My Travel Essentials

I've always hated packing. Hated it with a vengeance  I'm a last minute packer, which annoys the hell out of my mom (she likes to pack for trips 1 week in advance at the least). I'm the type who will pack on the day itself if I have a night flight.

While I was on exchange, I mastered the art of packing. I was able to stuff 2 weeks worth of clothes and what-nots into my 30L backpack. Packing sort of became second nature after a while. I remember that at the start, my friend had to literally go through my backpack to make sure that I'd pack just the right amount of stuff, and not any nonsense that I wouldn't require.

So anyway, I thought I'd list down some of my travel must-haves just for the fun of it. :)

1. Passport + Travel documents(Always, always important.)
2. Pouch for money + Small wallet that fits into my pocket. (I don't like displaying all my money to everyone. I usually put a few dollars in my pocket so that I don't have to take out all my cash and slowly count it in front of everyone. Hide thy wealth while overseas.)
3. Handphone (Can't survive without it really. I load all my travel information into my email so that I can access it on the go.)
4. Kindle (How else will I entertain myself on long haul flights?)
5. Windbreaker (Multi-purpose. Protects me from the cold, and from the rain.)
6. Ziplock bags (Helps me to compress my clothes, and holds my liquids. What's not to like.)
7. Camera (I know phones nowadays take nice photos and all, but nothing beats a camera.)
8. Energy bars / chocolate bars (I usually pack a few because I'm the kind who can forget to eat lunch while traveling. I usually snack on the go. Plus if you fly budget, it makes for a handy snack.)
9. Headphones (To block out unwanted noise wherever you are. And because I can't live without music.)
10. Trusty daypack or sling bag (I made sure to buy a smaller bag that would be big enough for me to carry around while sightseeing, and yet have enough compartments to hid important things.)

And those, are my travel must-haves. What are yours?

Travelogue - London, England

Without further ado, here's my take on London. Upon descending into London, I was filled with a sense of excitement for several reasons:

1. Football matches

2. British Accents and people speaking English 

3. Musicals! 

London felt strangely familiar to me, despite having never stepped foot on English soil in my whole life. I think it's because Singapore used to be a British colony  so many street names are similar. Even the subway seems familiar and easy to navigate. The weather was picture perfect - which is really rare considering that London is renown for its gloomy weather.  

Travelogue - Emirates Stadium, London, England

Before I begin, I must apologise for my haphazard entries which are not in chronological order. I write based on whenever inspiration strikes me, and which city I feel like reminiscing over.

Emirates Stadium - home to my favourite football team, Arsenal. I've been an avid Arsenal supported since 2006. I came to support Arsenal because my neighbours, who introduced me to the wonderful world of football, were Arsenal fans as well. We used to spend weekends together cheering Arsenal on. I remember watching Theo Walcott grow into his position, watching Nasri develop from a no-one to a someone, and eventually leave us in the lurch. I witnessed the magic that is Van Persie, and let him break my heart when he unceremoniously left us for Man United (his leaving still hurts btw, especially for someone who claims to have made Arsenal his home, and the manner in which he left his teammates behind). 

Travelogue - Disneyland, Paris

Ah, Disneyland. The place where magic happens and dreams come true. I grew up watching Disney, and I still love Disney movies. One of my all time favourite movies is Lion King. 

I was tripping over with excitement about going to Disneyland, although I wasn't a kid anymore, let alone a teenage. But I firmly believe that everyone should have a Disney experience, and pretend to be a kid for a day again, regardless of how old you are. After all,  if you grew up in the 80s and 90s, you'd know all the Disney classics. 

Traveling with friends.

Over the past few years, I've come to realise that traveling with friends can be tricky. It's hard to adapt to different traveling styles, especially when you are so used to your own. It's even harder to find someone with a similar travel style to you.

I am one person who can do without a plan, but horribly anal about meeting plane or other transport times. Other than that, I'm pretty adaptable. I'm the kind of traveler who knows what I want to get out of a place, and I'll be able to work out a plan once in the country, as long as I have internet access.

Then there are those who need to have every single detailed worked out to a t. There are also those who are chill, and want to take their own time to see the sights, and it doesn't matter if they accomplish much, as long as they have fun.

Everyone has developed their own travel style, whether they know it or not. Traveling with different groups of people is never easy, especially when everyone wants something different out of the experience, or when one is unenthusiastic. It's just difficult.

I've never traveled alone, and it's something that I will definitely want to do one day. Being a girl, I've got to let my mom let me go, and not worry so much. Hopefully I'll be able to do this in the near future. I'll start with a country when I am able to speak the local language.

There are friends whom I travel well with, because we're so used to each other. And friends whom I can only travel with for a few days or go on with a certain type of holiday. There was this friend, who I developed a strong rapport with - our traveling style worked in sync, and was almost like second nature. Unfortunately, that friendship is gone (another long story for another time), and I can only hope to find someone whom I can travel so comfortably and with such ease again.

It really makes the whole traveling experience different when you travel with someone who has the same interests, is able to look out for you and vice versa, and knows you well enough. Till then, I guess I'm searching for a travel buddy to take the world on with.

Apologies for the rant. I just miss sharing traveling experiences with that someone, and I'm kinda stuck in a rut now.

As much as I love traveling, there's no place like home. A little less than 24 hours before I see my family again. :)

Travelogue - Manchester, England

Manchester was never on my travel plans. However, I ended up heading to this town because of a deal I made with a friend. Accompany me to watch my Arsenal match, and I'll go with you to a Manchester United one. But, no regrets coming to Manchester at all - also partly because I was introduced to the wonders of Primark while in Manchester. Also, although I visited England in late March, the country was undergoing a heatwave. As a result, I got pictures full of clear blue skies. In fact, the weather was so sunny that I had to walk around in shades. I was unfortunately prepared for cold, and didn't bring any shorts with me. Luckily the heat was bearable. 

Travelogue - Stockholm, Sweden

I visited Stockholm after Kiruna, since I was in the vicinity. Stockholm has a charm, that will captivate you when you least expect it, and grab hold of your heart.

The streets are lined with a mixed of modern and old buildings. Stockholm itself is built on 14 islands that have been connected together via bridges. The stores have interesting window displays that had me chuckling to myself, and advertisements that made the marketing major in me appreciate them for their creativity. While roaming along the streets, I chanced upon an open air market. And oh my, the fresh fruits on sale there, were so tantalizing. 

Travelogue - Kiruna, Sweden

Kiruna was our planned destination to catch the Northern Lights. It was also my first official time sitting on Ryanair. The few months I spent in Europe actually turned me into a Ryanair fan. I adore the cheap prices, and the fact that I never ever had any troublesome with my carry on luggage thanks to my trusty trekbag which was the perfect cabin sized bag. Special thanks to my friend who loaned me his trekbag! 

Back to Kiruna. We headed up in the middle of February 2012. At this time, Europe was in the midst of a particularly cold winter. Nonetheless, the allure of the Northern Lights beckoned. We stayed at Camp Ripan in Kiruna, and the cabin we had was so homely!