Category: Good Days

  • 5 Tips to make your next trip overseas smoother!

    5 Tips to make your next trip overseas smoother!

    Guys, I know that you love those Crocs. In fact, I’ve heard that they are quite comfortable. But the next time you consider wearing them on that flight to Miami or New York, please ask yourself this question: “If this plane crashes, do I want my body to be found floating in the ocean, wearing crocs?”

    Trip

    That’s a stark way to begin but now that I have your attention, let’s consider the lengths we go to be comfortable when we travel and how we could possibly make the experience more seamless.

    I recently had to travel up north, via way too many connecting flights and the experience reinforced some vital elements of travel that many of us pay little attention to. Those contingencies that can make or break our experience, so I’m going to share 5 tips/tricks that you can use to make your next jaunt epic and comfy, sans Crocs!

    Blazers

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    Photo by Olu Eletu on Unsplash

    This one’s more for the gents but ladies you can apply this tip as needed with your own outfits.

    For the most part, travel apparel has veered largely into athleisure wear, with an understandable emphasis on comfort. However a black or navy blazer can class up just about any outfit (almost). And why limit it to black or navy just about any colour you like works just as well.  Just ensure it’s well fitting and compliments your overall look.

    From a more practical perspective, I love adding blazers to my travel wardrobe because the added inside pockets are the perfect place to keep those items I need a little closer to my body, specifically my passport, tickets or any other miscellaneous paperwork.

    First Aid Kit

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    Picking up an injury, even a minor one, is usually the farthest thing from our minds when we are travelling. But picture this, you are making your way from New York to London overnight, followed by a coach journey into central England and somewhere in the midst of it all, a hang nail decides to make itself relevant in your life. Extremely painful and torturous to even contemplate removing, what do you do? Put a band aid on it!

    Now if only you had a first aid kit handy with band aids and other items, you would be all set. I found myself in this exact predicament and was fortunate to have discovered this neat First Aid to Go kit by Johnson and Johnson at an airport convenience store.

    You could make your own, but these commercial versions are so neat and inconspicuous, it’s little hassle to add a few sachets of panadol or paracetamol and some gas tablets, just in case.

     

    Hand sanitizer

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    It’s always nice to see those pretty little Bath and Body Works hand sanitizer holders hanging from purses and other bags. But question, how often do you really use it?

    Airplanes are a germ playground, even when you’re not seeing the remnants of the snack the previous occupant of your seat was munching on. That’s why having a hand sanitizer for more than just decoration is essential.

    Head into any airport bathroom and observe the number of users who walk out of the stall and head straight for the door, and you will realise that hygiene means different things, to different people. Get the hand sanitizer you like and use it!

    Vitamin C

    Trip

    I’ve seen advice online about upping your Vitamin C intake just before, during and after a trip, to give your immune system a boost. I actually take 1000mg of Vitamin C everyday and this has helped me tremendously. So it was a no-brainer to continue this dosage while I’m travelling.

    There’s nothing more annoying than picking up a cold or flu virus during, or immediately after a trip.  And while Vitamin C is not a guarantee that you won’t get a cold, the extra assistance in fighting an infection goes a far way.

    Packing Cubes

    Trip

    Buzzfeed put me on to these packing cubes earlier this year and I finally got to use them recently. They were a life saver!

    The pack of five has 2 large, 2 medium and 1 small cube that can be used as needed to organise all your personal effects. I used three in my largest checked luggage for different types of clothes (pants, shirts, etc).

    Each cube is deep enough to hold a lot of clothing and you can even plan out daily clothing combinations and pack them inside each cube (if that’s your thing, of course).

    Finally, not only did the cubes free up space inside my bags for other items, but it meant that repacking, once I was ready to leave was easy as I didn’t have to completely empty the bag in the first place.

    There you have it guys, my two cents on making your next trip a bit more comfy, and not a Croc in sight!

    Be inspired, Be informed, Be Glorious!

    Kevin

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     Disclaimer: The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have about supplementation. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on a website.

  • 35 Lessons in 35 Years

    35 Lessons in 35 Years

    Life lessons

    I grew up with this fatal vision that I would not live past age 18.

    Why?

    Because I was unlucky enough to reach that age in the dreaded year 2000, when calamity would strike and the Lord would come back and take his world.

    Imagine my surprise then, that 17 years later, I am still here.

    A thriving 30-something, ‘Adulting’ and still trying to understand this thing we call life.

    “The afternoon knows what the morning never suspected.”
    ― Robert Frost.

    Today as I celebrate my 35th year of renewal, I realized it was a good time to reflect and recap some of the life lessons I have learned on my trod.

    The whole exercise proved revelatory and for some of these lessons, it took me a while to truly find words to describe them, but here goes.

    In no particular order of importance: Life Lessons

    1. Turning 30 wasn’t that big a deal after all, in fact I felt like my true adulthood began in my 30’s!
    2. If you’re lucky, your maturity and wisdom will peak at the right time for you to start putting the two together and change your life.
    3. A mother’s love is indispensable.
    4. The prayers of the matriarchs of your family count for something.
    5. You actually can become friends with your ‘co-workers’, but stay woke.
    6. Stay away from people who prefer Juici over Tastee beef patties. You never need that kind of negativity in your life.
    7. Try to figure out religion and spirituality for yourself, it will be of immense value.
    8. Your gut is always right!
    9. The worst end, to the best relationship will not be your undoing. In fact, it could be your opportunity to level up.
    10. It is ok to take your time to grow up. If you’re lucky, there will be a lot of years of ‘adulting’ to do all those ‘big people’ stuff.
    11. There is absolutely nothing wrong with taking care of you. Self care is the best thing since sliced bread.
    12. People love differently, but don’t let that blind you to what love should feel like, for you.
    13. Reading is FUNDAMENTAL!
    14. Your education becomes more valuable, the older you get. Get that paper, get that training.
    15. Nobody really wants a nice guy.Life Lessons
    16. None of us are born with good judgement. It’s like a muscle that must be exercised in order to grow and become stronger.
    17. Learn to swim.
    18. You love who you love and no matter how the world tries to change that fact, it remains self evident and true.
    19. Assertiveness is a gift.
    20. Being you is often times easier said than done, but it will always be worth it.
    21. Being thankful through all circumstances, good and bad, makes a difference to your outlook on life. There is ALWAYS something to be thankful for, as long as you’re willing to look.
    22. It is ok to have different ‘tribes’ for different aspects of your life.
    23. There’s a difference between being valuable and being valued. See how this applies to your professional and personal relationships.
    24. The word ‘No’ is a gift.
    25. There’s no shame to your game if you can’t dance, but if you’re so inclined, take a few lessons.
    26. Be willing to walk from any situation or person that makes you feel less than.
    27. At a certain point in your life, you won’t care about the degrees and certificates as much, you will just want to learn about new things.
    28. Accept that disagreements or even arguments are part of the process and shouldn’t define relationships,
    29. It takes time to master the art of making lemonade out of lemons but when you do, your whole outlook on life and circumstances immediately change.
    30. No matter how far you run, at the end of the day, you have to face the man in the mirror. Ensure that he’s ok, before you fully face the world.
    31. You are braver and stronger than you think.
    32. Mentors come in many forms.
    33. The good you do, for others counts for something. They will remember, even if you forget.
    34. You are not your hair (Take this from someone who started losing it before age 25).
    35. They may say that you’re shady, but they can never call you dishonest.Life lessons

    Birthdays are a time of great celebration and joy but years ago, my big brother Pete, introduced me to the idea of looking at my birthday, as a New Year celebration.

    So along with these lessons I’ve learned and with the launch of this blog, I’d say that my new year is already looking up.

    More time to Be inspired, Be informed, Be Glorious!

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    Kevin