Summer. Oh Summer. It is like an old friend we somehow remember during the Holy Week or after our first case of sun burn for the year. Summer may not be the Glutha-addict’s favorite season; but it is definitely one of the most relaxing times of the year. Although not everybody may have the chance to have a grand vacation in some far flung city; a person’s craving for a hot vacation should not be stomped. There are many ways to enjoy summer without having to travel far or spend gazillions of pesos. There are many worth destinations within your city or island. So, let us assume that you have actually started to plan your destination. What is next? Planning what you have to bring to your trip.
Now, although this may seem to be quite an easy task; everybody always seems to forget something, and the last thing you would want is to hit the shower to rub off the sad from your hair only to find out that you do not have shampoo or soap. So here is a list of my must-haves when travelling.
1.) Wet wipes: wet wipes seem to be God’s gift to germ-freaks everywhere. It keeps your hands clean; it refreshes your skin when it feels dry and oily; and it is able to wipe off all the sticky, and grimy stuff in your hands. Even if you have alcohol or hand sanitizer, nothing does the job as well as wet wipes.
2.) Toilet Seat Sprays: since I discovered Holy Seat, an on-the-go toilet seat spray at Watsons, I have never left my home without it. How come? Because you never know when you, or someone you know, might need to use an icky public toilet. Simply spray Holy Seat on the toilet seat, wipe it with tissue paper, and you are good to go. It kills 99% of germs and smells fresh and clean.
3.) Noah’s Ark Mosquito Repellant: this battery operated mosquito repellent uses sound waves to war doff mosquitoes. So you may say goodbye to sticky insect repellents from here on end. It costs about 500 pesos and last a very, very long time. And although the sound may be annoying at first, you just have to get used to it. Moreover, I find that getting bitten by mosquitoes is still more annoying than that sound. Oh, and it protects a really wide radius, so your friends can share your mosquito repellent with you.
4.) Music Player: whether you travel by land, by sea, or by air, travelling always involves some down time. To ward off your boredom, make sure that you fill your music player with a chock full of summer ditties. This will get you in the mood to partey at your next summer destination. My favorite summer tracks include Love Song by 311, Island in the Sun by Weezer, Pu Yoru records On by Corinne Bailey Rae, Just the Way You Are by Milky, Summer Sunshine by the Corrs, Soak Up the Sun by Sheryl Crow, Just Go by Lionel Richie, and Sandcastle Disco by Solange Knowles.
5.) A Bandana or Shawl: one of my favorite travel buddies is a bandana or shawl. Think about all the possibilities of this really good textile buddy. It may serve as a wrap on the beach, it may give you some sort of protection from the sun, and it may even be used for carrying your wet clothes after swimming. In some cases, it may act as a small blanket, a bonnet, or a mat for seating or lying on the beach.
Catch Confessions of a Partyphile on the radio every Wednesday evenings from six to nine on 105.9 Mix FM or www.mixfm1059.com. For questions, suggestions, and more confessions from this partyphile, log on to http://party.i.ph. Follow the columnist at twitter.com/zhaun.
