Travelling according to amelia......

I should have done this entry before the school holiday starts. Oohhh well perhaps some of u might benefit from it on ur next vacay. Being an ex airline flight attendant or stewardess some might call it I have years of experience in packing in and out every day, weeks and months.

The worst thing is when u r on standby and get called up. Most of the time we have less than 2 hours before pick up arrives and this is where a good packing skill comes in handy. Even now after 9 years of not flying I believe I still have not lost that skill. For my holiday trip last june, I had to pack for a husband n 2 kids for a 16 days trip n I managed to squeeze all that into 1 large n 1 medium size delsey bag, n a small hand carry bag for d kids spare clothes n diapers.

Oohhh n if u r an avid traveler u might want to invest in a good check in bag. Delsey n Samsonite is d brand that most airline crew used due to it’s durability. So here’s my version of packing lite but still travel in style n comfort is my most important aspect.

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Summer Season

1. Light clothing – t.shirt n jeans, however depends on countries I always carry extra sweater juz in case.

2. Innerware – Disposable panties/briefs

3. Toiletries – miniature bottles, wet wipes,

4. Shoes – sneakers/loafers n open toe sandal/slippers

5. Socks – 1 pair each

6. Foldable umbrella, raincoat.

7. Foldable shopping bag – comes in handy if u plan to shop! U can stuff all ur loot inside without worrying that u might have accidentally left anything behind.

8. Dry food stuff – Baby milk, 3in1 nescafe, milo, maggi in a cup, everything else that u plan to bring that comes in 3in1 or ‘just add hot water’ instruction. Please declare ur food stuff to avoid further delay or confiscated by the custom.

9. Water bottles, disposable small container for d kids biscuits n tidbits

10. If u plan to bring a stroller don’t forget the rain cover.

11. Since I travel with a 6 yrs old n a toddler, I had a blankie n small pillow packed in my hand carry luggage.

12. For d ladies, I like to carry a sling bag rather than the handheld or shoulder carry, reason no 1 is for security, no 2 is I need both hands to be free from carrying things so that I can afford to do the extra thing like handing snacks while on d go or having to pass the wet tissue to my son while feeding baby Allysha. Hahaha. Yeahhh talking bout multi tasking!!.

13. Last but not least, don’t forget ur sunnies, hat or head scarf. Although I’m a hijab wearer when I travel I always opted for something less fussy. No time for ironing and pins (brooch). Hehehe

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Winter season

Plainly said I do not intend to travel with my kids during the winter month!! Sorry peeps but I just hate to pack all those bulky item, go somewhere where the shop close at 6 pm! The weather gloomy n most day it rains. N if u plan to visit the park some of the rides might be unavailable due to rain. Uuummm..no thanks! So what I’m gonna list here r just my experience way back during those flying days.

1. Pack basic colour clothing – black, brown n white

2. One or two good top coat in black – it matches everything n if u notice everyone in Europe will dress in black during winter!!! Hahaha

3. A few pair of socks, thermal wear, hats, gloves (very2 important) n muffler to hide ur reindeer nose!!! I don’t know about u but mine turns red when it reach below 5 degree Celsius!!!

4. Sweaters – layer ur clothing. It’s no fun going out while freezing to the bone!

5. A good pair of leather boots, preferably one with thick sole that grips well. Hehehe..i’ve witnessed an incident where one of my colleague skid down the icy pavement n land on her bum!! Oucchhh..

6. A durable bag, I always prefer canvas in this weather, u can hide ur chanel somewhere else or maybe if u plan to stay indoor n wine n dine at d 5 star hotels then u might consider flashing them around. As for me..we had to walk a few blocks (irregardless of which destination) to find something 'halal'. N when we finally managed to find one..dont forget to ‘tapau’ for dinner. trust me u would’nt want to be walking around anywhere even at 8 pm!!!it’s cold n freezing n the chances r they’re already closed!!

7. Dry food stuff – lotsa maggi, biscuit, n all d 3in1 I’ve mentioned earlier. U tend to get hungry easily I guess due to weather.

8. Stock ur hotel fridge if u have a long stay, normally on d first day we’d be hunting for groceries shop. Milk, bread, cheese n fruits for those boring night where there’s only an mtv channel on d hotel telly (that’s in English) as everyting else is either in german or Italian or french etc... (for Frankfurt, munich, Switzerland n d rest of Europe night stop except London)

9. Reading material, laptop if u feel it’s safe to leave it behind in hotel room or front desk during ur outing.

10. umbrella/raincoat

11. Toiletries – as above but do stock up on lotions! A good one esp those that is for dry skin. My Victoria secret body butter didn’t help much, once I finish the whole tub for a 7 days trip but I was still scratching like monkey!!!

12. When sleeping at night, always have a glass of water by the bedside. It works to eliminate d dryness in the room due to the cold temperature outside n the heater in d room. For some of us, we filled the bath tub or the sink with water, open the toilet door n the room is less dry instead. U will feel much better the next morning.

Well I guess that’s about it. I’m sure some of u might have different opinion and ur own style of doing things. This is just my experience and how I did things my way. There’s no hard rules, right or wrong but just as a guideline. No matter where n when u plan to travel, don’t do last minute packing!! There is more space for error. Hope this entry helps n if it’s not..just do ur thing lah!! I’m sure u’ll be just fine …hahahaha.