My Favorite (Travel) Things with Bethany Johnson
Today, I would like to introduce you to Bethany Johnson! For the last 18 months, Bethany has been the person helping me keep Her Bags Were Packed running. She transcribes the interviews into blog posts, organizes the guest posts, helps me come up with stuff to say on Facebook and so much more! Bethany has been amazing, and I am so grateful for her help!
So with all that said, I thought it would be fun to introduce her with a My Favorite Things interview.
Besides being the woman behind the curtain at Her Bags Were Packed, Bethany is an avid solo traveler who has been to 36 countries and has no plans to slow down. She's currently a travel consultant in Portland, Oregon, and a travel and music photographer on the side. She just graduated with a degree in International and Global Studies with a focus in International Development. She spent 15 months in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, and has plans to move to Ireland soon before starting a career in international relations. Until then, she will keep on traveling and taking pictures of the beautiful things in her path, sharing them online for all of Instagram to see.
MY FAVORITE PIECE OF TRAVEL ADVICE IS…
Let go of your expectations. I've been on a few trips where I thought it would be one thing, and it wasn't, and I ended up disappointed. Keep an open mind, stay flexible, and if someone invites you to go do something that sounds like it will be more fun than what you had planned, take them up on their offer. Go exploring if there's the opportunity to explore. Don't miss out on things because you had it in your mind that you were going to spend that day doing, seeing, or experiencing something else. For me, I have to remind myself to not be so Type A all the time and to just live in the moment and have fun.
MY FAVORITE THING ABOUT SOLO TRAVEL…
I love the freedom to do whatever I want, whenever I want to do it. If I want to wake up before sunrise and go to every museum and attraction and stay out late enough to watch the sunset and go to a bar afterward, I can do that. Then if I want to just have a lazy day at my hostel, or at a coffee shop, or at a beach, I can do that too. I can change my schedule without feeling like I'm letting anyone else down or messing with their plans by not doing what they wanted to do.
MY FAVORITE SOLO TRIP WAS WHEN…
It's so hard to pick a favorite, but probably the most memorable was when I took my first trip in 2013. I was 20, had never left the country (except on a group volunteer trip to Haiti a year before), and had never really been on a real vacation unless you count trips from Dallas to Portland to visit family. I had also never gone anywhere alone overnight. So, naturally, the first move was to go backpacking in Ireland and Italy for 5 straight weeks by myself. It was a trip of firsts- first solo trip, first time to Europe, first hostels, first drink, first cannoli, first time to practice my Italian. I learned so much about travel, myself, and most importantly, that there are people outside of America who think differently than us. It really opened my eyes and mind, and I've been a better person ever since.
BETHANY’S FAVORITE TRAVEL ITEMS
This is just a friendly note to remind you that I am an Amazon Affiliate. The following Amazon links are affiliate links. If you follow any of these links and then later make any Amazon purchase, I may receive a small commission. If you’re into online shopping, this is a great way to help support Her Bags Were Packed. Thank you!
FAVORITE TRAVEL ITEM #1:Mini Garment Steamer
I bought this when I started going on work trips and had to look presentable, but now I take it on every trip. My clothes never come out of the suitcase without wrinkles, so this steamer saves the day every time. It powers up in less than a minute and works as well as any iron. The added bonus is that this doesn't give me the irrational fear that ironing always does of "What if I iron too hard and melt this shirt or burn a hole through these pants?"
FAVORITE TRAVEL ITEM #2: Pill Box
I actually travel with two of these -- one for whatever medication I may need while traveling (pain killers, vitamins, Dramamine, etc.) -- but the second box, more importantly, is to keep the jewelry I travel with organized. It seems to fit most of my smaller earrings and necklaces, and if it's a piece that's too big and flashy to fit in this, I probably shouldn't be traveling with it anyway.
FAVORITE TRAVEL ITEM #3: USB Splitter
This USB Splitter is the answer to the frustrating hostel problem of never having enough outlets in the dorm. I always have too many things to charge (phone, battery pack, camera, etc.), but with a splitter, I only have to use one precious outlet. Generally, I also get to be the hero that lets other people use it to charge their phones when all the other outlets are occupied.
FAVORITE TRAVEL ITEM #4: Shampoo Bar
I started using shampoo bars in an effort to use less plastic, but it's really been beneficial to traveling also. Now I use shampoo, conditioner, soap, face wash, and shaving cream all in bar form, leaving me with fewer liquids to squeeze into my TSA-appropriate bag. Pro tip: I always cut each bar into smaller portions so that I can fit it all in one soap box and save space.
FAVORITE TRAVEL ITEM #5: Microfiber Fast Drying Towel
I am telling you, this is absolutely the best purchase I've made for my trips. It rolls up pretty tight and dries pretty quickly, so if you're moving from place to place every day, you don't have to worry about carrying around a wet towel. On my last trip to Hawaii, I actually bought a second so I could have one at the hostel for showering and one in my day pack for the beach. I've also been told that microfiber is better for fine hair than regular towels. I don't know if that's true or not, but it's now my go-to towel at home, too.
If you’d like to keep up with Bethany’s adventures, you can do so on Instagram at @SeeBethTravel.
Do you want more content like this?
Let us know in the comments below!