YOLO: Working Mom Travel - A Guide for the Ultimate Trip of a Lifetime

Almost a year ago I began preparing myself mentally for a milestone birthday. Having three kiddos and also working, I knew this would take epic planning and the timing would have to be absolutely perfect to make take it from a dream to a reality. Last week I am excited (and sad) to report that I arrived back from the location of a lifetime! Rome, Florence, Venice, Slovenia and then Croatia. I was blessed to spend three incredible weeks in six different hotels very specifically chosen with who I am in mind. It was very important to me to stay at smaller boutique hotels and visit restaurants that someone who lives in that location would take their grandmother for a meal (because we all know how brutally honest grandparents can be). 

Researching each location and what they were known for, whether that be goods, services and or foods and curating lists of local shops and restaurants was also very important to me. Shop local is ingrained into me, not just here in Dallas but also anywhere I visit. Local merchants, farmers and businesses are the life blood of communities! Also important was the assistance of local guides who helped see the sites but also give insight into the history and culture of each place we visited was a game changer in the experience. I will remember each of them forever!

So without further ado, here are some of the travel tips that I am documenting so a-I don’t forget and b-so you can have some ideas for your next trip of a lifetime. PS, I am now a believer in multiple trips of a lifetime. Why limit ourselves to one?

1. Identify where you want to go, when and why you want to go there. 
2. Utilize a travel planner. Low/No cost to you and will absolutely be HUGE in getting this best out of your experience.
3. Once you know the where, whens and whys, plan your ideas around that. Food tours, museum tours, the kind of hotel (would you rather a Boutique Hotel or a Ritz or both). Make sure any tours that you do decide on have a flow. For example, while in Rome doing the Colosseum before the Vatican and St. Peters was huge in knowing more insight into the history of both. But that history was even more enriched by having great guides. And if guides aren’t in your budget, research the order to visit and plan your day and tickets in advance. You do need reservation times!
4. KNOW the Weather! And even if you know the weather, still pack at least one outfit of the opposite weather. Global Warming is here. For example, when we went to Slovenia there had been an intense heat wave the week before we arrived with temperatures close to 100. When we were there? In the 60’s and rain. We had to buy clothes for the weather. 
5. Plan what you wear for each location but then also on how you will bloat as time goes on. I am not kidding. I gained 11 lbs during our trip and lost 9 within four days of being back home. I’ll leave the rest to your imagination. Start your outfits tight and end stretchy or a larger size. You’ll thank me later.
6. Bring medications you would not normally bring with you, even if it is just a couple of each in a little pill box and keep them on you. Laxatives, stool softeners, pepto, migraine and allergy medicine, non-drowsy Dramamine and for God sakes don’t forget band aids, especially ones for blisters. Melatonin, unless you are like me and it makes you want to dance in the streets…
7. Pack a duffle bag or bring an extra suitcase and a lightweight towel/blanket to go in them. Or both. I did both. You think you won’t want to bring back olive oil, salt, local art and so on but you would be wrong. So wrong. And you don’t want to buy another one last minute while you are there or dispose of clothes so you can fit all the aforementioned olive oil, salt and art.
8. DO NOT get currency at the airport or an ATM that is not directly connected to a bank. Only use ATMs associated with an actual bank. Trust me. 
9. Have a bag pack or purse and make sure you always have a copy of your passport and keep money in all different sections and zippered areas. That way if someone steals from one place you will still have more in the other areas. Speaking of cash, most places only allow cash tips. Period. And you will be tipping everyone. So always have denominations on you!
10. Regarding jet lag, set a VERY loud alarm and only allow yourself a cat nap while you acclimate to a different time zone. If you sleep too long during the day you will be punished at night. Vicious cycle.
11. Have a great attitude! You cannot control the weather, the timing of things or about a million more facets. So stay calm! You will figure out the train stop. You will figure out the hotel room lights. You don’t want to figure out how to say sorry when you’ve been a stressed out mess because you don’t know everything. You aren’t at home! You won’t know it all. Let that add to the flavor of the trip. 

Must Have Items:

• Power Bank for devices
• Travel Fan
• Travel Sound Machine
• Copies of DL and Passport and Insurance Card both on you and in the hotel room
• Great bag pack and purse and water bottle
• Extra duffel bag or suitcase
• Travel water bottle
• Sunscreen
• A great attitude and great walking shoes

The most important part? Memories with people you love. We all work so hard and only have one very short life, which is put way more in perspective when you travel places with a rich history, so take the trip wherever it might be and make the memories. Now? Back to work so I can pay for the next vacation of a lifetime!

XOXO - Jillian