How to Pack for a Budget Airline

1. Get one of these:

If you think you need more than this, you don't! Resist your consumer lifestyle urges to pay extra for a carry-on or a checked bag. You chose this airline for a reason! Stuff your backpack to its brim, and bring a clutch for phone, wallet, and boarding pass-type essentials. Or, if you're a menswear wearing person, make the most of your large pocketed jeans and shorts. Maybe throw in a chapstick, if you're going to Denver.

2. Pick two to three bottoms only.

There is some strange, unwritten observance that, whenever we travel, we imagine we'll suddenly start wearing all of the outfits that have been hanging in our closets at home for months. In normal life, do you wear the same pair of jeans many times in a row without washing them? Bring those jeans! Why do we think that when we travel we are going to become miraculously cleaner, fresher versions of ourselves? Unless you're rolling in mud or are a very sweaty sweating machine, you can wear something more than once. Your friends are used to seeing you in the same five outfits, mix 'em, match 'em, and save your space.

3. Choose your shoes.

The heaviest ones go on your feet. If it's summer, pack sandals. If you need sneakers, get some flat folding ones like these. Let your footwear be comfortable and your walks will be plentiful.

4. Have a Kindle. 

Budget flying leaves not much room for books. Reading apps can fit hundreds of them. Choose your battles.

5. Only laptop if you really, REALLY need to.

You are escaping! Stop working! Save your computer activities for low-level days like Monday :( or Tuesday :/. A tiny personal item restriction is a great excuse to be freely traveling without your ties. If you really need it, your phone does many of the same things in a more portable way. If you're traveling a budget airline for a work trip, find a better job.

6. Unlimited underwear.

Have small underwear that can squeeze in any extra space. Remember what I said about sink-washed underwear before, and give yourself this simple luxury.

7. Respect the limits of Ziploc bags.

I don't know the point of toiletry bags other than making me look very put-together and grown up. Many of us are not those things on a regular day, so why choose now to pretend? You'll need the baggie for security, anyway, so fit your toiletries in one and call it a day.

7. Go somewhere cool.

So that you care more about what you're heading towards than what you're bringing with you. Try Colorado. They have a lot of good looking sights to see.

8. Bring some friends.

Maybe they'll share the stuff that you couldn't fit! Remember that all you really need is the unmatched license/passport, credit card, phone combination, and head on your way.

*Note: This process has served me well for 3 to 4, maybe 5-day trips if it's beach weather. If you are budget flying for longer, I respect you and await your tips for the packing.

Gone Outside

One day in July I sat here and meditated with the Oprah & Deepak 21-day meditation app and it was very nice, very hot, and very spiritual millennial of me. I am hearing a lot of people talk about summer coming to an end, and I hope that they will stop because there is a lot more ahead of us! 

Are you taking time to find some peaceful outside places near you?

Many Moves

Well hi! I'm here, writing from a new place. Forgive my absence. I moved. Again. I don't have a whole lot of feelings about this move since I recently had to fill out the five years of residences section on my Global Entry application, and my list was rivaling the number of entries they allow. I'm living in a temporary room for the next two weeks until I change again, and it's a wonder how the addition of our stuff quickly turns an empty space into our own.

In the meantime, these two tied the knot. Are you getting married soon? I recommend doing it in Asheville, if that's the case. They have loads of mountains, beer, and biscuits. All the essentials for a proper celebration.

On the afternoon of the wedding, about an hour before the ceremony was set to begin, it rained. Actually, it poured, and flooded just a little bit. Then, believe it or not, the clouds parted ways and opened up into one of the most gorgeous evenings I've ever seen. I believe it, since love has a magical way like that. Seeing Lainie and Warren was like a finding the sun after a long storm.

Love to all! Enjoy your weekend.

Live to Learn

Like I told you in the last post, I'm not the greatest of granddaughters, and before my recent trip to Buffalo, it had been quite a while since the last visit to upstate New York to see my grandma. This time, I took advantage of our stay together to convince her to share one of her most powerful areas of expertise: baking cinnamon rolls.

She has long been known throughout our family and her group of friends for her special touch with these tasty spiraled treats. My sister and I share antagonistic photos whenever one of us is lucky enough to get a full pan of her own in the mail. Despite my grandma's desires to spend the trip showing me around the Grand Island Golden Age center, she kindly agreed to spend a day in the kitchen walking me through all the mixing, rising, and rolling steps. And, even though the instructions have never been exact, the batch she guided me through came out pretty deliciously!

As the people we love grow older and begin to downsize in their living spaces, it's usually inevitable that we'll end up inheriting some of their precious possessions. Even better than the invaluable antique jewelry and multi-generational family heirlooms are the pieces of knowledge we can pick up along the way. A few years ago, my grandma taught me how to crochet, and now I think of her anytime I'm working on a project. And I've only made a few pierogi on my own, but I'll never forget holidays spent making them in a flour-filled kitchen with my aunt and uncle. It's a reward on two levels: you get to spend a special time together learning the craft, and then end up with lifelong memories that spring up whenever you decide to attempt it on your own. While I might not have perfected the kneading and measuring processes yet, it makes my heart happy that my grandma had the time to pass her unrivaled ability along to me. Hopefully I'll get to carry it with me for a long, long while, even if I'd rather not know how much powdered sugar ends up in the glaze.

Disclaimer: I did also come away with more than a few vintage skirts from the guest room closet, so don't go thinking that this post is wholly immaterial.

Shuffling Off

My grandmother lives in a place called Grand Island, New York where people wave often and talk to each other in the streets, children play and ride their bicycles without supervision, and neighbors know enough about each other to make passing comments like, "She has three sons, none of them are married, and they all have cats".

Her quiet neighborhood, idyllic in the months of June, July, and August, seems untouched by time. I can say that, since I spent the past 13 years not visiting, and, when I returned, so much of it remained recognizable and seemingly unchanged. Grand Island is right outside Buffalo, and, some might say, worlds outside the "New York" of stereotypes.

I was impressed by the amount of water in the trip, from the majesty of Niagara Falls to an impromptu Saturday ride on my uncle's boat. We went for a walk each morning, where it would rain sporadically, preparing to open up into afternoon sunshine. I was impressed that we saw sunshine at all. I even got to explore the downtown scene (at night, no pictures!) and people were out wearing shorts and dresses instead of the hats and gloves that I had imagined (and brought with me). Buffalo, I've given you a bad rap.

Hopefully, this time around it will take less than 13 years for me to go back.

Sweet Summer

If any past/present/future employers are reading this, please know that I am very dependable and dedicated, and this post is most definitely not about me. However, for some people who are surely not me, certain times of year require the skipping of work in exchange for the seeking out of fresh fruits.

If you're finding yourself in that seasonal position, and if peaches and blackberries are the objects of your sweet desires, here are some do's and don'ts to guide your quest:

• Do carry out your search in Fredericksburg.
• Do check the pick-your-own calendars before you go.
• Don't stop at the jam/salsa stores along the way or you might take pity on lonely little old ladies with lots of free samples and end up buying more jam/salsa than you had originally planned.
• Do stop in Dripping Springs for the very best pizza or pastries.
• Don't run out of time for sunning and swimming on your way.

Pick wisely and enjoy!

Found in Ft. Worth

Nowadays, my family looks a lot different than the mom, dad, sister, and me stick figure drawings I used to sketch out back in grade school. As the years have gone by, it's expanded to include many new faces-- related and non-- who spread far and wide across the country and, occasionally, around the world. Regardless of how untraditional our clan looks today, it's pretty cool that a few weeks ago I was able to drive to North Texas for a mini-family reunion. Sometimes you end up where you never could have expected, and it seems to make the most sense of all.

Side note to Austinites who understandably think it would be silly to venture out of Austin to visit another Texan city: It seems like the Ft. Worth part of DFW might have some cool stuff, too! There were lots of breweries, music, and apartment complexes that look eerily similar to the ones here. Come for the professional sports teams, stay for the beer and tattoos.

Oh yeah, and happy 4th of July y'all!

Waiting in Waco

In case anyone ever claims that I'm not an amazing sibling, let it be known that after months of receiving countless begs and pleas, I finally agreed to make a trip to Magnolia Market at my sister's request.

For people who don't spend their days watching HGTV, Magnolia Market is a Disney Land of brown, white, and green home decor with a lot of long lines and a fancy lawn. For people who know who Chip and Joanna Gaines are, it is the most magnificent place on earth and worth every drop of sweat lost while waiting outside in the Texan sun just to enter the store.

I don't have a house, or the ability to purchase and improve upon anyone else's house, so I was coming in as an outsider who had to Google to remember what shiplap was called. In the end, I  can say that I am glad I was able to visit on a weekday, that the striped lawn beanbag chairs looked very comfortable, and that the shadeless bakery line moves pretty efficiently. If you happen to be in Waco, where I'm pretty sure there is nothing else to do, you might as well stop by.

A City Sekrit

When you live in a rapidly growing city, it's hard to let a conversation pass you by without commenting on the changes that have occurred between the time you moved to that city and now. Usually, these observations include mention of things that used to be better: "There was hardly any traffic!" "We never waited in lines!" "Rainey Street!"

Even if you haven't lived in the new place for very long, you'll find yourself yearning for days gone by. Weren't things less expensive? Couldn't you find a parking spot in an area now covered by valet service? Though we accept change as inevitable, our grumpiness about it proves our worth. We've been here long enough to find something to complain about.

A couple of weeks ago, I had the chance to visit a lesser-known Austin destination that is getting close to shutting its doors: the Sekrit Theatre. This lovely outdoor space features a giant backyard, lots of quirky details, and an outdoor theatre where movies are shown twice a week. The central greenhouse was the ideal location for a ladies yoga Summer Solstice celebration.

While I'm sad about the sale of this special secret, I'm so glad I was lucky enough to spend one perfect afternoon here.

Lands of Enchantment

If you're a person who thinks ticket prices make it too costly to travel, try buying this $60 tent, packing up your car, and driving over to the next state. You just might find yourself in another world.

Sometimes you can camp for $10. Sometimes you can camp for free. Sometimes it will be too windy to camp and you'll get to sleep in your car, which could have been free, if you hadn't already reserved a campsite.

However you choose to sleep in the great outdoors, get out there! There's a lot to see. 

The Good & the Green

Just when I think I have swum in all of the majestic swimming holes around here, I find myself stumbling upon another majestic swimming hole. 

People are coming to Austin for the brunch and the jobs, and they are staying for the good and the green things that are very nearby. McKinney Falls State Park is one of those good, green things, which also happens to not be very crowded on an overcast spring day. You had better get here before summer when all the water might go away, but for now I'm giving it all the thumbs up.

Waiting on WEST

This weekend, many of Austin's best galleries, museums, event spaces, and regular people's houses will open their doors to invite us all to come hang around and check out some really incredible art from art-makers all around the city. What's better than that? This will be my first year attending and volunteering at the West Austin Studio Tour, but I have been able to view and help at EAST for a few years now, and I imagine that its Spring counterpart will be equally magical. 

Big Medium puts on some of the most wonderful art events in Austin, and these bi-annual studio tours have a particularly special way of making everyone feel like part of this giant community. You can pick out a catalog/guide from a nearby library, or plan out your route on the official website. 

Come hang out with me at Saturday's Community Breakfast! And if you wanted to help out by volunteering, I think you could join in here.

On Retreat

Lainie's getting married, so we dropped everything and flew over to Denver. After the initial cold and snowy shock to my system, the weekend was otherwise magical. We celebrated a beautiful being and looked pretty good doing so.

Enjoying an adventurous getaway with such fun, positive, lovely women had me wondering why we only rarely find the time to come together like this. What makes us wait until once-in-a-lifetime events happen to gather wonderful groups of ladies (or gentlemen) together?

Let's do it more often.

40 Hours

If you're going to drive from Texas to Georgia, you'd better make sure you've got some entertaining traveling companions on the road and an amazing hostess of a mom waiting for you when you get there. Lucky for me, I was blessed with both, so I was miraculously able to survive the longest car trip of my life. Waking up for school on Tuesday morning was a bit grueling, but enjoying a Spring weekend in Savannah is always worth any amount of hours spent traveling.

A stopover in New Orleans more than satisfied our party requirements for the trip. Apparently the bars never close there? And the next few days in Savannah brought us back to nature. We trapped a snake, viewed alligators from afar, and watched dolphins swim in the sea.

It's hard to beat the beauty of Spanish moss, southern hospitality, and fried chicken paired with mac and cheese. I'm so glad my mom has chosen to make a little home down here.

Twenty-nine

"May you have enough..

Enough happiness to keep you sweet,

Enough trials to keep you strong,

Enough sorrow to keep you human,

Enough failure to keep you humble,

Enough success to keep you eager,

Enough friends to give you comfort,

Enough wealth to meet your needs,

Enough enthusiasm to look forward,

Enough faith to banish depression,

Enough determination to make each day better than yesterday.

May you have enough."

Chapel Hill

One positive part of growing up is that you might have more friends scattered about in more appealing places, so you can stretch your roaming limits (and budget) further than your younger network may have allowed. My friend Matt is the best kind of faraway friend who will even offer to sleep on the couch and give up their bed to let you rest your weary traveling bones. A gigantic thank you to him for taking me to all of the breweries, wood-fired pizzerias, and string-lit bars that are making Raleigh-Durham the next Austin/Denver/Brooklyn/Place for people who like food trucks and Snapchat. I didn't mind it one bit.

Being in Chapel Hill during spring break offered a time of reflection for me. Back when 16 year old Cori was checking out schools and planning her future, baby blue t-shirts and tar-covered heels were expected to be a major part of it. I did all of the AP-ing and SAT-ing asked of me. I went to their volleyball camp. I bought a lot of blue clothing items. I learned to appreciate vinegar barbecue. But still when the decision mail came, my envelope was disappointingly skinny instead of invitingly thick.

I was devastated and confused. I cried in my room a lot and quickly formulated plans to move in with my uncle so I could apply again as an NC resident. I'm pretty sure my best friend and I forged notes from our parents to skip Chemistry class and eat waffles, because we did that a lot anyway and because there is still nothing like waffles to heal a broken teenage heart. I think I only chose to go to Delaware later on because it had flowers and brick buildings and vaguely resembled UNC.

It was a long while before my focus started to shift. During Fall semester of sophomore year, I remember gathering my printed transfer applications, ready to be filled-in and sent off in the Spring. I was so sure that I knew where I was going and that there had to have been some strange mistake. It took a few years, a trip to Argentina, and a lot of new friends to convince me otherwise. I never ended up sending those transfer applications and I stayed at Delaware for two extra years. Now I only think about Chapel Hill once a year, in March, when I become a short-term college basketball fan.

Walking around the campus during my visit with Matt reminded me the importance of letting go when my thinking mind is so certain that it knows what's best for me. I realize how much we might miss if we try to squeeze our lives into the perfect plans that we've doubtlessly determined for them. Looking back, I can't imagine my path having gone any other way than it has. If I had transferred to North Carolina, I probably never would have met so many of my best friends, checked as many study abroad countries off my list, or become the mostly well-rounded person I am now. Or maybe by some universal magic I would have ended up as the same me in exactly the same place, but I definitely don't think I would have gotten to shake former Vice President Joe Biden's hand.

So I'm sending love to you, hoping you can always find the very, very good no matter how unexpectedly your path seems to be twisting. I believe it's all working itself out.

Saying Yes

Planning my visit to Asheville had me thinking back to this time last year. Lainie and I had just moved into a new house together in Austin without any solid expectations of what the upcoming twelve months would bring. Our two original plans, of living in a rat-free home and buying a functioning washer/dryer, had already fallen through, so all we really had was a signed lease and the hope that things could only go up from there.

Since then, after exchanging appliances and putting up with many visits from the pest control man, we buckled in and sat back while life did its thing. We had a lot of fun in our house. Lainie got engaged and started planning a wedding. We moved a bunch of furniture. She changed cities while I changed neighborhoods, and, for the most part, we both spend our days in wildly different ways than in early 2016.

I'll always admire Lainie since, when the world presented her with a completely new and exciting plan, she said "Sure, ok, I'll try it" instead of fearfully retreating back to her comfort zone. And now she lives in a cool house in a cool new city with a cool dude. I'm glad I have a lovely new place for visiting and the steady reminder that however good our known surroundings might be, there's always the fun chance that the unknown might be even better.

Thanks for having me, Asheville!

Easing East

After Nashville, the east coast was calling us back, so we packed up Gillie and hit the road to North Carolina. I was ready to put my National Park annual pass to work once more before its April expiration date, but we found out that the Great Smoky Mountain is free because this. Our visions of long hikes and stretching the legs were cut short by rainy snow, and we only left the car for a few moments to do dog things and snap some photos.

I imagine things were looking very pretty underneath all those clouds. Maybe I didn't pick the ideal time of year for my visit since the Blue Ridge Parkway was closed, too, but that only gives me another reason to go back.

Thank you to the friendly people who took our family portrait. Thank you to the National Park Service for having $80 annual passes. Thank you to Lainie and Warren for wearing my handmade hats.

Next stop, Asheville!

Southeastern Spring

Spring Break happened last week, and as a person who has not had a spring break in some time, I can tell you that it was a miraculous feeling. Spending your hours with 4-8 year olds can be a ton of fun, but I was pretty excited to only interact with humans in my age range for 7 straight days. Not needing to set an alarm was pretty great, too.

The first stop was Nashville, which I knew would be a marvelous place since everyone I've ever met from Tennessee has been of the friendliest and most down-to-earth nature imaginable. Lainie (you already know her) met me at the airport, and her amazing friend Lindsay let us stay in her amazing apartment for the whole weekend.

It was cold[er than Austin], yet sunny, which turned out to be the perfect weather for walking around and snacking on scotcheroos (link warning: very, very addictive), hot chicken, and the most incredible donuts you'll taste in your lifetime.

Anyway, we two-stepped a bit, too, so it must have all evened out.

Family Firsts

I'm very thankful that my mom was able to come visit last weekend. This was her fourth or fifth time in Austin, but we always manage to find different things to do, like trying new restaurants and checking out art. I'll be returning to many of those places as soon as possible (looking at you, Round Top!) It was nice to have a piece of home here for a few days.