🧳 The FOUR things I never travel without

Travel entry:
March 2025

Hey Reader,

We're (sadly) back from our awesome spring break trip from Costa Rica but with the kids back at school today I've had a few minutes to breathe, unpack and sit down at my computer.

As I was unpacking - which is my absolute least favorite thing about travel, without question - I realized that I'm a true creature of habit. I spend a decent amount of time packing for each trip but so often I end up bringing the same things over and over again. Since Amazon just started another one of their big sale days today, I wanted to share a few things that come with me on basically every single trip (10+ per year). Luckily for you they're all on sale this week!

But really, you guys know I'm not the type of person who goes all of social media making reels that start with "OMG I'm literally obsessed with this..." These are my actual, unsponsored travel ride-or-dies:

Traveler's Choice Pagosa carry-on suitcase - This is a great little suitcase at a solid price point. How great? We own two of the check-in size and one of the carry-on, but I'm about to buy a second carry-on as soon as I decide on a color (it'll replace the carry-on I took to college a few decades ago). This suitcase has been on nearly every trip since we bought it two years ago and it still works perfectly. It's lightweight, expandable and has some nice built-in organization. Plus if you pick a distinctive color it's easy to keep track of.
Tessan International Power Adapter - This amazing little power adapter plugs into an outlet anywhere in the world and accepts devices from anywhere in the world. Even better, it has a mix of USB-A and USB-C ports. It's so handy that my Ronnie and I each use one at home to charge all of our devices nightly without a ton of those stupid USB-to-wall outlet blocks. There are a few options on that page so it's worth taking a moment to pick the right one for you. We started with the 28W adapter, which is perfect for cell phones, tablets and smart watches. I subsequently purchased the 100W adapter so that I can plug my laptop in directly without bringing its charging block when we travel. One of my children left it behind in the middle of our Costa Rica trip and I immediately ordered yet another one so that we'd have it upon our return. Note: this is not the right product for a high-voltage device like a hair dryer.
Apple AirTags - If you have any Apple device, do yourself a favor and get a pack of AirTags while they're on sale. The peace of mind is worth a lot when you're traveling and may need to check a suitcase (whether you plan on it or fall victim to overcrowded bin space). I generally leave one in each suitcase in a little zipper pocket and don't even take it out between trips. The exception was when we took the kids to the Orlando theme parks, and for that I gave them each an AirTag on a necklace like this in case we got separated - which we did, and it was much easier to find our wayward child with the tracker on him.
iWalk Portable Charger - We use our phones for basically everything when we travel: direction, photos, admission tickets, WhatsApp with hotels and tour guides. It's so different than when Ronnie and I first started traveling together but our phones make it all much more seamless. But our reliance on them makes staying charged that much harder and that much more important! We always bring at least one of these compact power banks, and often two. They're small enough that the phone + charger still usually fits in our pockets but they pack in enough juice to get a nearly a full charge on a dead phone (I speak from much experience in that department). Be sure to check if you're targeted for an extra discount on this one, the product page shows an extra 35% off for me!