What would we find in your carryon? Everything! I never check bags now. You'd find: too many clothes, camera, a deck of cards, and more books and old New Yorkers than I could possibly read. 

Clothing you can't live without on a trip: A bathing suit. I never travel without one, no matter the season or destination - you never know when you'll need one. That's the one packing tip my mother instilled in me. Also, my Sue London flats. They fold up and take up no space in my suitcase. 

Travel quirks: I think I'm the only one who actually reads the emergency evacuation brochure.

Worth splurging on in general when traveling? Something you'll have forever, that you can't get anywhere else, and food!

When traveling I can't live without: Good coffee. I also always bring crystallized ginger and Rescue Remedy on the road. It's a blend of flower essences that are good for overall stress relief. 

Best budget trip: Most of the trips I take are budget trips. When my husband and I drove cross country, I think we were living on like $20 a day, not including gas or our campsite fee. I don't know if it gets much more budget than that. 

Favorite souvenir: A beautiful handmade blanket in Mexico City, which we bargained for. Haggling in broken Spanish is hard; we had to punch our offers into the calculator. 

Unusual item you've brought back from a trip: A live crab, from Costa Rica! He crawled right out of my suitcase and looked us right in the eye. In the end we had to kill him. 

Any travel accessories you'd recommend to fellow jauntsetters? I like to bring a very lightweight cotton blanket on my trips. They're good for the beach, impromptu picnics, keeping warm on the plane or in place of creepy hotel linens. Kiehl's samples*  are also perfect for those quart size plastic bags. 

Recommended travel resources: Eyewitness travel books. They have lots of great pictures and aren't too wordy. And Tripadvisor.com is always helpful for choosing hotels.

 

Most romantic trip: My husband and I went to the Yucatan for our honeymoon and we went back again for our one-year anniversary. The first time around, we did a lot of driving and sightseeing. Mexican highways can be a little scary! The second time around, we had less of an agenda and we knew what to expect. We went right to our favorite spot in Tulum, and then flew to Mexico City. It was the perfect balance of beach and city. We both get a little bored on the beach after a while.

Ever rented a house on vacation? I've rented a few houses, mostly in the Catskills. My husband is a great cook, so we really like having our own kitchen. Renting a house also usually means we can bring the dog. Sometimes the best escape from city livin' is to go play house in the country. 

What's the best hotel you've ever stayed at? Cabanas La Conchita in Tulum, Mexico. Ultra-friendly staff and great accommodations. It's rustic though, so it may not be for everyone. There's electricity for only a few hours at night, but you don't miss it. You also have adorable little visitors, like birds, lizards, and tiny crabs. The place has a fantastic, quiet beach with plenty of palm trees for shade. And the staff give you a cooler to keep in your cabana for beer. 

Worst travel experience? My first time flying. I was meeting my husband in Bermuda, since he had sailed to the island. I really had no idea what I was doing, especially when I had to fill out those customs forms. One of the questions was something about bringing fruits, vegetables, and seeds into the country. I had some crystallized ginger that I had brought on the plane ride, because I heard it was good for motion sickness. Well, I wasn't sure if ginger would be a problem, so I marked "yes" on my form. This of course raised the first red flag. 

I also had no idea where I was staying, because my husband had made the arrangements. That was red flag number two. My husband had arrived in Bermuda by boat and I guess this also sounded suspicious to my customs officer. They took me into a room, asked me lots of questions, and wouldn't release me until they actually found my husband. Of course, he was waiting outside and didn't hear any of the pages. They must have thought I was completely crazy. After I suggested they look outside, Derick was found and I was released. On the way out, I was randomly selected to have all my bags searched. 

Not a great introduction to flying, but we laugh about it now, and I always check "no" on those forms. 

Unpleasant airport incident: Having my bag searched in Costa Rica. The security agent thought I had something that looked like a "large pen" in my bag. I politely told him it was for personal use and thankfully that was all the explanation he needed. Needless to say, it was a little embarrassing for us both. 

Any tips for improving our flying experiences? Always bring small bills for drinks!

Check our blog later this month for tips from Kelly on Mexico-specific vacations to both Mexico City and Tulum!