The Europe Packing List - The Carry-on

Maybe I want more American visitors or maybe it's because I've been asked this question several times in 2010, but I decided to dedicate some time to useful posts starting with packing. While everyone loves a good rant, I think it's about time to focus on writing style and get out of my stream of thought rut. So, packing seemed like a great place to start. For the last 4 years I've been living in Germany and since I spent most of the first 2 years traveling around Germany for my job, I learned how to pack useful and light things. There are a lot of dos and don't for packing floating around the Internets but I often disagree with some common points. So, here's my go at a Europe an packing list. Please feel free to add to it in the comments suggestion. This first installment of The Europe Packing List outlines my suggestions for a carry-on. The next installment will cover checked baggage and then there will be a final installment of what to leave at home. 2010 was a monumental year for losing my luggage so I've learned the importance of a carry-on. I really love my Very Bradley large duffel and it took me awhile to admit that I was a fan of the often motherly bags but it really is the perfect size for an international flight carry-on. Just be careful not to overstuff or you'll exceed the weight limit. In heindsight, white is not the best color for something that spends so much time on the floor but at least it's washable and has a huge pattern to hide the dirt. Carryon Necessities

• Underwear (2 pairs) - If your luggage is lost or the flight is delayed once you've checked in your suitcase you'll really thank me.
• Toothbrush - To brush on the flight, if you want to bring liquids bring the paste, if not you'll survive with wate
• Headphones - Some airlines provide them for your use, others rent or sell them but save yourself the trouble and pack your own airbuds. You may only be able to hear in one ear but it's sure better than nothing.
• Eye mask - you'll want to sleep and there are a lot of lights and moving around on a plane, there is a reason these are provided in business class.
• Cardigan/small hoodie - Temperatures vary in planes and I tend to find them cold over the Atlantic. There's usually a standard issue blanket but it's always helpful to have layers and a soft sweater can double as a pillow if you're warm and tired.
• Large scarf - For the same reasons as above and specifically it's pillow potential.
• Chapstick and Lotion (if you're packing liquids)- Simple really, recycled air lacks moisture.
• Cash - The correct currency for where you will land is best but if not, use an ATM once you arrive and avoid those currency exchange booths charging large commissions. Tip: My US credit union, Navigant CU does not charge me fees to use foreign ATMs up to 4 times per month which is amazing when traveling.

Don't forget most airlines allow 1 carry-on AND 1 personal item such as a purse which also applies to men. Therefore, if you want to travel light and skip checked bags, take advantage of this and use your carry-on to hold your clothes and put these things in your purse (or messenger bag if you're a man). I am a fan of large lightweight purses that can easily fold up and often travel with my Longchamp shopper folded in my carry-on in case I need to carry additional items on the way home. Also, learn from my mistake better than I did, don't buy a white Longchamp bag (even if it'S summer and you are in the Flagship store in Paris) if you're going to use it to travel and don't think lt. grey (see link above) will be any better, mine is so gross I stopped using it and it's only 6 months old. They are spot clean only so stick to dark colors like navy and black for international travel and daily use.

Thrifting

A couple of my favorite blogs as of late (http://thatwifeblog.com/ and http://www.academichic.com/ ) have talked about thrifting as well as http://www.newdressaday.com/ where thrifting is the complete focus. I'm not sure if it's the retro 80's trends coming back, a slow economy that's making people aware of their spending habits, the positive impact on the environment or some other reason but it seems like thrifting is trendy. This "new trend" which has been around forever makes me reflect on my childhood a bit. See, I was the only girl in a family of boys. It was quite often that my brother would get clothes passed down from one of both of my cousins and the same to the next brother although he was a rather skinny child and often didn't fit in hand-me-downs but you'd never guess it to meet him now. Anyway, the point being is I was super jealous of the bags of clothes that went back and forth! Even my mom's best friend would play with her kids' clothes but her daughter is 4 years younger than me so she got my clothes and I got nothing. Of course her son is a year older than one of my brothers so he would get the incoming bags of clothes. This maybe happened once a season or so depending on how quickly we were growing and when our respective parents made us clean out our closets. Despite my clothing jealousy, there are other benefits to being the only girl in the family and occasionally I'd get a bag of clothes from the daughter of one of my aunts' friends who were a couple of years older than me. To me, this was super exciting becasue it was always a suprise. Besides, I felt so fashionable to wear the clothes picked out by high school girls when I was in middle school - haha I was pretty lame when it came to dressing myself. I distinctly remember my 6th grade wardrobe (the stuff I picked out myself without) consisting of colored Arizonia jeans, a few crewneck sweatshirts in size L when I should have worn an S, white, pink and neon yellow Asics high top sneakers , way too many giant t-shirts, most containing the logos of sports teams of the teal and purple variety (i.e. Charlotte Hornets, Phoenix Suns, Colorado Rockies) and a Starter jacket or two (I think I had Hornets and Suns in different styles one year after the other). Back to the topic, my grandmother was a big fan of thrift stores in her retired days, I think for her it was more of a group sport she could do with her other retired lady friends than any any of the other motives I suggested above. Eventually I got to raid her closet for button down shirts that don't wrinkle and velvet blazers (another phase I may have over done on the weekends). I made it through 4 years of high school uniforms, my style was equalling out just in time for college. Of course there were a few oh nos thrown in but I pretty much found a happy medium. The point to all this embarrassing sharing or my self dressing fails is that I never got into thrifting. I'm not sure why because the idea of making something new again really appeals to me and I certainly love old wood furniture. Now I see all these instances of thrift store finds and wonder where I could score a "vintage" dress for a dollar or a museum scarf turned into a belt. I think specifically of a silver dress that used to sit in my grandmother's closet and wonder if it ended up being someone else's thrift store find (think retro 60's metallic knit, it's totally a find) once my aunts cleaned out her stuff or if it is sitting in someone's closet collecting dust once again. To be honest, I have no idea where to find a good thrift store around here, maybe I'll do a little googeling this weekend and see if I can score a vintage durndle! And maybe I'll email my aunt and see if she has that silver dress per chance. Do you ever go thrifting? Please show me your finds!

On Changing a Name

It's no secret that I got married and changed my name. In fact, the name change process has been almost completely finished so you see can find my new name on my mailbox, University id, bus pass, passport, and office door. However, there are a few things that still need to be changed which have caused me some headache such as my US drivers liscence, ma Germany visa and my frequent flyer card. The liscence was the first road bloack, aparently, due to a 24 hour computer update cycle you can't change your name at the social security office and the DMV on the same day. Since I was only in my home state for about 10 hours, I had no chance but I tried. Now, I'll just wait until it expires and I have to renew it in August +/- 3 months which is another assanine policy for another post. The visa is not done because I'm not really sure what the steps are, some one says I need an appointment, someone says I don't maybe I can change status, maybe I just need the same one transplanted into my new passport and maybe I have to go to a different office completely. I don't think it is really a problem at this point as mine is still valid for some time. Finally the frequent flyer card is more of a hassel than I ever would have thought. Can I change it on the phone? no. Online? no. They need a copy of my new passport, ok. can I email it? no. Per fax or mail only. To complicate matters, I have an outstanding reward which expires next month but I can't book a flight for next wek then fax in the name change because I can only use the reward for myself and clearly a changed name makes me a different person before I change it! This is one of those situations where I just gave up because my German is not good enough to argue with customer service and when they are charging me 26 cents a minute I don't really feel like wasting my Skype credits in ultimately being put on hold so she can check with someone else. So that's the name change status update. It's not too hard, a little stressful but I keep telling myself I only have to do it once. Which reminds me, I still have credit cards to change over/cancel. I also see it as a chance to simplify my life and get rid of cards I don't use instead of changing my name. From a social perspective, it's been a bit more fun. My work phone now shows my new name whenever I call anyone which has led to a few fun reactions. My work email has also changed and the sign on the door is the best. I've had one completely lost student thus far and just this week, I had a student, who clearly knew who I was despite the name change, look at the door, look at me and then as I watched it click, he asked, "Did you get married?" I think, next time I should say no for fun. There have been some negatives as well. First of all, I am taking a huge hit in the alphabet falling from F which always left me in the first 1/4th of any alphabetical list to T which will put me in the last quarter. I guess now I'll know what it's been like for my cousin to be a W all these years. Secondly, my initials have changed. Anyone who knows me, knows I really liked my old initials, I even had a perfect one motion connected initial for signing off on things. It just does not work anymore, there's no way to connect a J and a T without it looking like a messed up version of one of those letters. Not to mention my initials are now JT...eww. To finish on a high note, Germans can finally understand/pronounce/spell my new name (sometimes with a bit of assistance on the end) which is a huge improvement when making appointments and reservations!

Snowed In

Snowed In von Jen Thomsen, acrylic gloves enthaltend

Inspired by M -http://jem4415.blogspot.com/2010/12/snowed-in.html, I've been using Polyvore again and it'S a lot of fun. I first found Polyvore while wedding planning although I find it more practical for interior decorating. You can search from a huge international database and find everything from clothes to furniture to food. I find it to be a great way to mix and match colors and test out particular pieces of furniture. I made a board that mimics my actual living room and asked friends to suggest a new coffee table and the result was an Ikea model I was contemplating myself. This bord is in honor of the snow in Mannheim and RI. My ideal snowed in day would involve a fireplace, a cozy blanket, oversized sweater, hot chocolate and home baked cookies.Pretty much how I spent yesterday if you replace the fireplace with movies and Wii!

Wealth

I just read this article about a man who shot at the FL school board. In the end, he was the only fatality. However, the article quoted his Facebook page which it appears he started only days before to leave a message. In his message, he says he was born poor in a land where the rich rule (not a direct quote). However, I could not disagree more with that statement. Maybe I could agree that the power is in the hands of the rich but I certainly don't think being born poor in the USA is irrreversable. Sure, money makes it easier to get ahead but the USA is one of the most upwardly mobile countries I know. Taxes are relatively low and even the poorest of the poor have more opprutunities than people living in several other ocuntries. Education is free and even though University is expensive, there are many opprutunities for need and merit based scholarship. In my experience, it is easier to jump income classes in the US as compared to Europe. In fact, on a daily basis, I notice that most of the students I meet at University here come from priveledged backgrounds and/or educated parents.
It really frustrates me when people blame thier status in life on thier parents or upbringing. I firmly believe in the self made man. American was built by the self made man so it especially baffels me when Americans feel they are restricted based on class. I believe you do need a certain level of internal motivation to suceed and a willingness to leave your comfort zone and comform to accepted norms but if you really want to make something of yourself, money and the financial status you are born into should not be a glass celing. Is this too idealistic of a view? I'd love for opinions, even if they disagree with me.

Spinach Salad Pizza

I wanted to make a spinach salad for dinner but I was cold so i decided to turn it into a nice warm pizza. I was a little nervous so I only topped 1/3 of the pizza with spinach and did the other 2/3 in a sauce/cheese/meat/vegetable combo. The spinach side turned out amazingly delicious. Here's what you'll need to make your own:

• fresh baby spinach
• goat cheese
• walnuts
• honey
• balsamic vinegar
• olive oil
• dried basil and oregano
• salt and pepper

I washed the spinach and set aside to dry on a paper towel while mixing the dressing. I used a heaping teaspoon of honey, a bit of olive oil and about 2 teaspoons of balsamic. Mix those liquid ingredients together and add basil, oregano, salt and p

epper to taste. I then put the spinach leaves in a bowl and coated them with dressing. Spread the coated spinach on pizza dough (mine was bought but you could make your own if you are so inclined), top with crumbles of goat cheese and walnuts. Bake, cut and eat. The dressing gives it a bit of a sweet taste while the spinach gets nice and tender and the goat cheese melts on the inside. I apologize, I ate the nicer looking slices before I thought to take a photo.

As for the other 2/3, in a much less creative way, I topped with shredded pizza cheese, feta cheese, one chopped up slice of deli ham and 2 chopped up green pepperoni (not salami but not jalepenos, I've forgotten the English word for these).

Halloween

I'm a bit behind schedule since Christmas is in 2 weeks but here are a few photos from our Halloween weekend in the north. I picked the last apples of the season. We made some spicy chili using the chili peppers from P's parents' garden and the ingredients we bought from a store that sells 16kg blocks of cheese but only super tiny pumpkins. You can't really tell from the photo but I was a mermaid wearing a cardigan because it was cold. For most of the guests, it was their first Halloween. I love sharing Halloween with others! Someone else has more photos from the dinner though, KOK is it you?