How to pack for an Indian monsoon!
image: Homage, Christian Peltenburg-Brechneff Hello Friends! Yes we are heading back to India on Friday. We've been busily preparing for this trip to make sure that we have all the right things in place. There are lots of things involved in our next phase of planning. These are some of our big tasks at hand: • hire the right managers to oversee the production • train women in sewing and development • continue to find good organic sources • work on export/import logistics We are hoping that as we meet with the leaders, we will be able to establish a clear path and direction for this venture. Meanwhile, here's a little insight into what goes into my luggage. I'm a serious traveller, but I don't travel entirely light. I've managed to find the smallest items possible for the needs that I have. Here's a pick of all the things that go into my suitcase: SNACKS: a. Trader Joe's Dried Cranberries b. Pringles (just a great package that's non-smashable) e. Haribo gummy cola candy d. Jack Link's CHOLULA Beef Jerky (this is for Elton obviously) e. Luna protein bars f. Vega Electrolytes d. Skippy All Natural Peanut Butter 
FIGHTING THE ELEMENTS: a. Black Diamond LED mini lamp for power outages b. Gold Bond (keeps certain places nice and dry!) c. Ultrathon Insect Repellant (best in sweat and humidity) d. New Chapter Immunity Booster Lozenges e. Tiger Balm f. Epipen (I'm allergic to EVERYTHING) 
FAVORITE TRAVEL AIDS: a. Mini BabyLiss hairdryer (this acts also as a portable clothes dryer too!) b. eyemask c. sleep aid (only used for serious jetlag) d. wooden hairbrush e. GoToob (best toiletries holder, no leaks!) f. Evian Moisturizer (for the super dry airplane air) g. earplugs h. The People's Republic of Tea 
TRAVEL TIPS for India: I've traveled extensively, but India is in a category of it's own. 1// Learn to roll with it. India is not about efficiency. Chaos is everywhere, so I've learned that allotting time to get to places helps. There are always strikes, power outages and elephants roaming (well I haven't seen any yet) that might delay you to your destination. 2// You will get used to the smell. Mainly because you will smell like everything else. :) I think that I'm blessed to also be in Kerala. It's a beautiful state full of coconut trees and the air seems to be cleaner. 3// Travel with a local. It just helps to know the area and the culture. They will be your best guide to bargaining and getting around. 4.// Give yourself time to adjust. It is a culture shock. Even traveling there after a couple of times, I need to give myself a couple of days to acclimate and get used to the weather, the sounds, and the smells. 5// Visit something out of the ordinary. Last time we visited an organic ayurveda farm and it was such a joy to learn about the beauty of plants and their healing properties. I'm hoping to explore more about this type of cotton and farming! Look out for the next post to be in India! What are your favorite travel tips? Where are you headed off to this summer?
2 Responses
Helen
Hey Sarah! Have you found the Immunity booster really work? We’re getting ready to head back to the motherland and I’m trying to make my purchases that are hard to find or next to impossible to find in China. My boys are also magnets for mosquitoes, so how do you like the Ultrathon Insect Repellant? I use Brookstone’s Ionic Dual-Voltage Travel Hair Dryer. It has faithfully traveled with me for almost 10 years and still going strong. We’ll be out in CA by July 19th, so hopefully we’ll get to see you and Elton!
Leave a comment
Comments will be approved before showing up.
EllieFunDay
July 21, 2015
@Helen I haven’t tried the booster yet…I’ll let you know. Ultrathon is great…but it does contain DEET, not sure how safe that is for little ones. I might recommend feeding them lots of garlic :) … I hear it helps with fending off mosquitos…perhaps even other things as well. hehehe.