Travel Break - My Travel Necessities

It takes 28 hours of travel time to get from Detroit MI to Hyderabad India. On the way back home from India I traveled alone, and surprisingly, I didn't get lost during any of my layovers.

Besides the on flight movies (I watched Bride Wars, and the first half of Vicky Christina Barcelona, also great) and The Other Boleyn Girl novel, here are the things that helped me survive my 28+ hours of traveling:

- Water! Once through security at every airport I made a point to buy a huge jug of water. Airplanes are very dry which requires us to drink more water to stay hydrated.

- TriDerma MD Advanced Skin Healing - My skin feels like sandpaper when traveling, especially from the increased use of antibacterial gel to ward off all of the germs. I made sure to pack TriDerma MD in my purse and used it on my hands after every antibacterial or hand wash. This Extreme Dryness PLUS lotion came in handy while in India. The dry heat took a toll on my skin, and after seeing how well it worked on my elbows, knees and feet during my visit in India, I made sure to put it in my purse for my journey home. At 2.2 ounces, this unscented lotion makes the cut for my carry on.

TriDerma MD is medical strength and contains genuine virgin organic aloe. It provides fast healing relief for very dry, chapped skin and helps soothe chafing, itching and burning.

- My latest favorite accessory, my pashmina – in India, it’s 115 degrees Fahrenheit, so one would think that short sleeves and shorts are common. India is a very conservative dressing country, for many different reasons, including religion, and I wanted to be respectful when out in the community. When wearing a tank top and short sleeves, I would bring along my baby blue pashmina, which I picked up at an outdoor market stall in Darjeeling for 150 rupees ($3 USD). I became obsessed. Who knew I would find a scarf useful in extreme dry heat. At night it was the perfect cover up, and I brought it into the office and out to restaurants to keep myself warm from the cold air condition.

These scarves are readily available for purchasing (not without bargaining of course) in every area of India. I bought about 30 total for female friends and family for souvenirs. They fold up nicely and it fit perfectly in my purse for the cold plane rides.

Scarves have been ‘in’ for awhile now, but a pashmina take it to the next level. Check out DreamSacks Bamboo Dreams “PashBu”, which is identical to some of the ones that I purchased in India. They can be worn as shawl (see pic on

right) and as a wrap and around the neck (see left pic) to help keep you warm and stylish. I have a black PashBu and it goes with pretty much all of my outfits. Made from 100% Viscose from Bamboo, this scarf is very soft and cozy.