The first part of getting ready to go on a long trip is deciding what is important to plan out and what can be done on the fly. Traveling to Asia requires a little research when it comes to Visas to enter the different countries. Depending on where you live will depend on what Visas you need. As Canadians, we require a Visa before arrival to enter Vietnam & Cambodia. You can easily do this online, but be careful - there are a lot of fake websites. Go through the travel.gc.ca to find the correct site to make sure you do not get scammed. You will be required to provide flight information, so have your flights & itinerary booked/planned out. This is new to us, because we usually only book our flight to our first country and wing it, but this time we had to be more planned. Also, as a Canadian we are allowed to enter Thailand without a Visa for 30 days, however, we are visiting the country longer, so we had to apply to the Thai Embassy in Canada beforehand to get a Visa. This involved us sending our passports & some paper work to the embassy. It only took a few days for everything to go through, but I woulnt’t leave it too late just in case there was a problem.

As far as packing to go away for a few months, it’s pretty similar no matter where you’re going. I’m notorious for being an over packer, although, I’m in the process of fine tuning a capsule wardrobe to travel in warmer countries. This includes:

• 3 or 4 Shirts (white, black, print)

• 3 or 4 Tank tops (white, black, solid colour)

• 4 Pairs of Shorts (2 pairs of loose cotton shorts - 1 print & 1 solid and a white & black sport short)

• 1 long skirt

• 1 T-Shirt Dress

• 1 Sun Dress

• 2 Pairs of leggings (however, I brought 2 more this trip to use during my yoga training)

• 2 Bathing suits (1 for lounging and 1 for sport activities)

• 1 Cardigan & 1 Sweater

• 1 Rain Coat

• 3 Pairs of Socks, 4 Bras (2 sport & 2 Casual), 10 Pairs of Underwear

• 3 Pairs of shoes - Birkenstock Sandals (or whatever you can walk in), Toms, Nike Free Runners

This is my basic wardrobe and everything can be mixed and matched with each other. I also pack some simple accessories like a sun hat, bamboo scarf, sarong, Turkish towel, Basic jewelry & a purse.

The hardest thing for me to pack is my toiletries. I don’t enjoy using some of the products that are provided for you in hotels, and when booking airbnb, you might not be supplied with these necessities. I have minimized my toiletry kit to a small bag and my Savvy Minerals Makeup makes it so simple to do your make up in any style with little product.

There are a few things that I would not want to live without during our travels. Here is a list of my Top 5:

1. iPhone (or any Smartphone)

   Since smartphones have become a part of our daily lives, they have also made it easier to travel. No more Internet cafes, travel guide books & maps! Wifi is more and more accessible every year, and now with unlocked phones, it’s relatively cheap and easy to by a SIM card in many foreign countries. We weight the pros & cons of SIM cards. If wifi seems to be easy to get and works okay, we save our money and opt out of the SIM card. However, if you're planning on using Uber or Grab, you will need to have access to Internet when you’re on the street. Also, you don’t need to carry a huge camera, batteries & lenses to capture your entire trip.

2. Essentail Oils

   I like to live as clean and chemically free as I can and Essential Oils have really helped me achieve this. They are a natural solution to many issues that may come up when traveling. I travel with around 15 different kinds, but my top ones are Peppermint (motion sickness, sore muscles, headaches, energy) Lavender (cuts, bruises, sun burns) Thieves (sickness, purifying, cleaning) Frankincense (anything you can think of, I use it for lots of skin issues) RC (colds, breathing, allergies). This is a toxic free pharmacy, with unlimited uses.

3. GoPro

   I like to make movies of our adventures and the GoPro has made this so simple. You don’t need to be a videographer or a professional editor. Plus you can use it in all eliminates. The only downfall is that I like to use the Karma stick with my GoPro and it can get tiresome carrying it around. I do like the professional looking results I get to capture my memories.

4. Menstrual Cup

   If you’re a woman and you haven’t switched to a menstrual cup, you don’t know what you’re missing! They aren’t as gross as they sound, and it gives you SO much freedom. This is all I use at home as well, but especially when traveling, this has become a lifesaver. You don’t have to pack a few months supply of your favourite feminine hygiene products anymore! Plus think of the money you’re saving in the long run! If you have any questions about this please reach out!

5. iPad or eReader

   I like to read when I travel and have access to a few of my favourite movies - so I choose to travel with and iPad. I can have lots of books available, podcasts and a few movies loaded up for those more relaxing or time passing moments. My husband reads a lot in bed, so he likes to have an eReader, which isn’t so bright. Either option really helps the weight of your luggage.

Although it only took about an hour to read about what I needed to prepare in advance for our travels, and about 1.5 hours to pack everything up, I still tend to get anxious about the whole packing situation. The true fact is, if you forget something, you more than likely can get it wherever you’re going. The even MORE true fact is, as a Canadian forgetting a few luxury items at home is truly a first world problem. Most of the places we travel to are full of poverty, and it only takes a few moments to remember what’s really important in life.

I encourage people to step outside of their comfort zone and book a trip somewhere in the world that intrigues you. Seeing different cultures is amazing and is completing gratifying. People are people no matter where you are. We have always been greeted with friendly faces and felt welcomed everywhere we’ve gone. Having an open mind is the MOST important thing to ‘pack’!