Gettin’ Carried Away

Happy Halloween!

It’s no secret that fall is my favorite season. Naturally, I enjoy Halloween, as well. I love to watch terrifying movies (even though I’m easily scared by the smallest noise), and I always have fun putting up scary decorations. Most of all, though, I live for the costumes. Over the years, I’ve dressed up as a lot of characters: Jasmine from Aladdin, a referee, Devil Wears Prada. However, I think that my costume for Halloween 2009 trumps all of my past outfits.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with Carmen Sandiego, let me give you a brief back story, courtesy of an amazing vocal group, Rockapella.

Well, she sneaks around the world from Kiev to Carolina.
She’s a sticky-fingered filcher from Berlin down to Belize.
She’ll take you on a ride on a slow boat to China.
Tell me, where in the world is… Carmen Sandiego?

Essentially, Carmen, and her merry band of crooked followers, travel the globe, stealing famous landmarks, paintings, sculptures and more. She was the subject of an old computer game that taught young kids geography. You had to follow clues and chase her around the globe to secure the loot and a warrant before you could arrest her. For example, a clue could be: “I think she was headed towards Montpelier, the capital of the East Coast state.” Then, you’d head to Vermont to keep the chase going.

I first played it on an old Apple Mac (one that had a black screen with green lettering and used actual floppy disks) during my computer class in grammar school. Eventually, the game was made available for our home PC (an IBM at the time), and I played it religiously. It also evolved into a TV show that was on every day, Monday through Friday.

Being an avid traveler, I don’t know why I never thought to be Carmen Sandiego. She may be a thief, and a fictional character, but she has traveled the globe more times than I can count. Another lyric from her theme song reads, “She go from Nashville to Norway, Bonaire to Zimbabwe, Chicago to Czechoslokvaia and back!” Aside from trying to lift iconic landmarks like the Eiffel Tower and Big Ben, she’s my idol. And so, for Halloween 2009, I dressed up as the “double-dealing diva” known as Carmen Sandiego.

This morning, as I began preparing for my little two-day trip to Pittsburgh, I realized that packing isn’t so much a preparation for me anymore as it is a second nature. I’ve traveled to places like New York, Las Vegas and Mexico with nothing but a tiny carry-on bag for a five-day vacation. However, there was a time when I used to be “that traveler” who packed her entire closet into the largest suitcase she could find for just a weekend getaway. But now, my stuff fits in half of a tiny suitcase, leaving the other half for my travel companion.

Unless you’re flying on Southwest, like I am doing tomorrow, you will probably have to pay a fee for a checked bag. Save yourself some money–and the hassle of waiting at the turnstyle–by packing only one carry-on bag for your trip. Before you say anything, I’m not crazy, Everything you need can fit inside a carry-on bag. To prove it, here are my Top 5 packing tips and tricks:

1. Pack your suitcase as you normally would, then take away half of everything you packed. There is absolutely no reason to pack five pairs of pants and five tops for the five days you will be on vacation. Unless you’re a sloppy eater or you plan on doing some serious off-roading, chances are that you won’t dirty up your clothes every single day. Sure, you don’t want to wear the same thing every day, but that’s why you can do a little mix-and-match. Bring two pairs of pants or shorts or skirts (bottoms) and three tops.
2. Pack for the trip itself. Ladies, I’m talking to you on this one. For example, I’m headed to Pittsburgh tomorrow to take in a baseball game at PNC Park. I’ll spend the next day sightseeing, and then it’s time to come home on the third day. I’m not going to any swanky restaurants or VIP clubs, so I’m not packing my LBD and a pair of heels. It’s a sporty/leisurely kind of trip, so I’ll be taking my sneakers, a pair of jeans and a few t-shirts.
3. Roll some of your clothes. If you feel you must pack a ton of clothes roll some of them. It’s the best way to make room in your suitcase, and it also helps you avoid wrinkles (if you roll the clothing tight enough). I suggest not rolling, but folding jeans and pants, as rolling them is kind of difficult. Also, rolling pants really just makes them a little more bulky than if you were to lay them flat, on the bottom of the suitcase.
4. Wear your PJs on the plane ride. I’m not saying you should arrive at the airport in your footie pajamas, holding a teddy bear and a blanket. I tend to sleep in a pair of yoga pants and a t-shirt/hooded sweatshirt. The outfit is perfectly suitable for public viewing, as I’d probably wear it while working out or playing around in a nearby park. You want to be comfy when you fly, and this also saves you some space in your suitcase.
5. Forget the blow-dryer. It just takes up space in your suitcase. If your room doesn’t have a hair dryer, you can most likely get one from the front desk. As for other devices (straighteners, curling irons, etc), ladies, just forget about those, as well. Unless you are traveling for a big business meeting or an interview, you don’t have to get glammed up while you are on vacation. Traveling is about seeing the sights, not about people seeing you.

If you follow these tip/tricks, I guarantee you will be able to get by with just a carry-on bag. Remember to put your liquids (usually toiletries) in 3 oz containers inside a quart-sized plastic bag. And don’t forget, you are allowed to bring a smaller personal bag in addition to your larger carry-on. I highly recommend bringing this second bag for your electronics (camera, laptop, phone, chargers), your money and anything else that should be within easy reach to keep yourself occupied during the plane ride.

Twitter has become the hottest marketing tool for companies all over the world. And one U.S. airline that is taking advantage of the “Twittersphere” is JetBlue.

JetBlue already had a Twitter account, but the company created a second profile called @jetbluecheeps in order to offer some sweet deals on airfare exclusively (sort of) to their followers on Twitter. I mean, in all reality, you could just e-mail the link to a friend. However, the general idea behind this marketing venture is pretty cool.

If you’re on Twitter, simply follow @jetbluecheeps and keep a look out for their “cheep” deals every Monday. One of their first deals included a $19 flight from New York’s JFK to Chicago O’Hare. But… there is a catch… or two or three:

• You can only purchase the flight that day (while supplies last) 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. EST.
• You must fly out on Saturday, one way only. It’s a last-minute “cheep” deal.
• There are only 25 - 50 seats available at the “cheep” price.

I have to say, this is a pretty neat idea. It got me to follow @jetbluecheeps, and I tuned in the last two Mondays to see the flights being offered. I’m hoping there’s a flight from Chicago soon… and I will have the time to just take off, on a whim. How about you?