I headed out to San Diego on Friday for a 10-day trip that I hope to be the perfect mix of work and fun. We have never been busier here at J5Travel but are confident that the work we have done in building our team and improving our processes will enable us to still function smoothly even when the whole team is traveling. For myself this has meant upgrading my laptop bag and a couple of other items, all to help ensure that work is a free flowing pleasure and never a chore. I thought this week I'd share my personal Top 5 Travel items that help me work and travel efficiently.
Top 5 - This Travel Advisor's Bag
1. Ogio Axle Laptop Pack
I seriously loved my last backpack and it had been with me for my entire career in travel which is coming up on 7 years. But with some inner compartments starting to fall apart it was time for the upgrade. With a very easily accessible separate area for laptop and tablet storage, and a plethora of smaller spaces for all the cords and contraptions necessary these days, it immediately feels like the Ogio bag I have invested in will have me more organized and any rummaging will have been banished. That makes a difference when you meet a fussy TSA agent! It's roomy enough that it may be all I need for 2 to 3-day trips, but it's going to be the perfect accompaniment to my trusty TravelPro carry-on for all longer trips. It makes its debut tomorrow and I am very excited that this will be a successful partnership.
2. Cadence 100% Leakproof Travel Capsules (above)
Some may feel this is taking space saving and efficiency to an extreme but these little beauties are made from recycled ocean bound plastic, are magnetic and are endlessly refillable. Available in many colors, and with either logos or interchangeable and customizable labels, the simple, yet ingenious design means you can store most of that stuff we squirt on or in our bodies in a much smaller space than taking a lot of 3.4oz (TSA limit) bottles that are all different shapes. I do think it's going to be a stretch for them to last me 10 days but a week should be good. I do promise to still brush my teeth twice a day.
3. Bose QuietComfort 35 (above)
I've featured them before and they are still going strong. I flirted briefly with some high end noise cancelling earbuds as I thought I needed the extra space in my bag, but I just didn't think they compared to the quiet that Bose produce when you hit that noise cancelling button and they remain a must-have travel item for me. Many of my best ideas seem to come to me when these things are over my ears, whether I have music playing or not.
4. ReMarkable
I'm 6 weeks in to my ReMarkable, a device that has you believing you are taking notes on paper but is craftily storing everything digitally. Gone are my sticky notes, and all the mini hotel notepads I pilfered over the years.
Believe me, travel advisors take a LOT of notes (well, at least good ones do), and it is suddenly a joy to be able to track down previous notes so quickly. My productivity has notably increased and it is a ridiculous pleasure to have quick access to all my handwritten notes. You may have gathered, I am not a good typist so this is a revelation and just like that, this tablet device is irreplaceable and will be accompanying me around the world.
5. Ele
He's long overdue a quick polish, but Ele still travels with me wherever I go, a lucky mascot of sorts. He will now have his own tiny little pocket within the new Ogio bag, so he will be traveling in business class now, not economy. Bought from a Bangkok trinket market a good few years back now, he hasn't let me down yet. Elephants have continued to pop up throughout my life in various guises. Even the restaurant I owned in the Cotswolds back in the 1990's was called The Country Elephant and I truly feel a connection to the species, even more so after seeing them in the wild both in Asia and Africa.
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I love travel and I love travel planning just as much and I am proud to be building a team as passionate about exploring the world as myself. It took me a very long time to align my career with my undeniable passion for exploring, but now I and the team are here for you. Your personal travel tailors - award reservation and luxury custom itinerary experts. We provide a bespoke service, imagining and creating itineraries for independent minded families and groups.
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