Shopping for Continent Hopping 101

I'm getting so excited for my trip, and also for others that are coming up before I leave for Australia (I'll be scuba diving in Honduras for a while in June-July!) and my old-faithful travel accessories have gotten a little bit worn down. Luckily, my awesome parents gave me a three-piece set of hard-shell houndstooth London Fog luggage that I posted a photo of in my first post, but I didn't mention the specifics: all of them feature 360 degree wheels that roll in every direction, so they are easy to maneuver. I think that these should be required on ALL suitcases--they're definitely a requirement on any that I carry.

Here's the photo of those again: I'm so glad to finally have my own set of durable luggage that will last me far into my future, especially since I'd love to travel for a living.

I've also started to stock up on a few other essentials that I wouldn't want to be stuck without. I know that monograms aren't for everyone, but I love adding them to my essentials so that I can know without a doubt that I'm grabbing the right jacket or phone.

Other essentials I've bought recently:

-a lightweight raincoat (I'll be living in a rainforest, and though it is a "dry" rainforest, part of the time that I'm there will be monsoon season in the late afternoon (via Marley Lilly)

-a Lifeproof case for my new iPhone 5 (I will be able to use the phone internationally & to use iMessage when I have Wi-Fi, but my history with phone damage is enough that I need to know I won't have a mishap and be stuck halfway around the world without a way to get a new one. Also, a great feature of the Lifeproof cases is that you can use them underwater to take photos, which will be great for beach days. (via Boutique Me)

-a Travel Stub Diary to collect photos, tickets, boarding passes, stubs, and any other reminders of my travels (via Uncommon Goods)

-A travel journal (I'm a writer, after all) that includes pages for writing, and scratch-off maps of every continent, so that you can scratch off the cities and countries that you visit--I'm so excited about this one, and to scratch off all of the places I've already been (via Uncommon Goods) ...they also offer a wall-sized scratch off world map that I'd love to buy someday when I have a permanent home

-a new passport cover (via Kate Spade, duh)-- I've been needing a new one for years, and couldn't resist the precious polka-dots inside

- Sleep Phones: this fleece headband plays music through its cloth so that you don't have to try to fall asleep with uncomfortable earbuds in. Those next to you can't hear the music, and it can also double as a sleeping mask. I might be a baby, but this couldn't be more needed for my long flight. I hate sleeping sitting up or trying to find comfortable positions, and it seems like as soon as I do, my headphone start aggravating me. I think I'll be using these for a long, long time! I ordered them in lavender, pictured above. They could also help spouses who have a snoring partner! (via Sleep Phones)

-Laundry Soap Sheets- I'm sure that, being there for so long, I'll end up buying detergent there, but this tiny pack holds 50 sheets that can be thrown in the washer, or used to hand-wash clothes. I know they'll come in handy when I'm first getting settled and when I go on weekend/school break trips to other parts of Australia (via Travel Smith)

                                                  

-Lonely Planet guides- in case you didn't know, Lonely Planet makes the greatest guides ever. They give tips for all kinds of budgets, ages, and scenes, and they give you actual descriptions, not just the typical ones you could find for yourself on Wikipedia. They also include hole-in-the-wall joints and other local spots, so they are extremely worthy investments, especially for when I travel to other parts of Australia (via Lonely Planet)


So there you go, that's where I'm at so far-- I'm always on the quest for other new things to make my travels easier, so let me know if you have any tips. Right now, I'm working on packing up my current home (the beach house in Wrightsville Beach) that we move out of on May 12. It's such a sad process, but I'm excited for new beginnings.

Cheers.