Monday Musings: On Travel and Returning Home
Returning Home
I just got back from a holiday in Singapore and Bali with my husband and some of our dearest friends. It was one of those trips I’ll be talking about for years, which is saying something because right now I’m mostly talking about how good it feels to sleep in my own bed.
This was my second time in Asia. The first was Japan with my daughter back in 2019, and both trips left me thinking I need to go back. The food alone is worth the flight, and I don’t say that lightly after that many hours on a plane.
I’ll get into the details in the weeks ahead, once I’ve sorted through my photos, unpacked the things I swore I packed carefully, and remembered what day it is.
Travel Essentials
A few things I packed were especially useful, so I thought I’d mention them while they’re still fresh in my mind and before the whole trip becomes a blur of humidity, hotel rooms, and trying to remember which pouch held what.
My travel mirror came with me, which will surprise absolutely no one because I’ve written about it so many times before. I’ve probably left just as many of them behind, stuck onto hotel windows around the world. At this point, it’s less a travel essential and more a recurring expense.
Still, I need the magnification to do my makeup, and the best light is always natural light from a window, so into the suitcase it goes. Again.
I also brought my Anker phone charger, which I carry with me everywhere I travel. It’s one of those things I don’t want to be without, especially when I’m not sure whether there will be an outlet nearby. My phone is also my camera on a trip like this, so keeping it charged isn’t optional.
My Noshinku lavender hand sanitizer came along, too. Travel means being around a lot of unfamiliar germs, and I’m pretty persnickety about avoiding them. I try to stay healthy on the go, so I use this between hand washings. It smells good, which helps, because some sanitizers make the whole process feel even grimmer than it needs to be.
For sunscreen, I brought my favorite mineral ISDIN Photo Eryfotona Actinica. I’ve talked about this many times before, and I still love it. There is never enough sunscreen for me on a trip, especially somewhere hot and bright, and this one is easy to wear every day without feeling sticky or heavy, while still providing strong protection.
My Janessa Leone Suni Bucket hat came with me, and I wore it every day! It’s lightweight and very packable, which makes it especially useful in the heat and bright sun. When it got so hot that I needed my umbrella instead, I could roll the hat up and tuck it into my bag.
The chin strap turned out to be more useful than I expected. It kept the hat on my head during a fast boat ride and an open-air jeep ride, which is no small thing unless you enjoy watching your accessories make a dramatic exit.
A Book Recommendation from Vanessa
Before I go, Vanessa’s latest book recommendation is By Any Other Name by Jodi Picoult, which she gave four stars.
The story moves between Melina Green, a young playwright today, and her ancestor, Emilia Bassano, an Englishwoman who may have paid William Shakespeare to stage her play under his name. It blends historical fiction with two women’s lives, both shaped by talent, ambition, and the uncomfortable reality of how easily women’s work can be overlooked.
Vanessa thought it was a great pick if you enjoy smart historical fiction, strong female characters, and stories that make you wonder how much history we’ve accepted without asking who was left out.
One line that stayed with her was, “There once was a girl who became invisible so that her words might not be.”
I am just finishing up Louise Penny’s The Cruelest Month…it’s great, but my reading time has been a teeny bit distracted lately.
I’d love to hear from you. What travel essentials do you always bring with you?