I'm a Busy Girl - for You!

Well, I think I mentioned (probably ages ago - alas!) that I was planning to prepare a Special Report for Road Warrioresses, Perpetual Travelers, and solo women travelers on "Packing for the Long Haul."  It is underway at last!  And I have a publisher awaiting final copy.
A few posts from the blog are included - often expanded.  Lots of new material, though.  The back of the book will include handy charts or tables so you can prepare a packing list for each of your trips, update it on the road, if necessary, and keep track of what you need and what you have.

It will first be published as a Kindle Edition e-book available from Amazon.com.  The nice thing about Kindle books is that they can be downloaded to so many gadgets and gizmos.  Kindle books are not just for Kindle readers - there's Kindle for PC, as well as apps for tablets, iPads, and whosits and whatsits.  Amazon's website includes complete details on usable devices, as well as free downloads of the various apps. 

Once you buy a Kindle book from amazon, you can access your purchase on all of your various electronic equipment.  So you can read materials on your laptop or notebook one day, and on a Kindle or tablet at the beach the next.  You can look up something in hurry on your iPad, iPod, or whatever.  I've become rather fond of Kindle!

I assume the publisher will get an edition up on Barnes & Noble's Nook, although they plan to release on Amazon first.

As soon as this is done and available online, I'll let you know!  We're working out some way to reward this blog's readers with some sort of win-a-freebie, discount, or something.  So watch for details.  They'll be posted as soon as available.

Here are details available so far:
Author:  Ann Teller (that's me!  LOL!)
Title:  Packing for the Long Haul:  A TravelTellers™ Quick Guide for Road Warrioresses
Publisher:  AngeLines Publishing^®
ISBN: to be assigned
Price: to be determined
Release Date: to be announced

Hang around for more info!  I think you'll all like this and find it useful, so I'm looking forward to sharing more tips, tricks, ideas I gathered while riding the rails through China, continent-crossing on the Trans-Siberian Railroad, business trips, and what-have-you.

May your road rise to meet you!

Best regards, Ann

Cut Your Losses

When I first joined the Road Warrior class, I quickly lost a hat, hair dryer, Georg Jensen sterling silver ring with a large smoky topaz, a bottle of pricy perfume, and more.  The ring was the clincher.  With a job involving tightly scheduled near-100% travel, I clearly needed a system to hang onto my stuff.  So does every Road Warrior.  Here are my “rules of the road.”

1.  Write a packing list as you pack.  Keep hard copy in your wallet or attaché, and save one as a draft in your email – don’t email it to yourself.  I keep a standing list used for each trip & just add that trip’s special items, e.g. parka when heading for wintry weather.

2.  Only unpack what you immediately need, for example, for that night’s stay and the next morning’s attire.  And NEVER stick anything in any drawer!

3.  Whatever you use, put it away immediately.  Never leave anything lying around your hotel room.  As soon as the nail polish is dry, plop implements and polishes back into their pouch in your suitcase.  When you put on your nightie, drop the day’s laundry in its section of your suitcase.  (I dump laundry in a plastic bag and stuff bag into suitcase.)

4.  Before you check out, take a minute to survey your surroundings.  I’ve found the best order to do this is tub/toilet area for shampoo, razor, et al, left on the tub surround, then the sink & counter area, clothes hangers, bedside table, credenza and/or desk for phone-computer-power supplies.  I turn out the lights at each stop so I know I checked the area!  It also keeps me moving from the rear of the typical hotel room toward the door, loading up as I walk out.

With these put-it-away-instantly habits, and this quick system to gather up luggage as I head out, I haven’t lost anything in years.

May the road rise up to meet you!

Ann