• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Dear Sabrina

  • Family
  • Happiness
  • Life in Sweden
  • Beauty
  • Thinking
  • Miscellany
  • About
    • Now
You are here: Home / Miscellany / The One Thing I Always Wish I'd Brought With Me On Vacation

The One Thing I Always Wish I'd Brought With Me On Vacation

January 16, 2017 By Jodi

Herbs, spices, vegetables, knives ready to cook

We're having a great time in Spain so far: it's been sunny, warm(ish), and we've spent our days walking, playing, and eating. This is EXACTLY what we came for.

But there's one thing I forgot to bring that I'm kicking myself about...

When we go on extended vacations we like to stay in rented apartments, usually via Airbnb. It's so much easier as a family to be able to make our own food, do our own laundry, and have a bit more space to spread out. The kitchens are usually adequately—but not thoroughly—provisioned. There are always a couple things we end up missing sorely (this time we brought with us extra dish towels and a vegetable peeler, two things we wish we'd had last winter in Portugal).

The one thing we have NEVER found in a rented apartment is a good, sharp chef's knife. We almost always find dull, overused Ikea steak knives. And slicing an onion with a thin, dull knife is just tempting fate. I hate slicing into a vegetable and feeling the blade pulled in a curvy diagonal line. It can feel downright dangerous when chopping a large carrot or onion. And while there are some things I'm willing to buy in my destination country/city and take home as souvenirs, I definitely do not want to buy good-quality chef's knives when I'm traveling. It would be so much easier to wrap one up in a cloth napkin or two, stick it in a plastic bag, and tuck it away in our luggage before leaving home. I just never remember!

This time around I also wish we'd brought a couple of washcloths for the days when the kids don't want to take a bath but have been playing in the sand all day (eww!). We have plenty of towels here, but not all countries and cultures use washcloths the way we do in the US.

So, I'm curious: what do you always tuck in your bag before you travel? What do you always wish you'd packed? I'm so curious to hear your travel hacks!

Photo by Todd Quackenbush.

Share this:

  • Email
  • Twitter
  • Facebook

Related

Filed Under: Miscellany Tagged With: airbnb, knife, knives, travel

Previous Post: « Getting Ready for Spain
Next Post: A Trick to Making Vacation More Pleasurable »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Garron

    January 16, 2017 at 9:10 pm

    Maybe more applicable to business travel in Africa which makes up 80 percent of my trips, but I have to have earplugs with me

    Reply
    • Jodi

      January 22, 2017 at 8:58 pm

      My husband used to be the same, until kids. After surviving sleep with babies (well, we've got one more coming we'll have to survive), he's become a bit more robust. But then, I don't think we've done exactly the same amount and kind of travel that you do...

      Reply
  2. Sophia

    January 17, 2017 at 10:07 am

    There is a reason chefs always travel with their knives in those cool bags! I never think to bring one either. I always bring a little gentle swedish hand-dishwashing detergent for all sorts of things. Children's paracetamol suppositories (which is faaar easier to give and impossible to find in many places). Also, a good scarf that doubles as baby blanket, clean surface, sunscreen and all sorts.

    Reply
    • Jodi

      January 22, 2017 at 8:57 pm

      Great tip on the scarf. They're so versatile, aren't they?

      Reply
  3. Donna

    January 17, 2017 at 6:00 pm

    Hey Jodi! My staple for traveling is my MP3 player. I keep it loaded with a few tracks I can meditate or fall asleep to, which helps me find some peace & relaxation during travel. Glad you're having a great trip!

    Reply
    • Jodi

      January 22, 2017 at 8:56 pm

      I should definitely put some meditation tracks on my phone; it might help with the pregnancy insomnia I'm facing. The other night, after a full day of walking and sight-seeing, I didn't get to sleep until after 3am. Maybe meditation tracks could have helped me get to sleep hours earlier!

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

About Jodi

I just repatriated from Sweden to the US with my British husband and three young kids. I started this site while living in Sweden to build the conversations and community we've had with loved ones around the world, and to create a space to share thoughts about life, beauty, motherhood, and everything else. read more →

Connect & Follow

  • Bloglovin
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest

Receive the weekly newsletter

* indicates required
/ ( mm / dd )

Recent Posts

Our weekend on Sweden's west coast

August 10, 2016 By Jodi 6 Comments

Speaking of summer, last weekend we took a train to the west coast of Sweden to spend a few days sailing with our wonderful neighbors (who we call the kids' Swedish grandparents). Henrik has had his boat Maja for forty-five years! We didn't do any actual sailing (we motored around because we didn't have the best...

Read More

On Overwhelm

May 31, 2017 By Jodi 2 Comments

Boy running through the woods in evening light

In 2014, we moved to Sweden and we had our second child, Leif. Having a baby and moving internationally in the same year was incredibly stressful, and I vowed not to do it again. Well, it's 2017, I had a baby a few months ago, and we're preparing to move back to the US. That thing...

Read More

Sailor Moon and a Grilled Cheese Sandwich

October 21, 2016 By Jodi 1 Comment

Red converse sneakers

Today I'm thrilled to share this story by my dear friend Laura. I met Laura in the first months I moved to Los Angeles, and she's been a treasured friend since the day I met her. Laura is the ultimate go-to for how to do anything involving sewing, crafting, drawing, or starting creative projects, and has the best historical...

Read More

What Would You Include On Your "Mom Resume"?

March 9, 2018 By Jodi 5 Comments

Mom and kids on couch reading

Does anyone else ever feel that going to work is like taking a vacation compared to being home with three-foot-tall tyrants all day? That parenting is the most difficult thing you've ever done, far more challenging than any job? Further, that being a parent has forced you to develop skills, strategies, and coping mechanisms you...

Read More

Categories

  • Beauty
  • Family
  • Happiness
  • Life in Sweden
  • Miscellany
  • Thinking

Follow me on Bloglovin'

Follow

Instagram

Footer

About Dear Sabrina

Welcome! Dear Sabrina is a lifestyle blog for the thinking woman (and man, if men read lifestyle blogs). I hope that visiting this site gives you something to think about, makes you laugh, or shows you something new. If you want to further connect, find me on one of networks below or send an email.
Thanks for reading, and let me know what you think. More about me…

  • Bloglovin
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest

Copyright © 2023 · Jodi Elliott

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.