Voyage to Quebec: Part Four - Best. Vacation. Ever.

It's been five days now since we returned home from our trip to Quebec, and it's been the kind of hit-the-ground-running sort of week that makes you want to crawl back to the airport and beg for a ticket back to Canada.

But then, part of the joy of traveling anywhere is the comfort and closure of coming home. In our case, "comfort and closure" was eating a midnight quesorito at a St. Louis Taco Bell and nursing Mojo back to health after a particularly nasty post-boarding stomach problem that lasted a solid three days. Business as usual, really, but somehow my post-vacation plans didn't include doggie diarrhea that saw the demise of one comforter, two blankets, a roll of paper towels, and an industrial sized bottle of carpet cleaner.

Ah, domestic bliss.

So it is for this reason that I'm just now getting back to sharing with you our adventures in Quebec. My goal was to write to you each day we were there, but I have to admit that I got caught up in the magic of vacation and found myself unwilling to re-tether myself to the real world. You'd think someone who works as a social media planner would be blowing up Instagram and Facebook with photos from the trip as they happened, but actually quite the opposite is true. I truly went on vacation--no selfies, no hashtags, just the pure and unapologetic joy of disconnecting for a while.

But now we're back to it! Allons-y!

Tuesday, July 1, 2014

• Montmorency Falls
• St. Anne of Beaupre Cathedral/Shrine

We started off with a trip across the river to the Montmorency Falls, made famous by the  Battle of Beauport (aka The Battle of Montmorency Falls) of 1759 (those pesky Brits!). The trip was highlighted by the random little girl who held my mother-in-law's hand all the way up the wooden stairs to the falls. A little strange, but adorable.

The falls were beautiful, but in typical Betsey fashion I quickly got hot, tired, and cranky. Thankfully the Heidricks have patience as hearty as my appetite, and eventually they got me back to the car, cooled down, and fed.

Montmorency Falls, on the other side of the St. Lawrence River from Quebec City, where the British set up camp before the attack on Quebec in 1759.

We then headed east down the coast of the St. Lawrence to Beaupre, where the famous St. Anne of Beaupre shrine is located. It's surprisingly large, with an arresting facade that fools you into thinking you're somewhere in the heart of Paris. But instead, you're standing in tiny Beaupre, a town with less than 3,000 residents. 

It's a beautiful church, but I was wary of taking photos because there were people praying in the pews. Nobody wants to be that guy snapping away when you're right in the middle of an Our Father. Matt and I found our way to the bowels or the church, where there was a surprisingly modern underground chapel. Tucked away in the corner of the chapel was a reliquary of St. Anne, gifted by Pope John Paul II on his visit to the Shrine.

St. Anne of Beaupre, a famous Catholic pilgrimage site. It houses a copy of Michaelangelo's "Pieta" (the original is in St. Peter's in Rome).

My horribly blurry photo from inside the church. I tried to snap it quickly because there were people praying and I felt bad about snapping pictures!

Wednesday, July 2, 2014

• Plaines d'Abraham Museum and Bus Tour
• Aux Anciens Canadiens Restaurant

This was one of my most favorite days in Quebec. I've got to hand it to Canada; they know how to do museums. The Plains of Abraham Museum was interactive, engaging, and the people patient enough to hear plenty of "De planes, boss, the planes!" from the Heidrick clan throughout the visit and not throw us out. (I'll go ahead and throw it out there that I said this phrase just as many times as the rest of my family.)

The Plains of Abraham (officially the National Battlefield Park) is home to some of the most important moments in Quebec's history. On this unassuming expanse of grass, Quebec was won and lost by the two global powers of the age: France and England. It's also home to Winter Carnival, Quebec's most popular event. And, just couple of days from the time of our visit, it would be the site of Quebec's internationally famous summer music festival, headlined by Lady Gaga (and yes, I fan-girled a little bit at this).

After spending the morning learning about Quebec history on the Plains, we enjoyed lunch at Aux Anciens Canadiens, a famous Quebecois restaurant nestled comfortably into the row of buildings along Vieux Quebec's Rue St-Louis. Check it out here: http://www.auxancienscanadiens.qc.ca/en/index.htm.

Eating here is like stepping back in time. The ceilings are heavy wood and weighed down by hundreds of years of history, the tablecloths heavy cotton, and curtains lined with starched lace. We took advantage of the table d'hote, which is a popular way of eating lunch in Quebec. Basically, it's a fixed price menu--you get a soup, a selection of a main course, and a dessert plus wine or beer for a fixed price. Very handy.

I had the traditional Quebec meat pie and a Quebec beer, which made my German roots very happy indeed. We finished it off with the most sinfully indulgent Quebecois maple syrup pie ever created. Silky smooth and rich with just a hint of crisp from caramelized brown sugar, it was the kind of thing that makes you start thinking seriously about Canadian citizenship.

Photo credit: Mom-in-law Charlotte

Thursday, July 3, 2014

• L'Ile d'Orleans

We had originally planned to go to Montreal this day, but in the end we decided that two hours in a tiny Fiat capped off by city traffic was not exactly the best use of our remaining time. Instead, we decided to take a drive around l'Ile d'Orleans, the agriculture-rich strip of land that sits between the north and south banks of the St. Lawrence. We weren't expecting much, and we certainly weren't expecting to love it half as much as we did. It truly was one of my most favorite parts of the trip. We drove through town after town, taking in the gentle sloping fields of leeks, corn, strawberries, and vineyards, and stopping only for the island's famous chocolatier shop and a chat with a local strawberry farmer.

I was so enamored with the fresh-picked strawberries that I proceeded to forego a tour of a local church for an impromptu photo shoot. I'm sure the locals thought I was half-crazy, snapping away at a box of strawberries like a paparazzo at Milan Fashion Week.

Beautiful, aren't they?!

Work it, strawberries!

Friday, July 4, 2014

• Lada Gaga scouting
• Tour of la Citadelle and the Changing of the Guard
• Ursaline Museum

Our last full day in Quebec was one of the most special for me, and not only because I was trying to savor every last bit of the city as I prepared to leave it. As we walked the streets of Old Quebec to the Citadelle, I tried to commit every ancient stone, every church spire, every friendly "Bonjour" to memory so that I'd never forget the unique feeling of happiness that Quebec gave me.

On our way to the Citadelle, there was a palpable energy in the air, which we soon discovered was due to that evening's Lady Gaga concert, which kicked off the Quebec summer music festival. The excited whispers of a heavily accented "Lay-dee Gah Gah" seemed to fill every conversation as we made our way up the steep slope the the fort.

Inside the Citadelle, though, Lady Gaga was soon forgotten, and all eyes and ears were on the Changing of the Guard, a ceremony full of pomp and circumstance by the Royal 22nd Regiment.

The 22nd Regiment performs the changing of the guard, with the top of Chateau Frontenac in the background.

It's Batisse, the regimental mascot! Photo credit: Mom-in-law Charlotte

A tour of the Citadelle followed, and the Quebecois are not at all afraid of a little friendly ribbing to remind Americans that although we Yankees tried to invade Quebec, we were never successful. Our tour guide, Sylvie, reminded me very much of my first French teacher, Madame Cronin. She looked very much like Mme. Cronin, and had the same sort of quiet confidence and joie-de-vivre. Slyvie oozed pride in her country; she took great care in taking time to find the correct English word to properly describe the valor the 22nd (nicknamed the "Van Doos" for English speakers--"22" in French is "vignt-deux") showed in key battles in the First and Second World Wars. I found myself wishing I could stay longer to hear Sylvie talk; her upbeat disposition and sweet French accent, paired with her obvious love of talking about the history of Quebec, was enchanting to me.

The three recipients of the Victoria Cross, in front of one of four crosses gifted to Canada by France in recognition of their valor.

After a few photo ops along the Citadelle's walls--I managed to escape photographs, for the most part (phew!)--we headed back down to Vieux Quebec to walk the streets one last time before leaving for good. The streets were alive that evening with the soulful notes of street musicians, the sounds of tourists noshing at streetside cafes and locals craning in doors to see the latest World Cup scores. It was a bittersweet experience, being in the middle of so much history and music and beauty and wishing with every portion of my being that I could stay, but knowing that at the end of every wonderful, happy dream, we all have to wake up and go back to real life.

And as we boarded our plane back to Illinois, I thought back on all these experiences that I'll now keep as memories. I'll never forget the beauty of Quebec, the hospitality of its people, or the richness of its history.

Quebec, je me souviens.

Until next time, travellers,

Betsey

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Voyage to Quebec: Part 3 - Vieux Quebec

6/30/2014 

• la Musee de l'Amerique Francophone
• la Seminaire de Quebec
• Place Royale
• la Musee de la Civilisation
• Funiculaire
• Terrace Dufferin

Today was the day of the museum. From 10:30 a.m. until sundown, we hit nearly every museum in Old Quebec (Vieux Quebec). I can't remember a time my legs were so sore. 

But it was so worth it. 

My favorite museum, which was also the museum I was most looking forward to seeing on this trip, was la Musee de l'Amerique Francophone--the Museum of French-Speaking America. It was one of the coolest museums I've ever seen, and the thing I loved most was the exhibit on les Acadiens. I love that story, tragic as it is, because of the Longfellow poem, Evangeline. It's a love story, and no one tells the story better (sorry Longfellow) than French-Canadian singer Marie-Jo Theriot. The version below has handy English subtitles:

Tucked neatly inside la Musee de l'Amerique Francophone is a beautiful chapel, one that used to be used for "practice" Masses by priests-in-training from la Seminaire de Quebec (inside which the museum is located).

Stained glass window within the chapel

 

The marble altar of the chapel, saved from the chapel's many fires over the years

 

One of the many reliquaries -- the chapel holds over 600 relics!

The chapel. Just to the left of this photo was the tomb of St. Francois de Laval, first bishop of Quebec. His body is no longer entombed there, but there's a neat plaque that says that Pope John Paul II visited there to pray back in the 80s. Gotta love JPII.

After the museum, we headed over the seminary for a tour. I didn't take any photos here, partly out of respect and partly because I was too busy being amazed at the history of the place. They built onto the seminary little by little over the centuries, so going through the building is like taking a trip through time.

After that, it was off to la Musee de la Civilisation for the Greek and Roman exhibit--tons of statues, pottery, and military gear from antiquity on loan from a museum in Berlin. To get there, we walked past Chateau Frontenac, down the steep and winding streets to Place Royale.

Chateau Frontenac

Inside the main gate of Chateau Frontenac

View from outside Chateau Frontenac

 

Chateau Frontenac peaking over the trees on our way down to Place Royale.

View of Chateau Frontenac from the lower city. Isn't it beautiful?

Street in the lower city.

We took the funicular back up the hill--by this time, my feet were shot.

Tomorrow, we're heading out of town to see the Montmorency Falls and the shrine at St. Anne de Beaupre. So it'll be another active one...better get some sleep.

Until next time, travelers,

Betsey

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Voyage to Québec: Part 2 - Getting to Know Quebec

 

Sunday, 6/29/14: Getting to Know Quebec

*Pardon the absence of accents--I haven't figured out where to find them on my new computer and I haven't the energy to figure it out tonight!*

Today we began the process of falling in love with Quebec. It isn't hard to do; this city is a charming blend of old and new, of cosmopolitan and hometown, of European class and Midwestern comfort.

Our day started with an adventure in parking, which began with the best intentions and ended with a turn into an empty, underground parking garage. Upon entering the garage, we learned that the ceilings were only about 6 ft 5 in., which meant that Dr. Heidrick was in constant danger of scraping his head. Amazed but undeterred, we set out to find our way to the street level, which took a few doors and a few tries--a process that I'm sure was incredibly entertaining to the guard monitoring the security cameras.

Our tiny Fiat snugly parked in a very, very short parking garage.

Dr. Heidrick experiencing a little height bias in the parking garage.

After some time, we burst forth into the sun and set out to find the Basilica of Notre-Dame-de-Quebec for Mass, a journey that took us through the winding streets of the old city.

The main gate at Rue St. Louis through the fortifications around the old city

A street view of Rue St. Louis

Rue St. Louis

Flags along Rue St. Louis, bookmarked by the Quebec flag and the Canadian flag

The French consulate in Quebec

Back of Chateau Frontenac

Looking down Rue du Tresor

La Basilique Cathedrale Notre-Dame-de-Quebec

Close-up of the altar

After a much-needed long lunch (and a heavy slathering-on of sunscreen...damn pale skin), we visited the provincial parliament building, which proud Quebecois call l'Assemblee Nationale. While echoes of British rule and nods to Quebec's British heritage are sprinkled throughout the building, the entire experience--and indeed the entire city--is decidedly French. Or rather, French-inspired but uniquely Quebecois.

View from the front of l'Assemblee Nationale

"Je me souviens" = "I remember" - The motto of Quebec.

 

 

A painting depicting the debate over which language would be the official language of government: English or French

 

View of Chateau Frontenac from the steps of l'Assemblee Nationale

By this time, our feet were sore, we were hungry, and my pale skin was thoroughly scorched, so we made our way back to the hotel for an early bedtime. Tomorrow we'll continue our exploration of the old city, including Chateau Frontenac, Dufferin Terrace and a trip down to Place Royale.

Until then, travelers, bonne nuit!

Betsey

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Project Alert: The Writing [on the Stamp] is on the Wall

Sometimes genius comes slowly. Sometimes it comes all at once, in a fit of brilliance. But for me, most of the time, it comes from Pinterest. 

Two Saturdays ago, I was planted on my couch, mindlessly perusing my own pins, when I stumbled upon an idea I'd pinned some time back to my "Wanderlust and Second Helpings" board. It was a collection of stamps that had been mounted, framed, and displayed on a wall as art. Some had been enlarged, giving the collection an interesting, varied look.

And then I had one of those face-palm, coulda-had-a-V8 sort of moments.

A few years ago, on an ordinary Saturday visit to her house, my grandmother (on my dad's side) gave me an unassuming yellow box. Time had dulled its color a bit, and upon further inspection I noticed that, in tiny powder blue script, it was labeled "Estee Lauder." I cracked open the box and was surprised to find not makeup, but something infinitely more interesting.

Inside was a collection of some of the most interesting stamps I'd ever seen. They were time-worn tokens of adventures, relics from countries all over the world, even some that don't even exist anymore. They told stories of exotic, far away places--Germany, Belgium, Vietnam, Japan, Nepal, Hungary. It was history, tucked away for years in a faded yellow box.

And to think that, up until two Saturdays ago, those stamps had sat in that Estee Lauder box on a shelf in our spare bedroom, gathering dust.

Now, a share of them hang on my living room wall, a reminder of family and a daily chance to imagine what adventures these stamps saw before they came to find themselves in my little yellow box.

And all it took was a moment of genius, some pre-cut mat board and stamp mounts from Hobby Lobby, a few cheap frames from Wal-Mart, a digital camera, and a few hours of creativity. Interested in showing off your very own stamp collection? Great! Come along, fellow stamp nerd!

Displaying Your Stamp Collection 101

 

Time to Complete: 

An afternoon

What you'll need:

• However many stamps you want to display
• Stamp mounts (see note below)
• Pre-cut mat board in whatever size and color you'd like--pick colors that complement your decor, but that won't overwhelm your stamps. They're the real stars here, after all!
• Heavy card stock paper (again, in a complementary--but not overwhelming--color)
• Picture frames in a variety of sizes (I used 5x7, 8x10, and 11x14)
• A digital camera
• A computer

 

What you'll do:

• Pick out the stamps you want to display.
• Pick out a few that are really special to you or are visually striking. These will be the ones you'll digitally enlarge for your display.
• Place the stamps you want to digitally enlarge on white paper background and photograph in good lighting from directly above. Then, upload the photos to your computer and use a photo editing program (like Photoshop, or a free online tool--my favorites are Canva and PicMonkey) to tweak the photo to your liking.
• Size those photos however you like--I did one 8x10 and two 4x6s--upload them to walmart.com or another photo service, and order them for just a couple bucks. You can pick them up at your nearest Wal-Mart's 1-hour photo service desk (ah, hell, who am I kidding. It's Wal-Mart. Better give your order half a day.)
• Select the stamps you're going to group together in a display (the ones you're not going to enlarge) and arrange them on a sheet of card stock--do this for each grouping you want displayed. You can get fancy with the groupings--I just did grids, but you could do whatever you want! Then place the stamps in the stamp mounts and put them back in place on the card stock. If you like, you can trim your mounts if you have smaller stamps so that the black mount isn't so obvious. Stamp mounts are a great tool for nerds like me who love stamps and don't want to see them destroyed in the display process. There are things out there called stamp hinges. I do NOT recommend using those, because they require you to adhere the hinge directly to the stamp, so you could end up damaging your beloved stamp. Not cool, stamp hinge. Not cool. Here's a great video about how to use stamp mounts at the bottom of this post--definitely check it out. You might fall asleep while watching it, but even though the guy is super boring, he sure is helpful.

• Once your stamps are in the mounts, adhere the mounts to the card stock by touching a damp finger to the adhesive side of the mount and pressing the mount firmly down on the card stock.
• Center the card stock in your mat and tape to the back of the mat to secure. Then frame, hang, and congratulate yourself on a job well done! 

Here are some more stamps from the collection now on my wall. I wanted to do a frame for each country, but Matt (the rational one in this family) said that having a frame for each of the dozens of countries in that little yellow box would be bordering on insanity.

Ugh. Husbands ruin all the fun. :)

 

Until next time, adventurers!

Betsey

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Tuesday Soul Searching: What's on Your Bucket List?

My mind wandered a bit this past Sunday, as I sat there in church, to all of the things I needed to do. I need to write a letter back to Grandma Anthony, I thought, jotting it down on my mental list. And the kitchen is dirty, and I need to catch up on my reading...

And then, as so often happens in the solitude of a church, my thoughts went to my Grandma Stehlik, who passed away just a little more than a year ago. As Mass went on, I thought about what a long life she had, and about all the things she must have seen and experienced in her years. It hurts to lose someone you love very much, but it makes me smile when I think about all of the wonderful years she had, and of the ones we had together.

My family, including my Grandma Stehlik, who passed away last year.

And I got to thinking: What do I want to see in my lifetime? What, when I'm 90 years old, do I want to tell my grandchildren and great-grandchildren about?

Up to this point, my life has been somewhat bland and unadventurous, with a few spurts of interesting international travel interrupting the monotony. Now, don't get me wrong, I like my life. I think it's just dandy. But I wander what I might add to my bucket list, to my list of life dreams and goals, that would give me something to strive for and might someday make a really great story. Because it pains me to think that one day, my grandchildren will be sitting on my lap, shining faces eager to be entertained, and ask, "Grandma, what adventures have you gone on? You must have seen so many exciting things," and I'll only be able to say, "Well...I clogged a Russian toilet once."*

*Note: that is actually a pretty good story.

So there, in the middle of all the blue-haired church ladies and fussy infants in the pews, I wrote my bucket list.

[All of this was during the homily, by the way. Please don't tell on me.]

My Bucket List

1. Become a mother. I know, I know, this isn't some bombastic, dangerous bucket list item. But to me, it's got to be one of the biggest adventures on Earth.
2. Go to the town where my grandpa was a POW during WWII. My Grandpa Stehlik was a bomber co-pilot during WWII and was shot down over Germany. Shortly before she passed, my grandma showed me his German POW papers, including photos of when he was taken prisoner and ones after he had been held for some time. It struck me how much difference just a few months could make on such a young man. Someday I'll go there, just to understand my family's history a little bit better.
3. Use old documents to find the area of France where my other grandpa was wounded during D-Day. This one, too, would be quite an adventure. My Grandpa Anthony was a sergeant in the Army and was wounded while invading the beaches of Normandy during D-Day. He's gone now, but I can still hear him, in my memories, talking about the ordeal he had to go through just to get back home after being so badly wounded. Needless to say, Grandpa wasn't very fond of France; his time there wasn't as enjoyable as mine. But then, I was there stuffing my face with bonbons and croissants and no one was shooting at me.
4. Party in a South Korean dance club. Because why wouldn't anyone want to do this?! I've seen enough K-Pop to know that these people would be so much fun to party with.
5. Stay a night in a castle. I'd want my husband there, and maybe a few friends, to enjoy the awesomeness that has to come with realizing that you're staying in a castle. I haven't decided which castle yet, but probably one in Germany or Austria because...just because.
6. Stay a night in a legitimately haunted castle. I'd want my husband, maybe a few friends, a Bible, and some Holy Water. I would probably have at least one heart attack (because I am the biggest scaredy-cat that ever lived), but it would be an awesome adventure.
7. Visit the hometowns of all of my ancestors. I'm a mixed breed: German, Czech, Irish...they're all very interesting and probably explain why I like beer so much. It would be neat to do some genealogy and get to know where I really come from by visiting my ancestors' hometowns.
8. Take a cross-country road trip, starting in Maine and going to San Diego. I know I'd hate everyone in the car by the time we got to Kentucky, but it's fun to dream about an imaginary trip that has no time or budget constraints and is filled with cheap roadside attractions, funny pictures, impromptu karaoke, and endless laughs.
9. Camp at Yellowstone. A former coworker of mine moonlights as a wildlife photographer, and just before I left to come to Illinois he was telling me about his most recent camping/photographing trip to Yellowstone. It sounds like the most majestic place on Earth, and someday I'd like to spend some time there just soaking it all in.
10. Hike the Appalachian Trail from start to finish. This sounds crazy, and it is; I think there's been, like, two people ever that have hiked the trail nonstop from start to finish. So I'll give you that one; I'll hike it in sections. This one got added to my bucket list after reading Bill Bryson's A Walk in the Wild. It is a hilarious book, and I highly recommend it!

My list came to ten items. It's not a required number, really, just more that my daydreaming was cut short when the sermon was done and everyone startled me by standing up and singing. So daydream and brainstorm as much as you please. I think it's good for the soul to do this silly little exercise every so often. It gives us time to step out of our day-to-day lives and really get down and examine what we really want to do deep down in the core of our being. Apparently for me, that's camping in haunted places and dancing in Korean dance clubs.

To each his own.

What's on your list? Share your bucket list below!

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How to Pack Like a Pro

 

So. It's time to pack for your big vaycay. Congrats! You've booked your flights, your room, your excursions...you are ready to go! You now face the toughest decision any girl ever has to make when traveling: WHAT DO I WEAR?!

Fear not, ladies (all right, and fashionable gents). I have compiled a few tips and tricks for you to help you pack like a pro.

I can't tell you how many times I've been in an airport and have seen women dressed to the nines, lugging around gigantic designer suitcases (with matching duffel bag and carry-on). They always look exasperated, frustrated, and generally even more unhappy than anyone else undoubtedly is in an airport. But it seems to me that, even more than that, they are so obviously unprepared for the rat race that is traveling.

So ladies (and gents), here are a few very basic pointers so that you won't be that lady huffing and puffing as she pulls her overstuffed, 70-pound customized Louis Vuitton luggage through the airport on a wheel and a prayer.

1. 

   Don't forget your maps!

   Pack your lifelines first. Before you think of anything else, pack your passport, tickets, emergency phone numbers, IDs, maps, and itineraries in your carry-on! These are your safety net; don't forget them!
2. Then pack your unmentionables. Trust me, I have arrived on more than one occasion at my destination, flopped my suitcase on my hotel bed, unzipped it, and discovered that I had forgotten to pack underwear. One one very unfortunate instance--the last time--because it was the only choice, I had to wear a pair of my big sister's underwear. It was clean, but it still horrified me enough never to forget to pack them again. So my advice? Pack the undies, socks, bras, sports bras, hosiery, etc. right away. Because buying fashionable outfits while traveling is a lot more fun than trying to find undies. 
3. Be reasonable. Are you going to Milan for Fashion Week? Are you filming a movie in Paris? No? Well if you're just traveling for the simple joy of seeing the world, don't worry yourself with fancy outfits, uncomfortable shoes, and delicate fabrics. But I'm not saying stuff that suitcase full of elastic waistbands and kitten sweatshirts, either. Pack comfortable, moderately fashionable, easily washable clothes that won't break your heart if they're lost, stolen, damaged, or forgotten in that dance club in Barcelona.
4. Check the weather. Don't pack for a tropical vacation if you're going to Holland. Pack according to your destination's climate!
5. Stick to the basics. No matter where I'm going, I always follow the 1-2-3-4-5 rule. If you follow it, you'll be able to mix-and-match when you get to your travel destination and you won't have to lug around a heavy suitcase. Note: If you're going on a longer stay trip, like study abroad, your list will have to be modified a bit. The house I stayed at in France had a teeny tiny washer that fit about two pairs of jeans, and no dryer, so doing laundry was a pain. After a while, I got used to wearing things until they were truly dirty. You will too. :)
1. One suitcase (purse or briefcase doesn't count; those are free).
2. Two pairs of shoes (one comfy-yet-somewhat-fashionable pair of sneakers and one pair of sandals or comfy heels, like wedges).
3. Three dresses (two casual, one nice) or pairs of pants/shorts (or combination of these).
4. Four shirts/blouses.
5. Five accent pieces (cardigans/sweaters, necklaces, scarves, etc.). 
6.  Roll, baby, roll! If you roll your clothes, you'll be able to fit more into your suitcase. Also, they're less likely to get smushed around and wrinkled.
7. Stuff your bras...into your shoes. Stuff undies, socks, and sports bras into your shoes. It takes less space and helps your shoes keep their shape while in the suitcase.
8. Heaviest at the bottom. Always put jeans, pants, shoes, and other sturdy items toward the side of the suitcase that has the wheels. Once you zip your suitcase and flip it upright, the heavier items will be on the bottom, sparing the more delicate items for the top.
9. Wear glasses on the plane. Up in the air--especially if you're going to be on an overseas flight--the air gets really dry and icky. It does awful things to your skin and your eyes. So save your eyes and wear your glasses on the plane. Pop in the contacts when you've landed. BONUS: Without contacts, you'll be able to get some shut-eye without having to mess around with taking your contacts out.
10. Wear heavier items on travel day. It's often cold up there in the air, so stay warm while saving space in your suitcase and wear sweatshirts, sweaters, jeans, and bulky shoes on the plane. BONUS: If you get hot, you can take off the sweater. Instant pillow!
11. Don't buy the fancy luggage. Look for suitcases that are sturdy and have reinforced corners. No one working for TSA cares about your designer luggage; they're going to chuck them all the same. So go for reliability over fashion.
12. Go easy on the toiletries. I am a hotel shampoo hoarder. That way, when I'm traveling, I can just throw the little samples in a Ziploc bag in my suitcase and go, no giant exploding shampoo bottles necessary. The same goes for perfume, deodorant, toothpaste, contact solution, etc. The travel-sized toiletry section at Target is your best friend here. Oh, and while you're there, pick up some of the Charmin To Go toilet paper packs. Seriously, those things saved my life in rural Italy. Buy them in bulk, along with some wet naps; travel is sometimes a nasty business.

 

For more great tips, check out 13 Travel Tips That Will Make You Feel Smart from Buzzfeed.

What are some tips and tricks you've learned from your travels? Please share them in the comments!

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