A travel hack

How do you prepare your travelling?

For any travelling, I always prepare myself especially the things I have to pack. I don’t want to have something left behind that probably will ruin my traveling.

For this, I always make a list of things I have to bring considering the purpose of the traveling, how long and also how far including clothes. The longer the traveling, ussually the longer the list becomes. This list shows the details. I put them categories :
1. Travel documents
2. Clothes (tops)
3. Clothes (buttoms)
4. Clothes (inners)
5. Clothes (underwears)
6. Footwears
7. Electronics
8. Luggage and bags
9. Books and pen
10. Cleaning products and cosmetic products
11. Medicine
12. Food
13. Misceleneous like umbrella, sun glasses, tumbler and many more

The list can become really long. The longer the stay, the longer the list. It depends on each individual and also each one’s priority.

This list really helps my memory, it doesn’t have to think unnecessarily. The longer the trip, the earlier I prepare the list.

I remember I jumped out of the bed in the middle of the night remembering I had not put a pen refill in my luggage and my flight was the first flight in the next morning. It was a vacation trip. I prepared myself to write during that trip so enough pen refills was essential for this trip.

My roomate in the retreat program recently was amazed when I told her that I made the list three weeks before the date of our departure and I packed my stuff a week before. She only did her packing one day before the date of her departure. She became more amazed when I showed my list. It showed the details.

She said to the other roomates that I had everything including umbrella, kettle for boiling water, cable extension, coffee, scissor, trekking stick, envelope, knife, ginger candy etc. Until in the last few days of our stay one of them asked if she could borrow a weight scale from me to weight her luggage and I replied: ‘Probably one thing I don’t have here is a weight scale.’ 😊

I also remembered when a friend offered me for a staycation with her last year. It was in new year eve. We stayed in one of 5-star hotel in the middle of the city. I did my packing one day before. I arrived at the hotel at 11 am and I called my friend to tell her that I had arrived at the hotel. Our plan was to do an early check-in so we could explore the hotel to know what facilities and what programs they had that we could participate. To my surprise my friend was telling me that she had not packed her stuff in her luggage. She was just about to do it. She was still at home and she didn’t have any list.

I waited for her at the loby of the hotel and finally we checked in at 2 pm. It was fine with me. I went around the reception area and found a ballroom which had a table tennis and I played table tennis with a teenaged boy who was happenedly there. I enjoyed it. We actually had a pleasant and memorable stay.

How much words can work

It has been a week I am here in a retreat program. I planned to join this program a month before. I prepared myself before leaving. My roomate here said that I am a good planner. I also planned what to do and what not to do during retreat. I want to take benefit for myself from this program as much as possible. I want to learn as much as possible, not only from classes and lectures but also from sharing with other participants and also from observation.

One of my favorite corners in this retreat place for my reflection

I put a limit for myself in accessing internet and social media platforms. This is what I can not do in my normal day where I always carry my smart phone with me. It seemed like I cannot live without this device even just an hour. I want to prove for myself that I can live without a smart phone for several hours a day.

Ussually I read one quote as a thought for today for myself. I do it in the morning. Then I also post it on one of my social media platforms. Quite often my friends or my contacts get inspired also by reading the quotes. Some thanked to me for posting it.

It is amazing how words can work really positively on people. This is a very easy way to inspire others probably also to uplift others. How do you feel when you are reading an inspiring quote? Does it give you a positive feeling?

A few days ago I got a message from my little friend, a 10-year old boy called Marvell. He wrote to me why I did not post any inspiring quote anymore these days. I felt so sorry about it. I told him that I am in India and I am too busy to read and to post one. Probably I should make time for this today or tomorrow knowing at least someone is waiting for the post out there.

We never know what one quote can do to someone’s life. We never know if it can relate to someone’s situation and probably become the answer for their questions.

Miss Baby Corn

Do you easily get bored? What do you do when you get bored?

My friend was telling me how she played a song in her car while driving on her way to or from work many many times. She loved the song. She told me that the lyrics was so beautiful. When her older sister was happenedly going with her in the car and she played the song and kept replaying it, her sister expressed her amazement that she had not get bored listening (problably also singing it) “again?!”

Actually I tend to do the same with song or music, but also with a short podcast or audio classes. I can play it again and again and again.

Some years ago I played an audio record of someone giving a lecture. I like the topic and also the way he was delivering it with so much fun….and so honest sharing on his experience. It was recorded in a compact disc. I remembered that I kept the CD sitting there in the player in my car for at least the whole year. I had no idea how many times I had listened to it. I was quite sure more than a hundred times.

I do the same in eating. I have been eating same food (menu) for the last two months at least for my breakfast and my lunch. I cook baby corn mixed with other vegetables and have it for breakfast and lunch. A simple dish actually, probably too simple. It just needs a very quick preparation. This is one of the reasons why I choose to cook this dish. I skip dinner most of the time. I noticed that by having this menu everyday I never have any problem with my digestion system.

“Miss Baby Corn”

My colleagues knew this and they start calling me ‘Miss Baby Corn’. They are amazed how I can have it everyday without feeling bored. Each time I have it, I enjoy it, especially when it is still fresh and hot.

I see colleagues often do not know what to have for their lunch. They take a bit of time to think and decide what to have for lunch. They keep changing their menus. Rarely same menus for several days in a row. I save so much time in this.

It does’t mean that I never get bored. I do. But at least not in the areas I shared above or in what I like.

Is it really a problem if you don’t get bored very easily? Or getting bored very easily is more a problem?

A note to myself

I have shared in this blog that I had my personal projects going on. 3 projects at the same time. This is my personal projects. It has to do with noone except me. I called it a 100-day project. Literally each project was for 100 days.

First one was on spirituality, how I wanted to see myself made a progress in this.

Second project was on health, how I would be more conscious and focused on health, physically, mentally and also emotionally. And this refered to a book I read. I wanted to put more attention and also time on what I learned from that book. I wanted to understand what was written on the book more deeply and if possible I could put it into practice. So it did not only please my ears but also my soul. Or if possible, it could change my soul (my self).

And the third project was on finance. If I wanted to become free from any worries, then that would be free from money worries.

Now those 3 projects are completed. Have I reached my goal? Am I satisfied? Probably I have not reached my goal yet, but I am sure I have made steps towards the goal. I am not standing at the same point where I started. I am not satisfied either. And this is what keeps me going.

If I have to write a note to myself, it would be ‘Thank you for being so honest.’

No-Buy List

If you have to make a list of no-buy stuff this year what would be in your list?

Just before the year 2022 ended, I made a no-buy list for 2023. A quite long list. Almost 50 items in the list. These are all items I do not want to buy in 2023. I said to my self ‘I have it enough. I do not need anything extra’.

And it included footwear, shirt, jeans, bags, luggage, some cosmetic items and also utensils.

No buy challenge

This is what a minimalist advises to simplify life, to give your resources including time, energy and money only to what matters.

I told my friend about my list. It was like a commitment to myself. When I shared it to someone, I feel like I declared it.

Only a few days before new year, I and my friend went to a shopping mall. My friend wanted to buy sneakers. We went to two different shops and she bought 2 pairs of shoes from these shops. She took a while to choose the shoes for her. While she was giving a try some shoes, I was also giving a try to a new released one. It looked very pretty on my feet and super comfortable. I liked it.

An inner battle was happening whether I should buy that shoes or not. I knew it was a very tough battle. Because they were just new released, probably somebody would purchase that shoes very soon if I did not buy that shoes right away and next time I would not be able to find that same shoes again with my size.

I told myself that I have got 2 pairs already. One pair is actually running shoes and the other pair is the casual one and they were enough.

To be honest, I forgot my no-buy list at that time, until my friend reminded me about the promise I made with a reasoning ‘It has not been 2023 yet!’ She said. I won the battle that day. I kept telling my self that 2 pairs  were enough.

Another advice says if you are conflicting inside whether to purchase something or not, pause for a few days, think it again. If after a few days the urge is still very strong, you can go back to the shop and buy that item you like. You might need it. Very often I don’t want it anymore after a few days for thinking about it again. It works.

This last few weeks I have been thinking about buying footware that more water resistant and comfortable for traveling  during the wet weather.

The urge is getting stronger. And I know I still need this kind of footware. So I plan to break one promise.

Mount Abu

I think I have to be thankful to my colleagues. Deep down in our hearts we are supporting one another though superficially we sometimes look like Tom and Jerry to one another.

Our communication has been so open that anyone can say anything about any of us. No one should get hurt or probably ‘should learn not to get hurt’. We learn one another’s personalities without any judgement and learn to accept them. If we are full-time working probably we might spend our times with our colleagues more that with anyone else. So when your relationship with those who work with you should be enjoyable.

When I became a bit more reactive, some colleagues said to me “I think you need ‘namaste’. You have not gone to a retreat for several years.”

I have been practicing meditation and they call it ‘namaste’. They are very funny. They understand meditation helps, at least what they see in me. When I began to be a little bit reactive to a situation in the office, a colleague said “You have become like us. So you urgently need a ‘namaste’.” They were aware of me being different from them and they wanted me to stay different. It is intereating to know this.

They even asked me to get the nearest schedule for a retreat for me. They encourage me to go and I have planned to go to Mount Abu India.

Joy Of Missing Out

December this year looks different from December last year in 2021 and definitely different from one in 2020. At least what I see in my office. Some colleagues have started to prepare their family vacation during Christmas holiday and New Year. Some even had their early year end vacation last week. I think it is a good idea, because hotels are fully booked for new year and prices have gone very high.

December last year I went to Bali for a short escape with a friend. Though we were still shadowed by the Omicron variant but we decided to go to Bali. We went early December last years anticipating the crowd during Christmas and new year. Bali just started opening for tourist last year. Many hotels were not ready for receiving guests. I remembered we booked a very nice hotel, 4 star one in Ubud with a very good price, later we knew that not all the rooms were open for guests. Not fully booked last year. Today, no need to ask. I think most of the hotels are fully booked including ones in the city. Since staycation has become a choice nowadays for those who don’t want to travel.

December in 2020 was a completely different story. Noone was talking about having a holiday. Most of the hotels were closed. Many restrictions were applied everywhere. My colleagues and bosses got covid after a kick-off meeting. Some even needed hospitalization. Sadly a colleague left us forever only a few days after the new year. Covid was very scary in those days. It was still unknown.

Seeing the scenes, what people around me are trying to enjoy the holiday and also feeling the vibes make me feel so good inside. The moment is back!

Today was the last working day before Christmas in my office. Some colleagues even have taken their leaves starting today. In my room, there were only 3 of us, holiday vibe was felt. A colleague told me that she is going to take her kids to Komodo island. They plan to stay there for a week. Just listening to her, I was feeling excited.

I myself will not go anywhere. I am very far from ‘fomo’, while everybody is away, I would prefer to spend time with myself at home. I can do it for days and I enjoy it. Being in solitude is also a luxury. In fact I am more ‘jomo’, joy of missing out.

My Capsule Wardrobe

How many pieces of clothes do you have in your wardrobe? Do you often have a problem in choosing what to wear every morning?  How long do you take to choose what to wear? Have you experienced choosing a wrong costume and how did you feel during that day?

If you are a female and you are a working person, you might relate to these questions. Probably not for a male.

To choose what to wear needs a decision making. I hated spending time in this. The more pieces of clothes you have, the more difficult for you to decide and more time you take. The less, the easier.

I heard an idea of a capsule wardrobe from a minimalist quite long time ago. But I did not really practise it. A capsule wardrobe means a mini wardrobe, very limited space to store the clothes. I made a list of clothes to wear for the whole week. It includes the tops, the buttom, the inner, the outers and also the dresses. The list also includes what to wear to the office, at home, for night clothes and also for going out during weekends. The list did not long. Less than 25 pieces! I made in my list what to wear for each day from Monday to Sunday.

Less clothes means less hustle!

Only those clothes in the list that I hang in my capsule wadrobe.
I decided to wear only those selected clothes for the next 100 days and I will see what I feel. It have been a month and I have managed myself wearing these clothes from my little wadrobe only. I will make a new list and change the clothes to wear for another  following 100 days when I complete it. It gives me a very nice feeling and also saves my time to get ready in the morning. I didn’t really care when a colleague noticed me wearing same costume every Tuesday. 😊

It can help me for a less morning hustle.

It happens also in deciding what to eat for lunch. I have noticed this in my colleagues. They toke a bit of time before they decide what to order for their lunch. Ussually they use the good delivery service. I have no issue with my lunch, cause  I always pack one from home.

A failure is not fatal

If you want to have one life skill to develop at the moment what would be that life skill?

If someone asks me this question, I would be able to quickly answer it. It would be a decision making. This skill is really essential in life. We make decisions everyday. We live from one decision to another decision. From the time we wake up till the time we go to bed. From the unimportant decision like what to have for breakfast till decision to invest our money or probably to marry someone.

Have you ever made a wrong decision that made you regret afterwards? Are you able to make a decision very quickly or do you make a decision after so much consideration?

I really want to be able to make a quick decision and not have any regret even after a wrong decision is made. I never like the feeling of a regret. This is what I see from a friend.

Many times I made a decision and after actions were taken based on the decision I made, the output was not satisfactory. It was not an accurate decision.

Many times I also made decision with too much consideration. Sometimes too much consideration also made me confused and doubt started creeping in. It takes a bit of time for me to take a decision. I am not considered to be a high risk taker type.

I have a friend who is very quick in decision making including in invesment. A few years ago she decided to buy a unit of an apartment where she lives in now and she made that decision relatively quickly. Sometimes to have less consideration is better. The property developer was credible, and this was the only thing she considered.

She has been living in the apartment for 3 years. The property is well maintained,  facilities are also good. She likes living there. I think she has a very good intuition. I never heard from her regreting something due to wrong decisions she made. I think she could easily move on.

Once a decision is made after a consideration, do not attach yourself to the outcomes. Be detached. Be ready for any outcomes. It if fails, be ready to learn to make a better decision. Failure is not fatal.

A big project

I remembered how I had the idea of 100-day project. I was with some friends after doing a work together. Each one of us had our duty in that work. I was not quite happy with how I completed my duty. Some even critisized me and it led me feel a bit down. I was feeling so uncomfortable.

One of my friends said to me ‘You need a healing.’ I know he was not really seriously saying it to me but I took it seriously. Yes, I need a healing, I said to myself.

Any emotional discomfort sometimes has led me to process it and finish it.  Very often I could finish it through journaling. I ussually take only a few days to finish it and many times I also could finish very quickly. Journaling really helps in processing my feelings.

For this healing, I planned to make it in a project. It was a big one. A few days would not be enough to complete, so I made it in a 100 day project.

How did I work on this project?
I worked on it through reflection, meditation and also through journaling.

I told them (my friends) about this plan. Another friend asked me: ‘Why do you not make it in 21 days instead of 100 days?’

It is said that it takes 21 days to create a new habit or a change. She refered to this idea. I said to her ‘21 days won’t be enough. 100 days is more remarkable than 21 days’.

I religiously worked on this project on healing my heart for 100 days and it was completed a few weeks ago. I was feeling so happy.

The habit of working one thing for 100 days has imprinted in the my ‘internal system’. When this project was completed, I did not take time to make another 100 day project. Now I have 3 different projects for 3 different areas of life going on, spirituality, health and finance.

When I shared it to a friend about this 100-day project, he said ‘This is a big project.’ Not sure if he was saying this to me seriously or just to please me.