to it. Support the guys who are getting it right!

I've compiled a list of some popular (and some maybe not so popular , but beautiful) destinations hotels and resorts that deserve you dollar.

1. Savusavu, Figi Resort    www.fijiresort.com
2. Tahiti, Bora Bora, Eden Beach Hotel   borabora.net
3. Argentina, Yacutinga Lodge   yacutinga.com
4. Belize, Chaa Creek   chaacreek.com
5. Costa Rica, Punta Islita   hotelpuntaislita.com
6. The Bahamas, Out Islands ( A hub for numerous Eco- friendly islands/ resorts in the Bahamas) myoutislands.com
7. Puerto Rico, Copamarina Beach Resort   copamarina.com
8. Honduras (Roatan), Infinity Bay   infinitybay.com
9. Aruba, Amsterdam Manor   amsterdammanor.com
10.  South East Asia & Europe, Six Senses Spas &Resorts (35 Resorts) sixsences.com 

These are just a few that caught my eye. Hopefully this sparks your interest to do a little more searching. If it has here are a few more sites to help you out.

ecotourismlogue.com
thegoodhuman.com

OK I've done my good deed/ my part for the year. I'm done.... Kidding.

Destination: Honduras

It's hard to forget being on a boat off the coast of Roatan Island watching the sun come up over the hillside, not a soul in sight and a pod of dolphin swimming next to you. It's hard to choose just one amazing thing about this place. The food, the people, the water, the reef, the sun? Don't bother trying it's just not possible.

We headed out of LAX to San Salvador, El Salvador for a quick layover that proved to be fruitful when we discovered the dirt cheap smokes (bonus)! From there we landed in Roatan. Flying over the reef was a perfect preview of things to come. We arrived to perfect weather and sun. You step off the plane to that oh so familiar smell of ocean breeze and something .... what I don't know... just that smell of Central America and that distinct dampness that you come to love. Of course in Jeans and a black tee you start to think about that damp humidity more than anything else

Passport sufficiently stamped(for now) we headed over to Infinity Bay in West Bay. We rented from a condo owner via VRBO.com She was more helpful and insightful. We were excited to have a kitchen, fridge and basically a temporary home. Infinity is also the "greenest" place at this time on Roatan. Their septic systems put zero pollutants in the ocean. The 1st Roatan resort with 100% potable tap water and purified ice makers. The hot water heaters are also solar heated. The property is not only beautiful but responsible....... and whats right beyond it is something that words don't quite capture. Water that looks like a damn screen saver. You know what annoying one that you stare at all day saying " one day, screw this job...one day" I found myself thinking, I found it! The reef ( second to only the Great Barrier Reef in Australia) creates a contrast of blues that you didn't even realize existed

All along the bay and behind the property is an array of restaurants and grocery stores that provided everything you could need. On our first full day we decided hit up Mangiamos for groceries then off to eat breakfast at Celeste's, a small outdoor restaurant and hotel... they had a some extra "help" on hand... and  by help i mean food thieving parrots. Birds! My favorite! If you know me at all you have heard me state numerous times that I firmly believe monkeys and birds are surely direct decedents of the devil. They are just too smart ya know? Like I can see them thinking evil shit. Anyway, I digress. 

In an effort to spare you any redundancy the next few days were spend doing this:

In case that wasn't clear enough, days were filled with sun, drinks, and lounging with not a care in the world and a full Ipod. However, that's not the only thing to do. The snorkeling is ridiculous, you can get lost for hours scouring the reef for Bone fish Grouper, Parrot fish, Angle fish ...oh and one day Jelly fish, awesome! Luckily they were small and relatively harmless. Kayaking, paddle boarding and diving are all also wise choices.

Take the water taxi ( $3 each way) over to West End, a lively town about 5 min from West Bay. A perfect combo of locals, backpacking divers, great restaurants and fun bars. Number one bar? The Reef Rider. A floating bar/ barge thingy. Best damn place for a drink in West End. Run by the crazy ex-Canadian Captain Perry and bartenders that will make you get "your own damn drink" ask you to bartend and flip you off all in 20 minutes . Fire dancers that accidentally set the palapa on fire and a fitting plank entrance that is great on the way in and a scary exercise in faux-sober balance on the way out. Excellent. 

Day 5 we went out fishing. 6 AM start (yikes). Well worth it. At the Reef Rider we met a local fisherman who took us out for the day. I caught my first fish! Hard to believe after dating a fisherman for 6 + years ...eh, better late than never. Fish 1 a ugly Barracuda. Fish 2 a grouper. Andrew quickly trumped me with a MUCH larger one. It was a great day and we kept one for ourselves and gave the rest to the captain and his deckhand to eat/sell whatever. We went home and cooked up our catch. Delicious!

As the trip came to an end it seemed we spent the last day sitting at the Palapa bar staring silently out to the ocean occasionally shaking our heads in disgust that it was already over. This trip has been one of a kind and i cant wait to go back. Leaving Roatan was really difficult and I would tell any friends and family to make it out there! Ill put up a few helpful links up if Honduras is on your horizon.

www.taca.com

www.roatan.com

www.infinitybay.com

www.vrbo.com        (Property #328964)

Coachella-Your guide to avoiding heat stroke & Hipsters

Clearly the 2011 Coachella line up has been announced. I cant lie, Im a little underwhelmed.( Where is my QOTSA! Where is It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia)!  That being said, I am now somewhat unsure if I want to attend. Surely you can justify laying down close to $300 to people watch , since music might not exactly be the main focus. Not to downplay the people watching Im sure it's a top shelf freak fest.

Should you choose to attend you may want to take some precautions. Two things come to mind that would personally be a legit worry for me . Heat stroke and Hipsters. Both will be running rampant. I have made a list of a few quick Do's & Don'ts to help ensure an enjoyable weekend.

AVOID THIS:
- Ray Bans
- Bangs
- Rompers of any kind
- High waisted shorts
- Vests
- Shoulder bags
- Skinny Jeans & Ballet flats
- Ballet Flats in general
- Clothing with small print flowers ( or any "Ironic Granny" print)...or Southwest print
- The color mustard yellow ( why? don't know, just seems that way)

***Should you choose to partake in any of these stylings you run the risk of a Hipster mistaking you for one of their own and striking up a conversion about how lame everything is.......Actually, lets be real  Hipsters are kinda assholes and would never talk to you.

AVOID THESE BANDS:

- Sleigh Bells

- Mumford & Sons

- Interpol

.... Just don't, it will be like Hipster bees drawn to Hipster honey. But- if you do and wonder why everyone looks soooooo bored, its normal. They will tell you they have " been into them for FOREVER" and "seen them like a million times now" so its like not that big of a deal. Don't let them fool you, they fuckin love it.

DO SEE THESE BANDS:

- Kings of Leon ( eh good enough, and this year you take what you can get)

- Duran Duran   ( Hipsters aside, just awesome)

- Kanye West     ( uhg I know but it will be all clear because Hipsters will probably pretend they have                 never heard of him)

**Wild Card** Black Keys ( now, if it were 2009 or before they would have been on my AVOID list but, they have a handfull of radio hits, been on SNL and by all hipster standards completely sold out. As a result most hipsters have completely disowned them and will be a no show...and in my humble opinion the best band on the bill)

OH, How to avoid heat stroke?  Drink Water. You'll be fine.

ENJOY!