As a travel journalist writing about travel from a woman's point of view, I am in touch with other writers and photographers on a daily basis. It doesn't matter if these folks are in London, Delhi, or New York City, each is as close to me as my computer keyboard. Over the years we've become cyber pals and that certainly helps when, every March, I spearhead a photography project to celebrate International Women's Day(IWD).
Recently I was in the Arctic with a tour group that consisted of travellers from all over the world. Chatting with one of the women, she told me that she had read my 'diaper bag' idea a long time ago and it was the best travel tip she had ever received. I had forgotten about that bit of advice written so long ago; however, it was a very useful tip, so I've decided to resurrect it in this blog post. It goes like this:
This year Air Canada lost my orange bag for 99 days. 99 days! Kudos to them, though, for returning it to me after three months. Three months! (I live in Toronto, Canada; I think they found it in Angola and it arrived at my home with an ironic RUSH ticket affixed to it). I admit I was so grateful to have the bag back with nothing missing that I thanked them profusely and kinda forgave them. So what if my bag was much worse for wear with a chunk torn out of it.
Picture this. You, hubby and the kiddies have been out sightseeing all day and you're all perfectly pooped. Everybody is cranky and you wish you didn't have to go out for supper. This grilled cheese sandwich recipe is easy, healthy, and cheap. Your children (little ones or teenagers) will absolutely love it. In fact, I promise they will volunteer to do the cooking and your hotel room meal will be complete in minutes! Make a quick stop at any grocery store. These items are generally readily available:
I have four grandchildren under the age of 12. As a travel journalist I travel a lot. On each trip I try to bring one gift that will be of special interest to each child. Where possible I try to include an educational element. As a rule I try to stay within a $10-$15 budget.
A great many of my 'grandmother' friends shun social media. They all own computers. They all know how to search for things and they all know how to send an email.
Let me clarify that last statement.
They all know how to send an email but most wouldn't dream of emailing a stranger.
