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Kelly Misa, the gracious model, television host, blogger, and beauty columnist, pairs with her bestie Patty Laurel for Urban Mom magazine’s travel issue. Apart from talking excitedly about her growing belly, Kelly also shared her favorite travel memories.
Kelly was particularly affected by a trip she took with her family to New Zealand. She said, “This was back in the 90’s. I think I was around 12 years old. My parents planned a trip to Australia and New Zealand and brought all four kids with them. It’s pretty amazing how they were able to survive. They told us we would be backpacking across the two countries, traveling down South by plane, train, and bus, and that we did! We each brought our own backpacks and took care of our own things. We carried our own weight, but I’m sure we all went at a slow pace, as my two brothers were still very young. It was an unbelievable adventure for us though and truly unforgettable, as we saw beautiful parks, geysers, and animals. I would like to do the same thing with my kids.”
Here, Kelly gives her top travel must-haves:
1. Print-outs of places to go, names of people to meet, tickets, and other information: “I depend on my mobile phone when I travel, but let’s face it, you really can’t depend on it when you don’t have signal or battery or both. I like to be on the safe side and print out everything I need to know regarding where I’m going, especially if I’m traveling alone or in charge of my itinerary. If all else fails, it’s good to have these with you, including translations of places to go for your cab driver, and directions for buses, etc.”
2. Wrinkle-free clothing you can layer: “I’ve learned the art of layering from my travels, as the weather tends to be fickle even if you check the weather forecast. It is good to have clothes that can breathe underneath and warmer clothes you can wear on top of it. Of course, if you’re going to a place that’s snowing or super cold, wear thermal underwear and have a warm, long coat.”
3. The lightest luggage possible: “I can’t believe I travelled all these years with heavy luggage. I mean, these are luggage that are heavy on its own, no thanks to its metal structure and/or heavy fabric. Once I invested in super lightweight luggage, I immediately felt the difference. I wasn’t lugging around a heavy, annoying thing but was gliding it. Also, I could actually put more things inside.”
4. Comfortable shoes: “I only bring a pair of heels when I really need it, like if I were to attend a wedding or formal event. But apart from that, I live in flats when I travel. The worst thing ever is to have to endure painful shoes while traveling. That’s no fun! So bring tried-and-tested shoes with you, and make sure they are super light, durable, and comfortable.”
5. Cash in the currency you’re traveling to: “I always use my credit card when I travel, but they don’t accept these when paying for the little things, like cab/bus fare, buying snacks/water, etc. Prepare and get money from your bank days or weeks before your trip to save you the time and the hassle of looking for a fair money changer. Also, the Philippine peso is worth more here, so it’s better to have money changed here!”
Also in Urban Mom’s travel issue, Our Awesome Planet’s Anton Diaz reveals his favorite family destinations, mompreneur Chal Lontoc shares her secret to balancing work and family, and business developer Em Sulit talks about her source of inspiration. Log on www.mommymundo.com/urbanmom to read or download the latest issue. Copies of Urban Mom are also available at select branches of Starbucks, Coffee Bean, UCC, Hobbes & Landes, and at Expo Mom 2015 on May 22 – 24, 2015 at the Glorietta Activity Center.
Currency photo courtesy of foto76 at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Map photo courtesy of tiramisustudio at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
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