My Newest Travel Obsessions

Knowing that I finally have the chance to explore the world, I have begun to seriously indulge in all things travel related. I've signed up for newsletters, started reading travel memoirs, and been on the lookout for anything to make budget travel even better. Here are some of my latest finds that have me super excited:

1. Wanderfly: If you are anything like me, you may not have an exact idea of where you want to go, but you know what you are willing to spend and what you want to experience. Wanderfly helps you find the best locations based on your criteria. Simply enter your location, your budget, and what you are interested in (food, beach, history, art, etc.), and it hooks you up with a list of your ideal getaway spots, including airfare and hotel prices. With a list of approximately 1,200 cities worldwide, this site is going to be a huge help to me.


2. Travel Hacking Cartel: From the creator of The Art of Non-Conformity, this site offers ways to find free airfare and miles, as well as discount hotel rooms. For a nominal monthly fee, you are given the information to find ridiculous travel deals. The most comforting feature is that they offer a guarantee that you will earn at least 4 free flights a year! Sounds almost too good to be true. I haven't tried it yet, but it's from a very reputable source, so my hopes are high...


3. Scottevest Women's Trench: While reading one of my favorite military spouse blogs, I came across my newest travel clothing obsession.

I know it's almost spring, but if you are traveling anywhere north of Italy, you will still need at least a light jacket for quite a while. This coat offers 18 hidden pockets, two of which are designed to hold a water bottle and and iPad, completely undetected! Knowing how stingy some airlines are about how many bags you take on board (I'm looking at you, RyanAir...), this jacket could be a complete lifesaver. No need for a purse - this jacket has room for cameras, phones, books, magazines, maps, wallets, snacks, keys, water bottles, and lip gloss. Oh, and did I mention it's waterproof?!

4. Exofficio clothing and underwear: One of the hassles that I have met traveling around Europe so far has been the need for extremely compact, easily hand-washable clothing. Before we left Austin, we got Ernie a pair of the boxer briefs and not only do they line dry in a snap, he swears they are the most comfortable underoos of all time. The dresses are super cute, super multifunctional, affordable and wrinkle free.

Psst! And, they are having a HUGE sale right now...

If you have any other awesome travel finds, please feel free to share. Too much information is still never enough when it comes to travel.