A few 'must have' items from a flight attendant's suitcase

A FEW 'MUST HAVE' ITEMS FROM A FLIGHT ATTENDANT'S SUITCASE:
1. Ziploc bags - lots of them and ALL sizes. Organize everything you're taking with you and put it all into ziplocs. I'm BIG into ziploc bags. I love them! That way, when you go to open your suicase after its been rolling around the cargo hold of a 747, and has been rummaged through by every TSA agent that exists, you won't find every item you own all mish-mashed and thoroughly destroyed. I'm actually a bit OCD about organizing...I'll admit it. Take your jewelry and separate it by necklaces, bracelets, etc. Put each group in its own separate "mini snack ziploc" (my absolute favorites) and then place all the mini-ziplocs in one big ziploc. Boom. You've got all your jewelry ready to go. Toiletries - again, separate by 'topic' (if you will)....night-time regime in one, manicure and nail repair kit in another, miscellaneous items like a sewing kit in another, razor and refills in another, etc, etc...then, like before, place all these little ziplocs in a big one, and place them all in a bigger ziploc. You'll save tons of time when you go to get ready...everything has its place and you can see where everything is. Most importantly, if something leaks or spills, you wont end up with astringent or cuticle cream all over everything you own...it will be nicely contained in its own little ziploc baggie. I cant tell you how many times this has saved me....saved me time, and most importantly, saved my clothes. AHHH...how I love my ziplocs. Anything and everything can go in one....Undies....you can separate by bras, panties, stockings, etc, and dont forget to bring an empty, extra large ziploc for placing items in it that need to be laundered, after you've worn them....but enough about ziplocs....you get the picture.

2. A fleece blanket and memory foam U-shaped travel pillow. With the airline economy in the toilet, you're lucky to even GET a pillow and blanket these days. And trust me when I say, that you don't WANT to use them, even if you get one. They're nasty and dirty (even if they ARE wrapped in plastic). You don't want to know what most of these blankets and pillows have been through -I'll spare you the details, but people can be vile creatures - just an example though - have you ever seen a mom change a baby's dirty diaper on an airplane? well think about it...what does she lay down on the seats BEFORE she changes that sweet little baby's poopy diaper?? An AIRPLANE BLANKET, that's what! enough said. As for the blanket you're going to bring with you, fleece is a fantastic material. It keeps you extra warm under those airplane vents that are blasting you with cold air and are inevitably 'stuck' wide open, and it can be rolled up and crammed into even the tiniest of carry-on bags. And the memory-foam travel pillow is something I swear by...my friend loaned me hers a few years ago, and I was instantly hooked. I've actually been able to get some restful sleep on an airplane after I invested in my own. Don't waste your time with the travel pillows you can blow up. They're useless. The Tempurpedic Memory Foam is worth its weight in gold. And just like the fleece, it can be squished up (literally into the size of a tennis ball) and stuffed into your carry on. And while we're on the subject of 'creature comforts' for sleeping on the plane, don't forget your eyemask, ear plugs and socks. These little items can actually make it possible for you to arrive somewhat refreshed, even if you're stuck in a middle seat in coach class, on a 14 hour nonstop. Trust me.

3. A travel fan. This may seem like an odd addition to the list, but its something I've now placed in the 'can't live without' category. You see, most places around the world don't have our American obsession with air conditioning. And most places, even Alaska, have heat waves. Even if it's 85 degrees outside, chances are, your hotel's air conditioning system won't be able to cool you down, under the unforgiving (and HOT) lights, over the mirrors in the bathroom. And if you're anything like me, those lights can make you sweat. And bad. Many is the time that I've just applied my foundation, only to find it now dripping down the sides of my face. The solution? A mini, battery operated travel fan. You can find all kinds to choose from at your nearest WalMart. I found one that folds in half and literally takes up no more than a few inches in my suitcase. Its a lifesaver. Like I mentioned before, I'm a girlie-girl and I want my makeup to look perfect. The last thing I want is to have it dripping down my face before I've even had the chance to walk out the door!

4. Travel Sized Febreeze, Downy Wrinkle Releaser, and Clorox Sanitizing Spray
It's expensive as hell to use ANY hotel's dry cleaning or laundering service. And most of us are WAY too busy to find a laundromat while adventuring around the world. So, to save time, and precious space in your suitcase, start by bringing Febreeze with you. Its fantastic. Spritz some on your clothes and you can get an extra day's wearing out of your favorite outfit. And here's a little known fact....unlike most hotels in the U.S., you'll be hard "pressed" (no pun intended lol) to find an iron and ironing board in nearly any hotel overseas. They just don't provide them. So here's the solution.....Downy Wrinkle Releaser and your shower. That's right. Your SHOWER. Take whatever outfit needs ironing and spray it down with the Downy Wrinkle Releaser. Then hang them in your bathroom and turn the shower on, on its hottest setting possible. Then close the door and let the steam do the work. It takes about 15-20 minutes, and your clothes will be wrinkle-free and will smell just as fresh as can be. And finally, the Clorox. This is a DEFINITE 'must have'. Its the first thing I get out of my bags, when I go to unpack. We've all seen those horrific stories on 20/20 showing the bacteria that can be found in even the 'cleanest-looking' hotel rooms out there. Clorox Sanitizing Spray (or a mini-Lysol) is the answer. Its the first thing I do. I spray everything. The telephone receiver and keypad. The light switches. The tv remote (those NEVER get cleaned). The bathroom fixtures. You name it - if its been touched by another living soul, I spray it, and spray it good. Even if you have a kick-ass immune system (unlike my own), I'd make this a habit. Your health, and your pocketbook (a trip to the ER in a foreign country is expensive!) will thank you for it.

5. A travel alarm clock. This seems pretty self-explanatory. But truth be known, 99% of the hotels I've stayed in overseas, don't have a single clock in the room (except for maybe, if you're lucky, on the tv). Many is the time where I've woken up and needed to call the front desk to find out what time it is. (Or what DAY it is, if its been a rather long trip. lol). So now, my alarm clock stays in my suitcase, no matter what. I never unpack it. Its a lifesaver. Especially if you can't miss waking up for a flight, and you don't want to depend on the possibly unreliable front desk's wake-up call.

6. About $20 worth of single-dollar bills. Tipping is a weird thing overseas. Most restaurants outside the U.S. actually PAY their servers to wait on you (unlike the measly $2.13/hr that is the norm in the States). So tipping in overseas restaurants usually consists of rounding up to the nearest dollar or two, to say 'thank you' for the service. (I always ask the hotel's front desk for guidance on this when i'm in a new country. Every country is different and I like to always be aware of the correct procedure, so as not to appear like the 'ugly American tourist'). Outside of restaurants, its a completely different story. You should ALWAYS tip a hotel van driver or taxi cab driver, even if you only have one suitcase, and no matter WHAT country you are in. This is the NORM. Although I can't count the times that I've seen families with 20+ suitcases on vacation from Disneyworld, who don't even grant the hotel van driver a single dollar as a thank you for lugging their suitcases off the van to the curb for them. This is unacceptable. If a hotel staffmember brings you a bucket of ice at 2 in the morning, you should tip them a dollar. Even if its 2 in the afternoon, you should still tip them. And be advised: you should always tip in BILLS, not change. You see, no matter where in the world you are, a driver/staff member, etc, can usually find somewhere to exchange a dollar bill. (Almost every hotel/bank will exchange money). But they can't exchange coins into their local currency. Coins are useless. And of course, if I have it, I always prefer to tip in local currency. But chances are, if i've just arrived in a country, I probably haven't had time to exchange any money. Thus, the $20 or so I carry in one-dollar bills works in a pinch. It may not be expected, but that meager $1 (or more if you're so obliged) tip is ALWAYS appreciated. Always strive to be the "Beautiful American Traveler" and NEVER the "Ugly American Tourist." This little gesture (among many others) will help set you apart.

And last, but quite certainly, not least:
7. A camera, and either a writing journal or your laptop
Thoughts and memories fade.....photos and the written word, do not. I cherish nothing more than a little time spent, looking through photos of my travel adventures, re-living the experience through the smiles on mine and my companions' faces. I never know when I'll be revisiting a city, so if I have a fantastic entree, at a little-known bistro, on a street I'll never find again, I write down the restaurant's name and what I ate, so that I can find it again, should my luck bring me to that city once again. Enough cannot be said on this subject.....so I will leave it at this - with every passing year, I know that my thoughts and memories are slowly fading....but I KNOW that my photos and travel journal will last me a lifetime. With any luck, I'll be able to share them with my grandchildren, many many decades from now. I can only hope....