swoon

BOOM!  Copenhagen booked for March……  largely in part to escape from the fact that I will have just become five years away from the big 5 – 0.  Freakin’ out, freakin‘ out, freakin‘ out….. (I foresee this is the way it will be every five years from now until, well, until infinity.)  But also to see a little bit of a new country, a city I’ve never visited before, and hang out with the ex.

I’ve decided this year will be the year of trip-ettes, bobbing around and skipping here and there to see some new places and make the most of being able to do just that.  Time is speeding on, more and more rapidly as I get older, so I want to make the most of my freedom, while everything still works well.  Both physically and spiritually.

So, what essentials does a PANK need to know/do, in order to travel?? What pearls of awesome wisdom can I bestow?  <Out of corner of mouth, behind hand conspiratorially> “As an aside, although I am offering certain nuggets of advice, my advice would be, never take advice from me!”

Pre-holiday, it is essential to decide where it is you want to go.  Or not.  One of the beauties of PANKness is that you can indeed have little or no idea, of your destination, until the very last minute, if you so wish.  Great!  For me, forward planning largely consists of booking to leave as close to pay day as possible, so I can drain my account and worry about it later. Read: eat beans for the remaining weeks after said trip, until pay day arrives again.

My teeny tiny case

Pack light.  Some scoff at my epic organisational skills, but where travelling is concerned, I am queen.  With a capital Q for ‘quite obsessive’.  Yes – my case might be out and open for the entire week before the getaway, yes – my clothes might be arranged in neat little daily piles of day/evening, yes – my documents might be already snugly tucked away, in a space saving, multi purpose travel wallet, but you know what?  This attention to detail allows me to travel anywhere with a suitcase the size of a slightly larger than normal postage stamp.  You’re through security, you’re in the queue, you’re through the gates and up the steps, with not so much as a sideways glance from any of the weight/dimension police.  In your seat and flicking through the in-flight magazine before the flustered rabble have realised what’s happening.

Talking of planning, er hermmm, do some research and make some notes of where you want to visit while away.  You’ve only got about forty-eight hours to cram as much as possible, so short list and smash that city!  I’m looking for any art exhibitions or special events that might be happening during my stay.  Also, a chi chi bar for Saturday night cocktails. Natch.  And, I doooo like a little guide, with a ‘handy phrases’ section.  Use it, the locals love that you’ve made the effort.

Have a little drink in the airport bar on the way there, have one on the plane, when you land and continue pretty much in the same vein for the entire time you’re away.  And one to commiserate the end of your trip on the aeroplane home.  You are on your hols after all.  It’s the only way.  There’s nothing I like more than to be walking around somewhere new and exciting, guidebook in hand (see above), spot a cute little bar or cafe and take a pit-stop.  You can punctuate entire days this way,  and not be adversely affected, but float through a day quite, pleasantly fuzzy.  And what’s not to love about people-watching and observing life drifting by in foreign lands?  Quite frankly; nothing.

Pack contraception.  Well…….. you just never know. (it’s just being a responsible, single, childless adult PANK after all).

Travel safe and ENJOY.
N.B.  If you’re a nervous traveller, you could always pack a safe journey talisman, but for me, it would be a huge inconvenience because it would completely throw my entire packing system out!