So you planned an epic vacation and are to ready to escape your routine in search of an adventure, congratulations, you most certainly deserve the break.  Traveling overseas is a great way to get out of your comfort zone, gain compassion for other cultures and really get to know yourself.   The big question now; what you do need to pack?  Well, the basics of course; clothes that layer, comfy shoes and toiletries you can't live without. But if you are heading to another country, there are a few more items I suggest adding to you luggage because there's nothing fun about being caught unprepared in a foreign land where no one knows what you are talking about.   The following is a list of small items I always bring with me when traveling abroad and I've used all of them on more than one occasion.

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     1.  Scarf and/or Sarong – depending on how long and where you are traveling you may chose to bring either a light weight scarf or sarong or both.   The scarf can be used in all types of transportation situations; for dust, unpleasant smells, fear of air-born contamination or as a tourniquet.   The larger sarong comes in handy as a towel, wrap and blanket.   They and can be rolled to take up minimal space and I found both items essential in Guatemala, Mexico, Belize, Cambodia, Thailand and Laos. The UNICEF Market sells a variety of eco-friendly scarves that help UNICEF save and protect the world's most vulnerable children.

2. Para Shield - a parasite preventer, comprised of all natural organic herbs such as pomegranate, ginger and gentian, this will support the digestive track & help prevent you from entertaining an unwanted hitchhiker in your intestines, which trust me is very unpleasant.  I take them a few days before travel.  If you do get parasite, take 2 of these 2x per day along with plenty of water but if symptoms persist for more than a week you may need to visit you medical doctor.  A word of advice, don't have ceviche a third world country, I learned the hard way.

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      3. Apple Cider Vinegar – an all natural remedy that will keep you from spending days sick from a bad soup as it kills unfriendly bacteria you many have ingested.   I have drank this many times to prevent getting ill after feeling like where I ate was not sanitary or when I was already sick due to bad food.  It is a life saver.  I bring a 2 oz container with me to fit in carry on luggage so it's readily available.  You only need an oz or 2 to do the trick.  Beware, this is not a pleasant taste and I always chase it with a little purified water or juice, but don’t dilute the vinegar too much, you want it to work.

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      4. Sanitizer Spray & Anti-bacterial wipes - Yes, I bring both.  The spray is for the hands and smells really nice, it's come in handy too many time to count. EO Lavender is my favorite and is also good for repelling bugs.  The wipes, well wipe away; telephones, counter tops, feet, headrests, whatever you find dirty. I once videoed my friend wiping down an entire bus seat in Cambodia, much to her dismay it didn’t work very well. Keep in mind, they are just wipes and can only do so much.

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      5. Ear Plugs –  There’s nothing more frustrating as traveling across a country all day to finally arrive at your hotel exhausted only to find the window to your room faces a night club and it’s open till 4am.  At home I sleep with both an air purifier and a fan blurring my acute awareness and coaxing me off the sleep.   In many remote accommodations there is no AC, no fan and sometimes, due to heat, you must have the window open and be exposed to the various elements.  I have tried many types of earplugs, most fall out or just don’t block out the sound, but I did find these cute fuzzy wax earplugs that are everything I dreamed of, Quies.

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6. Lip Balm – I don’t know how many times I have forgotten or misplaced my lip balm during a trip and struggled for weeks with chapped lips that wouldn’t moisturize with the local products.  Bring your favorite brand that you know works, and if you are gone for longer than 2 weeks put a back up in you toiletry bag. My go to favorite Burts Bees Peppermint lip balm.

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      7. SPF Lotion & Sunscreen -   We often don’t think about the latitude of our location and the sun can be quite brutal in areas of the world. It’s important to bring both a face sunscreen as well as a body sunscreen that are at least 30 SPF.   As a general rule, if I am going to be walking around outside I put sunscreen on.  Easy. Eco Logical Sunscreen is a great body brand that's safe for the earth and ultra-protective. 

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      8. Small first aid kit – Pack all items in a small fabric compact pouch and be sure to bring it on all day excursions.  Bandaids of a few sizes, antibiotic ointment, ibprofen, electrolyte packet, alcohol wipes, medical tape, gauze, antacid tabs, safety pins, butterfly stitches, tweezers.  Or you can buy one already put together SMART TRAVEL

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     9. Flip Flops – I don’t care if you are traveling in the middle of winter, flip flops or some type of easy sandal is necessary.  You may want them for the floor of your room, or for using the hot tub.  There are too many reasons you may need flip flops and they are small enough to be essential. I love theres eco-flops, Planet Flops, created by a podiatrist so they are super comfortable and they are made from natural rubber from a rubber tree, which uses the sap and doesn't harm the trees.

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      10. Language guide – don’t expect the locals to cater to your lack of local language and communication skills.  By taking time to review basic words such as “hello” and “goodbye” you are showing respect for the country you are visiting  Bring either a dictionary and/or a language app.  I like to have the physical book that I carry everywhere so I can quickly look up phrases without needing to rely on technology.  I also engage with a local on the flight and often will ask how to pronounce certain key words I am practicing.  Word Lense is a good App for translating menus and TripLingo is a great phrase app that offers several ways to say the same thing, form formal to casual.