How To Handle a Travel Medical Emergency

Laurie is the current organizer of the Albuquerque Solo Women’s Travel Club Meetup* and during the Covid-19 pandemic, she has been hosting Zoom meetings with members. The topic for the March meeting was “How to Handle a Travel Medical Emergency.” Here are a few of the responses.

Have you ever experienced an illness or injury while traveling that required medical attention? What happened, and what did you do? During March's meeting we focused on how to handle a travel medical emergency and how to prepare for most medical eventualities before hitting the road. Eight Solo Women Travelers participated, and here’s what they had to say.

Tracy: In the early 1980s, I was in Cancun on a dinner boat ride with my husband. We were drinking and eating, the usual activities you do during a cruise. Well, my husband drank too much and, at one point, he left our table to visit the “head.” He was gone for a while, so when I went to investigate and opened the door, I saw him sprawled on the floor and writhing in pain. He had slipped, and in that tight space his leg had nowhere to go. He ended up with compound fractures all up his leg and a twisted foot. By the way, I was six months pregnant.

Coincidentally and conveniently, a doctor’s convention was with us on the boat, so there were plenty of physicians to attend to my husband, including an emergency room doctor and an osteopath. We docked in Cancun, where his leg was wrapped in a makeshift cast, but he wasn’t allowed any pain meds because he was so drunk. And Mexico wouldn’t let us leave because the incident happened in Mexican waters. Two days later, we were allowed out on a private plane and the Country of Mexico paid for everything. They even offered my husband champagne on the flight—not a good idea, I thought. When we arrived at D/FW airport, customs thought we were smuggling drugs inside his cast.

Linda: The first time I traveled anywhere from sea level to a high elevation place was to Bogotá, Columbia. I was with my family and I got altitude sickness. (LM: Bogotá sits at 8,675 feet above sea level. There’s a product called ChlorOxygen that’s a chlorophyll concentrate which is supposed to help increase oxygenation. It’s good to start taking it a few days before your trip to a high elevation place.)

Vicky: In 2018, I was on an Avalon River Cruise down the Danube, and my husband and I flew in a few days early to explore Prague. We dropped our luggage at the hotel and started walking. We stopped in a grocery store, and when we were coming out, there was a little step that I didn’t see. I slipped off the step and twisted my ankle, badly! It became really swollen, and I hobbled back to the hotel. The hotel provided ice bags for the two days we were supposed to be exploring Prague. During that time, I tried to negotiate a wheelchair or walker for the boat, but they weren’t allowed. But my ankle was slowly improving. Then I started thinking that all I would need is crutches. The day they were supposed to leave for Nuremberg on the bus to meet up with the cruise, I was able to walk, sort of.

Mary Lou: Always buy accident insurance! Once I was in the Hill Country of Texas riding bicycles, near Fredericksburg, when I went through some water that had made the road I was riding on very slippery and difficult to navigate through. While peddling through the water, I exerted so much effort that I got a compound fracture in one of my legs. I didn’t even fall off the bike; it was my effort alone, trying to get out of the slippery water, that gave me the fracture.

Eve: Once I went to Australia, a very long flight (LM: Los Angeles to Sydney is fifteen hours). I didn’t wear compression stockings, and when I arrived my feet were frighteningly swollen. It took four or five days to recover. After that experience, I never travel on long flights without wearing compression stockings.

Elsa: I’ve caught a few really bad colds while traveling, most memorably in Bermuda and New Zealand. It’s good to know that you can get medicine over the counter in some places for which here in the U.S. you’d need a prescription. The trips I’ve taken often required travelers to purchase medical insurance, and I think it’s a good idea to always have it.

Kalya: When I was young and bumming around Europe, I was hitching near the Arctic circle when I got a respiratory infection. I left the area for Norway and met a person there whose mother kept me in bed and nursed me back to health. In other countries, pharmacists are really helpful in diagnosing problems and providing the right remedies. I’ve gotten la tourista really bad traveling in Oaxaca, Mexico, and it helps that you can get drugs more easily there. Now I have a better sense of my body than I did when I was younger. Once when I was in San Miguel de Allende, I caught myself before tripping on a curb. I started bringing a fold-up cane when I travel and it makes a huge difference. You have to think about your shoes and make sure they’re good for walking.

Laurie: The following is an excerpt from my book Travel for STOICs: Empowering the Solo Traveler Who is Obsessive, Introverted, and Compulsive about a travel injury.

Managing Minor Injuries

 While visiting the ancient Mayan site of Uxmal, about an hour-and-a-half drive south of Mérida, desperate for more shade than my hat provided, I wandered into the jungle to cool off and to enjoy a more solo traveler experience. The Yucatán was in its dry season and the trees were parched. Brittle sticks shed from the trees littered the trail leading into the jungle. The sticks snapped and crumbled under my feet, but one of the sturdier ones launched into the air when I stepped on it, and on its trajectory gave me a nasty scratch on the left ankle. I had Band-Aids, of course, in my cross body bag, but when I pulled out the ziploc, I saw that the only shapes left were dots. I had depleted my supply of the bigger rectangular-shaped ones on blisters rubbed while breaking in a pair of new shoes (a traveling no-no; never wear new shoes on a trip if tons of walking is part of the plan). And I realized I’d made a huge planning error referenced earlier (see Appendix A list). I had neglected to bring an antibacterial ointment. I washed the area with drinking water, let it air-dry, and when the wound started bleeding again, applied two of the dot Band-Aids. I wasn’t going to let this minor injury put a halt to exploring the jungle, but the scratch wouldn’t stop bleeding and the dots weren’t doing their job. So I headed back to Uxmal’s entrance, leaving a trail of blood behind me and invoking Stoic indifference.

 Whatever happens was bound to happen, so refrain from railing at nature.

—Seneca

 When entering Uxmal, as with most monuments worldwide, first you are herded past several gift shops that, in addition to souvenirs, offer a variety of overpriced provisions and emergency supplies like headache remedies, antacids, Band-Aids, and antibacterial wipes. I was confident I could take care of the problem, thanks to one of these shops, and be back in the jungle in a few minutes. As the gift shops came into view, I saw a bare-legged elderly man sitting on a bench. His skin was as white as mine and his legs were covered in long red scratches, some of them dripping blood: in that instant, trivializing my single little scratch. Regardless, I wanted to take care of it as soon and as quickly as possible. Looking at him created a mirror effect, and if he’d had an amputated leg, I would have believed I did, too. I felt a wash of panic. Stoic indifference wasn’t working. A friend I’d made back at the hacienda in Mérida had relayed a story about a teeny scratch of hers turning into blood poisoning, and I couldn’t shove that possibility out of my mind.

Desolation comes when we are bereft of help.

—Epictetus

A Stoically indifferent response would go something like this: I’m still alive, my life is not immediately threatened, and blood poisoning is not the reality I’m experiencing. My inner Seneca spoke up:

Let us face up to the blows of circumstance and be aware that whatever happens is never as serious as worry makes it out to be.

The more I stole glances at the elderly man with the julienned legs, the more Stoic indifference lost its grip. Soon Alan Rickman overwhelmed Seneca and shouted, “YOU’RE GOING TO GET BLOOD POISONING, DO SOMETHING!” I tried my best to respond rationally, and Seneca made a brief reappearance.

This prompts me to marvel at our madness in cleaving with great affection to such a fleeting thing as the body, and in fearing lest some day we may die, when every instant means the death of our previous condition.

Not surprising, STOICs can be germ- and injury-phobic. I’m mostly not that way, but blood poisoning seems particularly disagreeable. It can be easy to acquire, like from a hair that gets stuck under a fingernail or an ingrown toenail that’s trimmed too severely. Or it can happen from the inside-out, like from a small bone fracture. Sinister! Surprisingly, the two gift shops stocked no emergency essentials, only the usual touristy coffee cups, t-shirts, and mini monuments. Exiting the second gift shop, I scanned the area for other options. The man with the scratched legs was still sitting on the bench. Across from him and nestled in between a tourist information office and a place to buy bottled water was the narrow entrance to a first aid station. I wondered why he didn’t avail himself of their services and wondered if he silently scorned me for doing so. I made “the worst rarely happens in actuality” my mantra for the moment. I tried my hardest not to catastrophize. The panic subsided, but only a little.

The entrance to the first aid station opened into a large room fully equipped to handle any Uxmal emergency: defibrillators, splints to set broken bones of people who have tumbled down the pyramids’ narrow stairways, an ominous-looking gurney for things more serious, a dated x-ray machine—a mix of old medical equipment and new technology. The room was painted a bilious green color reminding me of the doctors’ offices of my childhood. A friendly receptionist greeted me, and a handsome medic named Luis immediately came to my aid. I sat on a padded table, also bilious green, covered with white crepe paper, the kind that sticks to the backs of your legs and rustles loudly every time you shift around. Reminiscent of the sounds of the leaves in the dry Yucatán forest.

To call attention to my trivial injury and to use precious resources when the man outside appeared to be bleeding to death reddened my face. On the other hand, I was excited by the opportunity to apply one of my Five Essential Phrases (which I describe in detail a bit later; see “Using a New Language”) to communicate an apology for the trouble. Lo siento mucho. I added “mucho” for emphasis. Eyes lowered, Luis either ignored the remark or was stifling a laugh because of my bad pronunciation. He treated me as if I were a delicate flower that any swift move or too much pressure would crush. He spent a good thirty seconds examining the scratch from all angles (more embarrassment), gently palpated the ankle for swelling, pondered it for a while longer, then produced three ancient-looking glass jars containing cotton ball-soaked substances. He cleaned the wound with what smelled like alcohol, applied what I think was iodine, then liberally applied a gooey substance I assume was an antibacterial. He covered the scratch with a big, thick Band-Aid and a long, wide piece of sticky white tape to keep out moisture. Total overkill.

When the procedure was finished, I felt that opened-floodgate release of tension that happens when you realize you’ve dodged another bullet and everything’s going to be okay. Serenity restored, momentarily. Then I remembered I was short on cash and asked the receptionist, “¿Cuanto cuesta?” Number three on the Five Essential Phrases list: “How much does this cost?” She gave me a funny look and said, “Nada.” All I needed to do was to sign a paper saying I’d been treated by Luis, and I was on my way. That was it.

Upon every accident, remember to turn towards yourself and inquire what faculty you have to deal with it. If you encounter a handsome person, you will find continence the faculty needed; if pain, then fortitude; if reviling, then patience. And when thus habituated, the phenomena of existence will not overwhelm you.

—Epictetus

 * The “Solo Women” in the name means women who live on their own but want to travel with other women.

Favorite Travel Movies

Laurie is the current organizer of the Albuquerque Solo Women’s Travel Club Meetup* and during the Covid-19 pandemic, she has been hosting Zoom meetings with members. The topic for the February meeting was “Favorite Travel Movies.” Here are a few of the responses.

This month’s theme was, what is a favorite travel movie (not a documentary or docuseries) that captures the magic, beauty, mystery, or surprises of travel and/or locale? That has the power to transport you to another place? Here are the answers, in alphabetical order.

Australia
Avatar
Before Sunrise/Sunset/Midnight
Chevy Chase vacation movies
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Hatari!
Lost in Translation
Midnight in Paris
Out of Africa
Planes, Trains, and Automobiles
Raise the Red Lantern
Roman Holiday
Shirley Valentine
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
The Bucket List
The Darjeeling Limited
The English Patient
The Loneliest Planet
The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency
The River Wild
The Smithsonian Channel: CBS All Access, for landscape drone footage
The Sound of Music
2001: A Space Odyssey
Under the Tuscan Sun
Vicky Cristina Barcelona

All of these films are available on the usual platforms: Amazon, Google Play, iTunes, Hulu, etc., and some are based on great reads (e.g., The English Patient). The films on this eclectic list all provide insights to what may be unfamiliar places and cultures, and watching them should provide an entertaining diversion during these challenging times!

* The “Solo Women” in the name means women who live on their own but want to travel with other women.

If you could live anywhere else in the world (other than the U.S.), where would it be and why?

Laurie is the current organizer of the Albuquerque Solo Women’s Travel Club Meetup* and during the Covid-19 pandemic, she has been hosting Zoom meetings with members. The topic for the January 2021 meeting was “If you could live anywhere else in the world (other than the U.S.), where would it be and why?”

Of all our Zoom gatherings, January’s meetup on the 21st was the most well attended with sixteen women participating. This may mean that living elsewhere is on some of our minds!

Rachna (“Rich”), Risa, and Erika said that a beach or an island that’s hot and sunny all the time would be their preferred place. Costa Rica and Panama entered the discussion several times in addition to the Caribbean Islands. Erkia has read extensively about Zanzibar and wants to travel there to investigate. Several of us mentioned the friendliness of the Costa Rican people, known as “Ticos.”

Some members would prefer to move to a place where they didn’t have to learn a new language, or to a place that has large communities of American expats. In Mexico, Lake Chapala and Ajijic, Puerto Vallarta, and the Riviera Maya are a few of those places. Jean’s relatives immigrated to the U.S. from Norway, and she spent a summer solstice there one year enjoying the spectacular views and gorgeous scenery. (Check out the film Smiles of a Summer Night by Ingmar Bergman; one of Bergman’s few comedies that takes place in near-by Sweden on summer solstice. –LMcD) Jean said moving to Norway could be a possibility.

Tracy and Vicky both love Tuscany. Tracy has done a biking tour through Italy; she also loves Venice and “would live there in a heartbeat.” Her second choice would be Ireland if she couldn’t find a translator in Italy—she’s another member who would prefer not to have to learn another language. Vicky’s favorite place was Florence, but she also loves Scotland.

Ireland came up several times as a possibility for relocation. Susan has Irish ancestry and has taken a three-week tour of England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland. She and Judy both said they’d love to live in Ireland, that the people are friendly and welcoming, but the cold, damp weather could be a drawback. Risa is completing a virtual tour called the Ring of Kerry, a distance-based exercise program (walking, running, swimming) that advances you along the route of this Kerry map:
https://www.theconqueror.events/ringofkerry/?gclid=CjwKCAiAr6-ABhAfEiwADO4sfalXRwELy04eMnWy4tV5kUItuEnWeYwNZb1rg2NZ2HybgXrPPuaXlhoC4nUQAvD_BwE

Brenda lived in Spain for two years, when she was in the Airforce, and loved her time there. She lived in a small coastal town called San Sebastián, located in the Basque area of Spain. If she relocated, she would move to a place where she wouldn’t have to drive. She thinks Mexico is a good choice and likes beach areas, Mazatlán on the Pacific coast in particular, and the large American communities that have been established in Mexico.

Kalya has spent three months in Australia and New Zealand, and if she decided to leave the U.S., she would move to New Zealand’s South Island. She loves Christchurch and its slow pace and friendly people. New Zealand is well-known for its natural beauty, where you can be both on a glacier and on a beach during the same day. Risa mentioned that her daughter wants to move to New Zealand and that it’s possible she would follow.

Donna owns a home in Israel that’s been in the family for many generations. She laments that Israel has a bad, and undeserved, reputation for crime and terrorism—she mentioned being more scared in Los Angeles than she ever is in Israel. Netanya, the Mediterranean resort city near Tel-Aviv where her ancestral home is located, is rich in history.

Carol and Rose prioritize good health care and would move to an English-speaking community only. They want to travel to Australia and Ireland, and when they consider a move abroad, Cosa Rica and Canada were mentioned in the same sentence. Two very different places, but both with excellent health care options.

* The “Solo Women” in the name means women who live on their own but want to travel with other women.

Travel Web Sites

Laurie is the current organizer of the Albuquerque Solo Women’s Travel Club Meetup* and during the Covid-19 pandemic, she has been hosting Zoom meetings with members. The topic for the December meeting was “What travel Web sites do you rely on for information?” Here are a few of the responses.

We enjoyed a lively discussion about places and experiences that have brought us a sense of peace and joy, and a few people shared Web sites that they use to find travel information. Vicky talked about sailing from southern California to Ensenada, Mexico; experiencing dark, star-filled skies and seeing bioluminescent creatures lighting up the ocean. Mary Lou found serenity in motorcycling through Italy, and Kalya in the gamelan music of Bali. Elsa loves the light houses of Maine, and closer to home, Tracy visits the Orient Land Trust in the mountains near Alamosa, Colorado, to relax in their natural rock ponds and hot springs.

These are some of the Web sites our members visit for travel information:

https://www.oattravel...­
O.A.T. stands for Overseas Adventure Travel. They claim to be “The Leader in Personalized Small Group Adventures on the Road Less Traveled.” One of the tabs on their Web site is called “The Solo Woman Experience.”

https://scottscheapfl...­
Scott and his team scour the Internet looking for flight deals. Most flights are 40-90% off normal prices.

https://solotravelerw...­
Solo travel tips, stories, advice, and inspiration. Features a blog with daily posts.

https://www.tripadvis...­
A site for booking hotels and experiences and for finding restaurants, with copious reviews. A good resource for reading about people’s honest appraisals.

* The “Solo Women” in the name means women who live on their own but want to travel with other women.

Travel Gear We Are Passionate About

Laurie is the current organizer of the Albuquerque Solo Women’s Travel Club Meetup* and during the Covid-19 pandemic, she has been hosting Zoom meetings with members. The topic for the October meeting was “What travel gear are you passionate about?” Here are a few of the responses.

Eight of us participated and shared our love of certain kinds and brands of travel gear, plus common household items repurposed for travel. Here is the list:

A Swiss Gear suitcase that fits under the airplane seat in front of you. Its dimensions are: 16” x 13.75” x 9” and weighs a mere five pounds, available at Target. Rachna (Ritch) shared that she traveled for three weeks with one of these suitcases and managed to bring along three pairs of shoes plus clothes for both warm and cold weather.

Several of us had plenty to say about packing cubes and “envelopes” for optimal packing of clothes. Folding your clothes the correct way can be an important space-saver. Items for organizing your packing are available from the Container Store, eBags, Travelon, and other on-line venues, and Lieber’s Luggage in ABQ is a good local resource for luggage and travel accessories. To avoid having to rummage for something she’s looking for, Vicky places a strip of duct tape on top of her packing cubes and lists the contents of the cubes on the tape. Many of us use Ziploc bags of various sizes to separate travel items into categories (e.g., hair styling products in one, socks in another) and to see the contents without having to open the bag.

Pashmina shawls, bandanas, and sarongs are space-saving, multi-purpose articles of clothing essential for travel. Some of their uses include: for keeping warm on a cold overnight flight, for use as a towel or wash cloth, and to keep the sun and wind off your head and neck. All of us have our favorite small items that can be easily stowed in a purse: ear plugs and eye shades, a strip of duct tape wrapped around a pen or pencil, a hook for a bathroom door (how many times have you put your purse on a dirty bathroom floor because there is no hook on the door?), a contact lens case for pills. Clothes pins are useful to close curtains in a hotel room that won’t get quite as dark as you like or to hang clothes to dry. Water filtration may be important during your travels, and two recommended brands are the Grayl system and LifeStraw, both available from Amazon.

One suggestion that makes a lot of sense is to leave a packing list in your suitcase. That way, you preclude the anxiety of packing by knowing exactly what you need to take. It’s all there in writing.

Thanks to everyone who participated!

* The “Solo Women” in the name means women who live on their own but want to travel with other women.

Recommended Travel Reading

Laurie is the current organizer of the Albuquerque Solo Women’s Travel Club Meetup* and during the Covid-19 pandemic, she has been hosting Zoom meetings with members. The topic for the September meeting was “What travel-themed books do you recommend?” Here are a few of the responses.

A Year in Provence; My Twenty-Five Years in Provence
Peter Mayle

Book of the Eskimos
Peter Freuchen

Country Driving: A Chinese Road Trip (PS)
Peter Hessler

Eat, Pray, Love
Elizabeth Gilbert

Don’t Let’s Go To the Dogs Tonight: An African Childhood
Alexandra Fuller

Magic and Mystery in Tibet
Alexandra David-Neel

Nothing to Declare: Memoirs of a Woman Traveling Alone
Mary Morris

Pole to Pole (a TV documentary travel series)
Michael Palin (from Monte Python)

Paul Theroux, author of many travel books

Tales of the Female Nomad: Living at Large in the World; Female Nomad and Friends: Tales of Breaking Free and Breaking Bread Around the World
Rita Golden Gelman

The Corfu Trilogy
Gerald Durrell

The Wilder Shores of Love
Lesley Blanch

Travel & Leisure Magazine

Under the Tuscan Sun; Women in Sunlight
Frances Mayes

Travel for STOICs: Empowering the Solo Traveler Who Is Obsessive, Introverted, and Compulsive
Laurie McDonald writing as Eva Rome
www.bluemorphopress.net­

Without Reservations: The Travels of an Independent Woman
Alice Steinbach

* The “Solo Women” in the name means women who live on their own but want to travel with other women.

What To Discuss Before Traveling

Laurie is the current organizer of the Albuquerque Solo Women’s Travel Club Meetup* and during the Covid-19 pandemic, she has been hosting Zoom meetings with members. The topic for the July 15th and 16th meetings was “What to discuss before traveling.” Here are a few of the responses.

When you’re traveling with someone else, you must agree on mutual destinations that appeal to both of you and try to define the reasons why you want to visit a place. Is it the art and architecture, history, the landscape, the cuisine? Are you hoping to lie on a beach all day with a favorite read? Walk the Camino de Santiago de Compostela? What style of traveling do you like to do? Are you a hiker and like to camp? Are four and five star hotels a must, and would an occasional Motel 6 be a deal breaker? One member wanted to hike the Inca trail to Machu Picchu but found out when she and her travel companion arrived in Peru that they weren’t on the same page: her travel buddy wanted to take the train. Sleep schedules are important, too, if you’re sightseeing with someone else. Are you an early riser? A night owl? How important is scheduling three square meals per day?

Money is clearly the big determiner of the type, duration, and means of travel that a person can afford, so being realistic about money will preclude difficulties down the line. And talking about expectations up-front is critical. One of the members of the Meetup said realized she made the mistake of not getting separate rooms when her travel companion mentioned that her snoring bothered her. Our member was so mortified that when lying in bed at night, she would try not to fall into a deep sleep and start snoring. Another member traveled with her boyfriend to India and, without discussing it with her, invited his sister along. The boyfriend paid for his sister’s flight but not for the expensive hotel he had booked. The “who pays for what” discussion, that came up over breakfast at the expensive hotel, should have been held prior to leaving the U.S.

Solo women who choose to travel together sometimes like to have their own rooms and like to explore alternatives to conventional hotels and motels, like Airbnb and VRBO. As long as you have your own space, the pressure to get along with someone you might not know very well is reduced—you always know you’ll have privacy at the beginnings and at the ends of the day. One member always pays the single upgrade fee when traveling in a group, not liking the idea of being randomly assigned to someone she doesn’t know.

Another member suggested choosing a travel theme, like driving Route 66 or another one of the old U.S. highways, referencing the television show from the 1980s “On the Road with Charles Kuralt.” According to another member, AAA is still a good source for maps and travel advice, and yes, they have brick and mortar stores mostly in the eastern U.S.

Several members agreed that it’s prudent to leave nothing up to chance. Yes, it’s a good idea to know your flight information, which cities you will be visiting on what days, and where you’re going to bunk every night. However, not leaving anything to chance (if this is at all possible) may be setting yourself up to overlook experiences you may not have considered and may preclude you from meeting interesting locals and other tourists. Regardless, being open to new experiences is the reason why we travel!

* The “Solo Women” in the name means women who live on their own but want to travel with other women.

Travel Hacks

Laurie is the current organizer of the Albuquerque Solo Women’s Travel Club Meetup* and during the Covid-19 pandemic, she has been hosting Zoom meetings with members. The topic for the June 15th meeting was “What are some of your favorite travel hacks?” Here are the responses.

Janice B. said, “I type up a list of everything I’m going to wear for each day, including jewelry and shoes. Then I don’t have to stress about what I’m going to wear—it’s all mapped out ahead of time.”

Mary D. added, “I travel strictly with carry-ons; a small Nautica bag and a hobo (shoulder) bag that will fit under the seat in front of me (in the plane). If I’m traveling for two weeks, I pack enough clothes for two weeks, and the clothes must be interchangeable. I roll my clothes because it takes up less space.”

Jeannie K. said, “I don’t care what I look like when I’m traveling; I take a lightweight shawl and an oversized fanny pack, a wide hair band or gaiter and pin money on the inside of it. You can pull it over your eyes when you’re trying to sleep on the plane; buy a large one, cut it in half, and re-sew it.”

Jeanne S. likes the American Airlines credit card because no baggage fees are charged when you travel domestically.

Doris brings underwear for every day she’s gone because she doesn’t want to do laundry while traveling. Both Doris and Linda M. limit themselves to two pairs of shoes per trip.

Elsa G. said, “Once I was on a flight and I saw a passenger give all the flight attendants some chocolate. He got really good treatment because of that, and for the entire flight. I fold my shirts and place them in four-fold envelopes that close with Velcro. I bring a multi-purpose tool, the ones that are the size of a credit card, string, and a bungee cord. I also bring buttons—I place the metal ends of earrings through the holes of the buttons and then place them in a small plastic bag.”

Jean B. said, “I like bandanas, they can double as a scarf, a sweat band, something to put around your neck. I bring a silky, dark-colored short robe because it can fold up really small and fit inside a pair of socks.”

Emily A.’s hack will refund some of your travel budget. “When you’re at the airport of a foreign country, you can claim a refund on sales tax—it’s called VAT tax—you show your receipts and they (theoretically) will refund the money you paid on the tax. Many countries do this. I like the web site Scott’s Cheap Flights. I pack layers and a carry a pharmacy bag with everything I may need. You can’t always count on a place having a drug that you need.”

Janice B. couldn’t attend the meeting, but she offered this, “I went on a week-long trip with only bringing a personal item (I detest paying for checked or carry-on bags). I wore six shirts, layered; one pair of shorts with two pairs of pants. My undies and swimsuit were in my Vera Bradley bag that was my personal item. This save me $35 x 2 for the checked bag fee.”

Click on the Photos tab here at Blue Morpho Press, and you will see a photo of my hack. “I buy lip balm tubes at the dollar store, remove the lip balm, roll up a $20 bill and place a single bill in each of the tubes. I carry one in my pants pocket and in my jacket, anywhere on me, so that if I’m robbed, I’ll still have some money on me. What thief would ask for your lip balm? I also have a back-up, inexpensive cell phone that I carry with me in case my iPhone freezes or stops working for some reason—this has happened to me several times. The phone hack won’t work outside the U.S., though.”

Vicky uses a cross-body bag with stainless steel mesh inside the strap to prevent potential theft.

Thanks to everyone who contributed their travel hacks!

* The “Solo Women” in the name means women who live on their own but want to travel with other women.

The Art of Murder - a novel

Since last October, Laurie has assisted author Peggy van Hulsteyn in editing her smart, funny novel The Art of Murder, and Laurie designed the cover. Author of ten books, both novels and lifestyle books, Peggy van Hulsteyn has also written for the “Washington Post,” “The Los Angeles Times,” “USA TODAY,” and “Cosmopolitan.” She wrote a cover story for “Yoga Journal” about her battle with Parkinson’s Disease, which led to Yoga and Parkinson’s, a book endorsed by U.S. Senator Tom Udall and The Michael J. Fox Foundation. She lives in Santa Fe with her physicist husband David.

Here’s a short synopsis of The Art of Murder:

Worlds collide in colorful northern New Mexico when two prominent Santa Feans, an outspoken, passionate environmentalist and a glamorous gallery owner, internationally known and reviled, die under mysterious circumstances. A connection, perhaps, to an infamous physicist and an opportunistic New Mexico senator implicated in an international scheme?

Thomas Wolfe may have said it first, but award-winning investigative journalist Mickey Moskowitz strongly agrees: you just can’t go home again. Nonetheless, she flies back to Santa Fe from New York City to investigate the death of her beloved sister Melissa and re-evaluates the life she left behind for the glamour of Gotham. Ever the savvy one, she uses her wit and courage and, as she has done her whole life, asks herself, what would Nancy Drew do?

Just as every Nancy needs her Bess and every Sherlock needs his Watson, she has Lupita, a fiery district attorney in three-inch heels who’s as skilled making chile cheese enchiladas as she is prosecuting challenging crimes. Mickey’s paramour and ad hoc sleuth is Berg, a charming physicist and foodie. Added to the mix is a cast of eccentric characters that in any other American town would be carted off to the home for the bewildered. Peggy van Hulsteyn knows this world (“I didn’t have to make anything up--I just looked out the window!”) and has written about The City Different in The Art of Murder, this smart, engaging, and funny novel for readers who love Santa Fe and a good whodunit.


Expected release date of The Art of Murder is early fall.