Travel tips from this trip...

Remember socks- airport security is dirty and my feet are now, too. Also, the plane is cold and so are my tootsies

Bring a refillable water bottle. I paid $4 for a SmartWater today. That isn't smart. Do you know how long it takes me to make $4? I don't either. Still.

DO NOT store two things in the overhead bins. Share!! We learned this in elementary school. Pack wisely. Check a bag if you must (amateurs) but DO NOT store two things in the overhead bins.

Cash in your miles for magazine subscriptions. You'll save cash by not buying the magazines at the airport and who has time to read them besides when they're traveling?

 Always pack a jacket. Even if you're going to Vegas in July because you just never know when a place will abuse its AC.

Rent a fancier rental car than you need. Treat yourself. You won't regret it. (Ok, ok, just ask for an adjustment when yet junk you pay for doesn't have cruise and get upgraded. Winning.)

If you think there is a gift shop with syrup off of a Vermont exit- STOP. You're right (naturally).

DO NOT do indoor activities on nice days. It maybe sound tempting to taste jellies and jams for two hours while the sun is shining. That would have been a lot better than driving aimlessly in the rain the next day. (defense: we still walked/hiked SEVEN miles that nice day, Jackson!!!)

Do not forget your toothbrush. The hotel says they have replacements. I call that replacing a diamond with a pebble.

Longchamp bags are the BEST CARRY-ON I've discovered thus far. Does Louis Vuitton make a better one? Probably, but if I bought LV I would not be on my flight right now. Choices. Choices.

Opting out of the people imaging device at security may not be a great idea. Sure, you've missed stepping into the biggest carcinogen known to man, but is a public groping much better? Yes. So I'm going to continue opting out much to Jackson's chagrin. I knew having too much life insurance would entice him to try to off me one way or another. It seems he wants to me to walk through a cancer booth.

Mapmyrun can be bought. Clearly the engineers there were out to get me during my mountain hike by telling me that a 399 miles distance was only .3 miles. Uphill. At at least a 40% grade. I was climbing up rocks like a mountain goat. A sick one, but a mountain goat no less. (Jackson's neck may break one day from shaking his head at me. Read that how you will.)

Don't check your work email. They're not paying you to do that so just don't. Also don't check in with coworkers. Let tomorrow's troubles be handled tomorrow.

B&B's typically have foreigners staying there. It is fun to interact with people different than yourselves sometimes. The Germans with whom we ate breakfast were aghast at the fact that college costs money here. It was a lively conversation where I got to sound very well informed and then got knocked down by the innkeeper announcing that their daughter went to Cornell on grants and didn't have student loans. Annoying? Yep. (I'd still wager a bet that my mom is prouder of me than they are of their daughters so there, Ivy Leaguer!)

Buy two iPads because Jackson shares about as well as the people on this flight share overhead bin space. (Or as well as he shares chicken wings, desserts, drinks, really any food that is not a vegetable or golf balls at the driving range. He just doesn't do it well.) I'll give back HIS TOY now.