It’s about that time. The holidays have been and gone and by now you’ve come to terms with the inevitable: That was it. There are no more gifts coming in the mail, waiting at the FedEx office or forgotten under a friend’s tree. What you’ve got is all that’s coming. That’s the bad news. The Good News? Who says you can’t get yourself a little something. C’mon, all that frenzied Christmas shopping, Haunnakah baking and Chinese New Year prep? You DESERVE it. And since you’ve got traveling in your future I’ve got a few suggestions.
1. Eagle Creek luggage:
Why? It takes a licking and keeps on ticking. Seriously. We’re six months into our around the world trip and but for the dirt on the wheels the bags look as good as they did when we left home. We partnered them with packing cubes and they’ve kept everything from electronics cords to dirty laundry away from our each other.
2. A Roaming Plan you understand:
Admit it . You’ve had it happen to you. You decide to cross the border into Buffalo. You pop into Target, see the deal of the century and decide to call/email/text your best friend to see if you should pick up two. Fast forward 30 days and you’re crying into your new favourite sweater about a $700 phone bill you weren’t expecting. Not cool. We’ve been testing out the Rogers Plan on this trip. It’s not cheap but it is set up to let you know up front how much data you’re buying and has alerts to let you know when you’ve used, ½, ¾ and finished. It won’t let you keep going unless you opt in for a package.
It keeps you from doing something stupid again.
3. A Vitamin you’ll actually take and take with you: 
I have cupboards full of good intentions. Bottles of Omega 3s and Multivitamis and Iron; Calcium in droves. How often do I down the little suckers? Next to never. And yet… about a year ago I found Iron Kids for the boys and later got involved with the adult version. They are gummy bears but loaded up with vitamins so that I can get my Multis, B6, Vitamin D and more by seemingly eating fruit juice flavoured candy! And let me tell you I have no problem remembering to do that. Sold.
4. Gear you’ll actually use: 
I’m not ashamed to tell you. I’ve been wearing the same clothes for six months. They’ve been washed in Laundromats, by Cambodian women and in hotel sinks. And they still look good! The catch? We took some key pieces with us from Tilley. Yup, that Tilley! And I’ve been impressed. They look brand new, and after six months clothes that make you feel good when you get in ’em is something you like to wear. Leave your old T’s at home and stock up on stuff that can survive your travels.
5. A ticket somewhere you’ve always wanted to go
I don’t want to be the one to break the bad news but someone’s got to do it. You won’t live forever. Heck, not even tomorrow is promised. You owe it to yourself and the days you have left to take that trip you’ve been dreaming of. You want to go to Africa? Start the process. Find out how much it costs. Plan the vacation time. Nothing good comes of waiting. Not even for the good presents. Get ’em yourself.