to travel

to travel / lo & sons hanover deluxe 2 backpack review

I recently changed my travel backpack from the Fjallraven 17″ laptop backpack to the Lo & Sons Hanover Deluxe 2 backpack. While I liked the Fjallraven and its light weight, it lacked a suitcase sleeve. I really wanted a backpack with a suitcase sleeve so that my backpack can sit on top of my carry-on suitcase secured to the suitcase handle. The top handle on one of my carry-ons defaults to one direction and without the suitcase sleeve, the backpack slides right off. And while I could sit the Fjallraven on its side and tighten the straps, it was inconvenient to have to adjust the straps every time I was switching between modes. I had tried looking for alternatives to Lo & Sons, but nothing checked all the boxes as Lo & Sons did.

to travel / orly airport & level airlines, paris to new york

I haven’t read much about my specific Level airline experience (booked through Chase Ultimate Rewards, ticketed by Iberia, operated by Level). I hope someone else can benefit from it.

My Paris trip came about very casually when I was texting with a friend on how long we haven’t seen each other. I had plenty of vacation days and was forecasting some downtime. As a collector of points/miles, I had a lot of options to work with. I don’t travel as much as I used to so I have no status. The challenge was finding something that worked around the US Thanksgiving holiday when many others are also traveling, two months out. I used AA miles for the outbound flight. For the inbound flight, I wanted to return on the Saturday evening (not 6am!) or Sunday after Thanksgiving (peak travel time). While in the US, there is often not much of a difference if you book a roundtrip vs two one-ways, it’s not always the case when you’re crossing the Atlantic.

Level Airlines was the best option. They are a budget airline and owned by IAG (which owns British Airways, Iberia, etc.) The flight between Paris and New York was Saturday evening, and it operates out of Orly Airport and Newark Airport (technically not New York).

to travel / {trip report} july in france, part 1

Trip Report Overview

Part 1: Overview and Day 1 (La Vallée Village, Champagne region)
Part 2: Day 2, 3 (Reims, wedding, driving to Provence-Luberon)
Part 3: Day 4-6 (Provence region and Pont du Gard, Paris)
Part 4: Day 7-10 (Paris)

I typically wouldn’t choose to visit Europe in July (heat, peak season), but a good friend was getting married! So, we made a trip out of it. Based on airfare award availability, we flew in/out of Paris. The plan was to drive from CDG to Champagne (wedding), to Provence (lavender in season!), then train back to Paris for the last few days.
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to travel / flight 001 f1 spacepak set review

Image source: Flight 001

As a bagaholic, I like compartmentalizing everything in my suitcase. It prevents or minimizes accidents. This Flight 001 set is the second packing cube set I’ve owned and definitely the prettiest. (In case you were wondering, this was the first set and served its purpose many summers ago for a 7 week trip.) Flight 001 is very well made, but a bit pricey.

I got this colored Spacepak set for 50% off thanks to Lucky Breaks (they still exist!) and brought it on a recent 10 day trip. (Note: There are videos on some of the product pages.)
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to travel / hawai’i: part ii, oahu

Before heading back east, we spent a few nights in Oahu. We stayed at the colonial style Moana Surfrider Westin Resort, which I adored, off of the busy Kalakaua Avenue. Waikiki Beach was kind of crazy, especially after staying in Upcountry, Maui, but we escaped away often and covered a good chunk of the island. Food in Oahu was consistently good in comparison with Maui. As an avid reader of Kathy YL Chan, I was really looking forward to checking off some of her favorite Honolulu eats!

(1) Selfie on the windy balcony of the Moana Surfrider, we stayed in the modern newly renovated wing (2) View of Waikiki Beach from the top of Diamond Head hike (3) Waikiki Beach at sunset from the hotel (4) Louis Vuitton on the busy Kalakaua Avenue

(1) One of the series of stairs on the Diamond Head hike. New York City trained me well. (2) Macadamia nut sauce over banana pancakes at Boots and Kimo’s. Crack! (Takeout to avoid the wait.) (3) I did find it ironic that the North Shore Macky’s Sweet Shrimp Truck was Taiwanese owned. Garlic shrimp! (4) Paradise found at Kailua Beach

(1) North Shore – Haleiwa Alii beach. (2) Mitsu-ken mini bento was SO GOOD. (3) I read Yelp reviews and decided to go to Aoki Shaved Ice instead of neighboring Matsumoto. Paled so much in comparison with Maui’s Ululani! (4) These Liliha Bakery coco puffs (topped with chantilly cream) are insanely addictive. I only picked up 2 on the first visit and had to go back on the way to the airport!

(1) Iyasume Musubi was really close to our hotel and so addicting. This was for the long plane ride. (2) Nice view from the Moana Lani Spa (total splurge) (3) Baggus drying on the line. Always a traveling MVP and great for transporting food and minimizing spills. (4) Honolulu Cookie Company cookies for the road – I prefer the lillikoi or kona coffee dipped in dark chocolate.

Happy Fourth!

to travel / hawai’i: part i, maui

I went to Maui and Oahu (with a long layover in LA) over a month ago. Here is a quick collage of some of my instagram snaps from Maui. I stayed in upcountry most nights (love) and spent a night on the resort-y coast (did not love). We had a full agenda and fully enjoyed the beautiful sights that Maui had to offer.

(1) Ho’okipa State Beach Park, North Shore (2) North Shore sunset (3) Hana Highway (4) Haiku Cannery B&B

(1) Banana bread at the B&B (2) Fried spam musubi at Da Kitchen (we regretted it) ( (3) The BEST Hawaiian shaved ice – Ululani’s – ice cap with passion fruit and mango with a macadamia nut and coconut (haupia) ice cream base (4) Hearty breakfast at Colleen’s Cannery

(1) At the very beginning of the Hana Highway drive (2) Layered up to watch the sunset – the temperature drops drastically (3) Waianapanapa blacksand beach (4) Sunset on Haleakala. We weren’t too enthralled with the idea of waking up for the sunrise.

(1) Waimoku Falls hiking trail (2) My Hawaiian shadow (3) Wailua Falls (4) Protea at the Keanae Arboreteum

(1) Ali’i Kula Lavender farm (2) Monkeypod Kitchen local Maui ribeye with spicy guava sauce (3) Honokowai Okazuya ono sauteed with lemon capers sundries tomatoes. So good! (4) Lahaina beach view while waiting for Gazebo Restaurant takeout

to travel / my entourage

With my Old Navy chambray shirt (similar), gold Saltwater sandals (here, here, or here), and Forever 21 leggings (similar) in a Westin Moana Surfrider elevator (they have many and the decor varies!).

Clare Vivier x & other stories crossbody shoulder bag, Tumi laptop bag, Longchamp XL Le Pliage tote, and 27″ Brics Pininfarina spinner.

I like the concept of traveling light and occasionally remind myself that I traveled around with a carryon for 2 months last summer, but in reality, sometimes I don’t want to stress about packing optimally. I loved the 21″ Bric’s Pininfarina carryon spinner (spinner puts much less stress on your wrist!) and jumped at the 27″ when it appeared on vente-privee for an extremely reasonable price. The 27″ has been checked in multiple times and has no marks whatsoever despite falling 4″ off a rack on a bus. I’m very impressed with the Italian brand’s quality — especially since I hear the worst reviews on Rimowa which costs 2-3x what I paid for my Bric’s. It looks like the model has been discontinued (the finish is a matte texture) and has been replaced with a smooth, shiny material, but you can still find both versions online for retail at Amazon, Horchow, Kaehler, Luggage Pros, Lord & Taylor, and Bloomingdale’s.

I’m a huge fan of traveling with nylon Longchamp. The bags itself are light and chic (I try to look presentable when flying). I typically use the Longchamp XL Le Pliage short handled tote as a carryall for random large objects (like shoes), duty free purchases, food purchases, or to consolidate bags as I often board with a Crumpler camera bag, the Tumi laptop bag, and purse. The camera bag does not always count towards your carryon limit. Should there be any super strict airline employees or policies (like the UK once allowing a single carryon even if you’re only transiting), I chuck everything into the Longchamp, but that hasn’t happened in ages. And if you don’t need the Longchamp, you can easily fold it up!

I used to travel with an L sized short handled tote (small travel bag) but now think it’s too small. I recommend the black or dark colors for durability, as it may pick up smudges. My black Planetes large tote is 4 years old and still going strong! While the Planetes cannot be folded up like the Le Pliage line, it is still easy to store flat in your luggage. I do not recommend the expandable travel tote unless you have an extremely strong shoulder — it’s awkward to carry when expanded. I eBayed mine — what’s the point of keeping if I can’t use it whilst expanded without injuring myself?

Longchamp is currently on sale at Bloomingdales, Nordstrom, Saks, Neiman Marcus, Magnums, Bagshop, and Longchamp (note: their inventory isn’t 100% accurate). If you’re an early bird, check Saks and Nordstrom in the morning for the best sale inventory. My favorites are the LM Metal travel bag in blue, Le Pliage small travel bag, Le Pliage large travel bag, and of course the black Planetes large tote. If you’re visiting France, I recommend making your Longchamp purses there for significant savings, but also know that you may have to visit a few Longchamp boutiques to find everything in e.g., Paris, where there is significant tourist traffic which depletes inventory.

Note on Longchamp leather: In one of my first visits to Paris, I purchased a ballet pink Veau Foulonné tote (same shape as the Le Pliage, but in leather) during the July soldes. I’m not super rough on my bags but it did not last my durability test. The corners were too delicate and showed wear after a few wears. It eventually was eBayed. For styles that require durability (e.g. big totes), I do not recommend the Longchamp leather styles. On the contrary, I have a Veau Foulonné key holder in an impractical beige color that is 6 years old and going strong…

to shop / ankle boots and vintage coach madison

My two favorite buys of the 2012-2013 winter season.

I can’t recall how I got through prior winters without ankle boots, but I knew I needed something to cover my ankles because it was cold and wet! Wearing knee high boots to work gets constricting. I got these Report Jude ankle boots after seeing Olivia Palermo in them in a blog. That’s all it took. It makes it slightly better that I only paid $30 for them because they were on sale at Nordstrom and I had reward certificates. They were a godsend because Paris ended up being wet and cold in December, India was just plain cold, and Amsterdam was wet and cold in January. They are super durable and I don’t care what happens to them, which is great for trips through muddy conditions. There is a small downside: I went with my true size and they stretched out a litte bit, which is fine, but then they also squeak sometimes. Not enough for me to troubleshoot a solution yet.

In the Rodin Gardens during a drizzle.

I “discovered” vintage Coach bags earlier this year. Specifically Coach bags made in the 90s in Italy. Prior to this, I never understood the allure of Coach and their monogrammed bags. My Kelly bag from the Gramercy collection was mentioned here. I got another bag from the Gramercy collection off eBay, which was pricey, as a birthday present to myself. When I got it, I hated the style. I’m of the belief that most purchases should be practical investments. It was impossible to open and close without two hands which is too high maintenance for me. I gleefully got rid of it on eBay recently, but in the mean time, I found this crossbody “Sutton” satchel from the Coach Madison collection in a taupe-ish brown (which reminds me of Hermes’ etoupe). While the Gramercy collection’s textured leather can be likened to Prada’s saffiano leather, the Madison collection’s leather is compared to Chanel’s caviar leather. With a limited budget, I’m not one to be crazy for labels – I prefer to find well made, durable, quality leather in classic shapes (like Clare Vivier). And of late, I’ve been into crossbody bags since they are so convenient when I’m out and about. The Sutton is durable enough to withstand light rain and withstand some weight – it fit my umbrella, Kindle, DSLR body and 1-2 lenses, wallet, phone, etc. And it has feet!

And since I like bags of bags, I carried the Clare Vivier simple tote in leather (which I believe is now discontinued) with me to house my Coach bag so it wouldn’t have to touch the bare plane floor while traveling. (Sidenote: I’m surprised my CV tote has lasted this long and think I understand why they discontinued it in plain leather! The original simple tote is pretty flimsy but I still like it. You can find it now in a thicker basketweave.)

En route to Doha.

to travel / barcelona – gaudi memories

I had a pang of wanderlust accompanied by guilt for neglecting my DSLR. I enjoy solo trips where I can meander through the streets with my camera but the timing isn’t now, so I will indulge the wanderlust through memories. I’ve been trying to organize my digital files and came across these photos from my first trip to Spain back in June 2008. Barcelona is one of my favorite cities. I love the vibrance, which can be partially attributed to Gaudi. Only 13 more years for the completion of La Familia Sagrada.

to travel / bric’s pininfarina hardside luggage at vente-privee

Many years ago, I paid $35 for a red, cloth carry-on sized rolling luggage. It’s still alive, but barely. I decided that my replacement would be a hardside spinner, but finding the right spinner has been harder than expected. Rimowa has a good reputation, but they are expensive, people I’ve spoken to still have cracking or wheel problems, and I don’t travel that much to justify the price. Every time I saw something go on sale on the daily deals sites, I would google for reviews and get discouraged. I check my bags in most of the time, so I want to know how the bags survive the baggage handling process.

Eventually, I decided on the 21″ black spinner from Bric’s Pininfarina collection, purchased from vente-privee. I liked the look, it was lightweight, and also has a good reputation. The spinner was such a relief on my wrists and easy to navigate through an airport. However, the 21″ spinner is a bit smaller than my old carry-on, so I still used the old one for trips longer than a week. Then I realized there is no reason for me not to go for a bigger sized luggage if I almost always check my bag (since I’m too lazy to minimize my liquids). Once I get more use out of my Bric’s, I will post a review.

vente-privee has another Bric’s sale going on right now. I ordered the 27″ version of the spinner I already have, at a great price (thanks to credits). A nice bonus is that the spinners come with a cloth cover. I think the cover is great for storing, but do not think it is strong enough to withstand going through an airport belt.

Sidenote: Out of all of the daily deal sites, vente-privee gets the most business from me.

I like that they have many non-American brands and often have very good sales (e.g. 90% off By Malene Birger).
Shipping is cheap and free for Amex cards for orders over $100.
Their prices are true daily deal prices unlike Gilt, which has changed their business model.

On the flip side, VP is much smaller than Gilt and their customer service can be pretty bad! Like Gilt does sometimes, they may also take a few weeks to ship since they source products from suppliers after the sale, which sounds like an outrageous concept in I-needed-it-yesterday United States. As I mentioned here, VP is from France and has been around longer than Gilt has (in Europe). They have a similar sourcing model. My European friend was surprised to hear that Gilt shipped purchases immediately!

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