Chasing Joy

Packing for Joyful Travels

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If you have been Chasing Joy with me the last few weeks you know I am recently back from vacation. Oh what a lovely time I had in Jamaica. Check out the pictures if you haven’t already. Every day was absolutely wonderful. Only one day started off in the dumps or shall I say in the toilet (I hope that’s not too much information)

It was not a reaction to the food. The resort food was excellent and I did not eat anywhere else. Also my roomy was just fine and we basically ate the same things. I drank only bottled water so it wasn’t that either. I blame my tummy troubles on eating spices and varieties of food that I was not used too. My bad belly wasn’t even that bad. No pain and no nausea, just the need for me to be close to the loo.

But who wants to be busy skipping to the loo when there is a swim up bar and relaxing beach to chill on. Not me! So off I went to the gift shop in search of my cure, my salvation, Pepto-Bismol! “You don’t have any Pepto-Bismol?” I said to the sales lady. “You don’t have anything for an upset stomach?” I asked in disbelief while looking at Tylenol, Midol, allergy medicine, condoms, KY jelly, and everything else you would fine in a typical over the counter drug store. I left empty handed.

An hour later I met with the resorts nurse in the infirmary. I explained my symptom – cantgetoffthecanitus. She explained her hustle (I mean her fee), a flat $30US to see her. I saw the beautiful pink bottle just out of reach, securely locked in the glass medicine cabinet and reached into my purse. How painful it was to hand over those 30 bucks. I know what you are thinking $30 for a bottle of Pepto, crazy! But its worst my 30 US dollars got me exactly one dose of that pink goodness. (She did promise not to charge me another $30 if I had to come back for another dose that same day.) Luckily one dose did the trick. I was back in the pool by noon.

That day I promised myself I would never travel without Pepto-Bismol again. So that you never have to pay more than you should for the basics here is a list of things to never travel without.

  • Pepto-Bismol
  • Insect repellent
  • Your favorite girl products (you know what I mean)
  • Tylenol or other pain reliever
  • Over the counter Sleep Aid
  • A credit card for emergencies
  • Sunscreen (even if you are black)
  • An international calling card for emergencies

What is on your must pack list to make sure your vacation is Joyful???

(Visited 7 times, 1 visits today)

Comments

  1. I always pack an extra pair of contact lenses and some sort of lip balm. Once I forgot my bathrobe; while getting ready in a villa in the Caribbean the cleaning staff walked by my curtainless windows. I had to duck behind the bed to keep from being seen.. Now I always pack a bathrobe. Both my husband and I have developed lists of must pack items that we review before every vacation.

  4. yup yup yup! when i went to Mazatlan for my senior trip- back in the day, i ate something so very wrong and was making 50 yard dashes to the toilet! after i got back from that trip, i had developed a "intenstine tract infection" and was sick for a month! it is all about the pepto! 30 bucks? wow.

  5. Ha! Because I have daughters, it's definitely the diapers and wipes! Children's Tylenol, Imodium, sunscreen and Q-tips top the list. Because we have had our luggage lost a few times, I have also learned to travel with one night's change of clothes for everyone. I keep this in my carry-on.

  7. I don't travel much. I get so worked up about being in a different environment that I always end up sick in some sort of nasty stomach ickyness. I guess maybe you could have gotten it from the pool water too (ewh). Anyways glad your "situation" resolved and you got to enjoy your vacation!

    Kristen Dellasega

  8. Thanks for visiting. Everyone has great suggestions to add to the travel poacking list. I especially like the we wipes, toilet paper, and phone charger.

  11. Great list—I don't know if I would have thought of it. There is nothing worse than having stomach issues while on vacation. I was in Turkey two years ago (visiting my in-laws), and I swear I got dysentery. There wasn't a medicine in the world (or at least in Turkey) that could have made me feel better. Maybe I just needed Pepto!

  20. Oh my goodness 30.00. no cheesebuger in paradise there.HA I loved it there. Humm My hubby smokes a pipe (real tobacco) so that would be a must. he was approached by locals when smoking his pipe. they wanted to sell him some secret stuff, the guide grabbed hubby and sent him back in. hilarious. Glad you had fun

  22. OK, so #1 is my inhaler – when I was in Jamaica I almost got pneumonia and had to use that thing so many times!

    I think 'music' and 'books' are important – soooo many people are obsessed with ipods and it is a necessity to have something to bide the time!

    OH! And SNACKS are a must for me 🙂

    ~bam~

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