Travel Tips Part 2

In honor of Mother's Day, today's topic will be:

Travel Tips Part 2 - Tips for traveling as a woman*

The Mooncup

• The Mooncup is a lifesaving alternative to tampons for traveling in developing countries where tampon acquisition and/or disposal is not so convenient. Insert, collect blood, empty, repeat! It's also a money saver. 



The Freshette

• Similar items to the Mooncup are the Keeper, and the Diva. The Keeper is the "original" version of the Mooncup. All 3 come in two size options, for those who have and haven't given birth (yep, really looking forward to that...)
• I've heard good things about the Freshette, the GoGirl,and the Whizzy as well. They allow women to pee standing up!
• The Freshette has the best overall reviews. It's reusable, works the best, and comes with a storage pouch. 
• The GoGirl is also reusable, and in most situations claimed to work well, and comes with a storage pouch.
• The Whizzy is a good disposable option. It's made out of a heavy cardboard.
• There tons of travel-sized items out there. For instance, I have a travel straightener that's about 6 inches long. Search for "travel" and the item you need on Google or Amazon, and you'll probably find it.
• Make sure you find and buy your sanitary and travel-sized items before you travel. Accessibility is not equal everywhere.
• You can get out of the normal security screening in some Arab airports if you wear a hijab. (Yes, I've tried this! It was more interesting than an actual time-saver.)
• If you want less attention from guys, tell them you're married.
• For dancing without being hit on by foreign guys, go to local gay clubs.
• Don't be afraid to couchsurf! It's always served me well. If you want to, you can limit your searches to female hosts and couples, but I've never had an issue staying with guys who've been verified and/or vouched for on the site. Remember to have a backup plan if you aren't comfortable with the host when you meet them.
• Don't be afraid in general. Be smart and be safe. But don't let that stop you from going out to explore!

*It would probably be better to write about traveling as a mother ... but I don't have any advice to share on that front. Oh, except that when I was a kid my mom brought a wet washcloth in a plastic bag with us everywhere. It seemed like there was always plenty of occasion to use it :-)