up up and away

it's D-Day , we're off , ready to board the plane , over 20 hrs of flying ahead , my excitement coupled with two hrs sleep last night is all swirling together and i'm amped !!! see you all State side 

i'm a pack rat that's having trouble packing

I have a confession , I feel like a bit of a fraud as I have been spruiking my packing prowess and at this point i'm struggling! i'm trying to be ruthless and clever packing basics, and in my case that's black black and more black! i'm adding in scarves to jazz up my black ! also black doesn't look dirty easily and that works for me  ! 

We are  traveling across three continents and will be in two different seasons , travelling in temps ranging from -2° to 30+° , snow ,rain and beating sun , i will be at the theatre on broadway , moulin-rougé in paris , champagne on the roof of the Met in NYC and  drunk on guinness in an irish pub .We will be climbing mountains to see  buddha and swimming in the ocean in the south of spain . we will be staying in 5 star hotels where everything is supplied and staying with friends ! we will be bunking down in airbnb's and pub rooms where there will not be a blow dryer to be found ! we have to take any chance to wash so staying in fully self -contained units in the heart of  London we will be able to wash clothes , perhaps ready for a royal wedding ! lol lol  it's a good idea to take a couple of small satchels if washing powder and a peg less clothes line  ( see photo ) as you can always wash in a hotel bath or sink , it's kinda fun you act as the agitater ( im good at being agitating , lol ) and string the travel line up in your room , chinese laundry style ! always consider the type of fabric you are taking , is it non crush and won't need ironing , is it easy care and drop dry ie not dry clean only , will it dry over night inside and choose items that don't stain easy ie white and light colors are always a no no for  moi !! 

Our Trip has us in varied climates  and many different styles  of accommodation and this requires clever  crafty savvy packing ! 

so this is my approach , ive packed and culled and packed and culled  a few times over , this isn't my adhd or for shits and giggles it actually serves a purpose as you get to really decide what you truly will ware and what you need ! try in things with things , as often we think that will go with that irvthise pants fitted me in 1987 and then we pack and when you go to get changed nothing works or worse still doesn't fit !!! weight is the story of my life , well  being over weight that is , and packing is no different ! 

we have a weight allowance on Qantas international of two bags under the plane to the usa  of 23kg each bag , that's two  bags per person ! that's a lot , however when we get into San Fran we change planes to a domestic US airline and fly onto chicago, and here in lies the need to pack smart & light . We have paid an additional baggage  charge to allow us to have the one 

23kgs under  the plane and 7kg in carry-on  ! many domestic flights around the world  only include a carryon allowance , hence if you are flying internationally and domestically with in a country you will need to confirm the luggage allowance in all flights and if required purchase additional ! for someone like me who's clothes involve a little more fabric than the average bear , and i can't always just buy clothes off the rack to fitwhen i'm in a foreign land, it's vital i be prepared and pack what i will need ! yet still have outfits to suit the climates and activities and are with in the weight limit ! i also have to keep  vital space for shopping , you know those special must have trinkets and anything else that takes my fancy !! 

Now This is my pack so far : keeping in mind i'm away for 51/2 weeks , no judgement please , lol lol

2x 3/4 pants , 2 pair palazzo pants ( different colours ), 3 pairs of good leggings ( see photos )  4 light summer tops , 1 walking around dresses , two going out dresses one winter to be worn with boots and jacket , and one summer with sandals! a swimmer , 10 pairs of day undies 5 night time undies , 3 bras -1 everyday , one lacey and a strapless one ! two skirts one long one shorter , 2 scarves winter and summer , pashmina , 1 sarong , a light summer jacket , puffy winter jacket , water proof spray jacket that folds into a small bag , ,2 sheer over top/ jackets that can be worn as scarves too , and in the past i have worn one of these as a trashy fir sun protection in the water on one of the islands off Thailand, ( see photo) 1?mid length sleeved t shirt dress winter weight , 2 pairs of good quality opaque stocking 70+ denier ( for bigger gals these can be purchased at big W or from Autograph ) 8 pairs socks , 3 hidden , 3 ankle , two long ( note the long ones have fur around the top and make my boots look different , i found these socks in an opp shop for a $1 a pair ( see photos) 1 nighty  , 1 pair pj long pants , two singlet tops ,  two vests one long summer vest , one puffy winter vest ,  a kimono /wrap /that doubles as dressing gown that can also be worn out or over a dress or pants , 1 long and 1 short sleeve t-shirt , note all can be layered and mixed and matched ie the leggings and long sleeve t-shirt can go under a dress with boots and a jacket and scarf or the sheer wrap jacket can go over swimmers with a sarong tied as a skirt ! 4 pairs of shoes , a sandal day to night with a wedge heal ( wearing these on the plane as they are heavy see photos ) flat fun light silver day sandals , laceless nike walking shoes , long boots ( nite im not wearing my long boots on the plane even though they are heavy and take up valusbjevtoom ,and the reason is often traveling through airport security you have to take your shoes off to have them go through the x-ray machine and you have to be quick about and boots are harder to get on and off , especially if you have to take them off multiple times! as for accessories i'm taking 5 pair of earings all costume except 1 pair of real silver drops ( see photo) two costume bangles , two neck laces one long one short , against  costume jewelry, my travel wedding ring set ( i leave my real wedding rings at home in the safe , especially traveling in know pick pocket places and you CAN NOT trust the hotel room safe ! i suggest you don't  take anything you are not prepared to lose ! it's a challenge especially if you are going to beaches and swimming or have all your luggage in a hire car parked outside on the street while sightseeing! take extra care if you need to use a locker at a station , take photos if everything even your locker number and surrounds ! things get stolen , and while we have never ,touch wood , been robbed , it happens and you have to be smart ( i will discuss our travel safety tips in another post )  ! 

Packing is a huge part of going away ,and while it is a little stressful it is also exciting and part of the build up of s big trip !  it's an art and if you are anything like me you want to be comfortable and still look your best ! my next rant will look at being comfortable and being as safe as you can , including suggested medical pre-trip tips

!!!! 

look at me go

Let me introduce you

We are two 50 plus travelers, both more on the XL size than the average camper and we both have our own idiosyncrasies , personality traits and health issues however we have common love of travel and zest for all things new . This blog is a warts and all story board of our travels. I aim to share the real side to traveling , over 50 and overweight yet still feeling 25 at heart. First a little back ground, Craig and I have been together for close to 15 years, married for 11 years this November 2018 . We are second time rounders, both having been married before. We have raised three kids who all have busy lives and currently we live in the beach side haven known as Wamberal on the Central Coast of NSW, Australia . 
We have 4 fur babies , Newman 11, Paisley 10, Poppy 8 and Pearl 4 and many fish , and to be frank these guys are about the only thing that i truly worry about leaving when we travel. When we said I-do, then in our 30s, we also made a commitment to travel as much as possible and see as much of this world as possible before we die. Here we are, I'm 51 and Craig is 56 in December and over the past 11 years we have visited over 20 countries together. We consider ourselves to be normal yet sassy savvy travelers. We are not back packers and yet we are not all 5 star , we like to be comfortable yet ever mindful of the budget. I wanted to start this travel blog to uncover the smooth underbelly of traveling in your 50s , you are not old -old , yet we are not doing Cancun as raging 20 year old's either . We can pull an all nighter, but only once a month, not night after night.
I will be truthful about how i vomit if i get drunk and it aint pretty and how to find medical help or pharmaceutical drugs in a foreign land. I want to brooch the topics that are not often discussed in many travel blogs or on you tube. How to make sure you travel comfortably , even after surgery , being comfortable on planes trains and automobiles, boats , trams and tuk-tuks. I want to discuss savvy ways to save pesos when booking travel.

 I promise to do my brownie guide duty and to tell you the truth , the whole truth and nothing but the truth , no matter how beautiful or UGLY the truth maybe. We love to eat and a huge part of travel is tasting food from across this magical planet. I will discuss traveling with injury's , illness, medications and light bladder leakage, lol lol and balance that with new fantastic experience , meeting unbelievable people and discovering breathtaking natural wonders and man made marvels. I must admit Im not a huge people fan , i have my moments when Im just so humbled to be experiencing another culture that I'm simply overwhelmed and other times when i want to just watch people and not engage. Im not known for my spelling and Im a 80's high school kid so grammar wasnt even a consideration so please use interpretive measures when reading and deal with my creative punctuation and don't feel the need to constantly "corect" me , Im a free spirit and please i must just pour out and flow, so comma-shomma. lol lol

 We will share with you hints on how to pack within luggage allowances when you cant get away with parking a bikini and a sarong , and your clothes alone weigh more than a small car and don't even mention toiletries and CPAP machines. How to get though customs and not make it to every known watch list like i have, and how to prepare for travel through multiple climates when you do feel the cold and the heat and finding comfortable shoes inst as easy as a pair of Havanas. Iam brave and i will willingly chat about good bathroom options on the road and how to avoid getting caught out. We can share our security options, and so far , touch wood, we have never been robbed or had any major mishaps. We have missed planes , changed hotels , been lost in the dark lands of mexico and have braved the unknown in Myanmar, however we have never been hurt or mugged and we have met amazing people , have life changing experiences and all while having a laugh and having each others back.

 Please follow us and like us and I will do my best to utilize technology .We welcome you and thank you for joining us on our journeys as sassy savvy XL 50 plus travel beetles ( we are bigger than a mere bug lol ) exploring this world we aim, along with you to be enlighten, entertained, educated  laugh , we will laugh a lot.