How to find the best entertainment and attractions for any trip

Entertainment Research
1) Go to trip advisor and enter your city name in the search box.
Click on "Things to do" for that city
Go through the list.  If there are any that interest you, right click on the link and select "Open in new tab"
You will end up with about 20 attractions you would like to see.

2) Create a simple webpage and list out all the attractions you would like to see

3) Go to Google and enter "attractions name + address"
Copy and paste the attraction's address onto the webpage
If there isn't an address such as Art District.  Go to Google maps and search for the closest intersection.

4) Go to Google and enter "attraction name"
Click on "Images"
Select the image that appeals to you the most and save it to the webpage folder.

5) Go onto Google maps and enter all the attraction's address

6) Re-arrange all the addresses so that all the locations are somewhat in alphabetical order.  This method will allow you to see attractions grouped in the same area so that you can tackle all of them at once.

7) Create a webpage based on Google maps order.
Add the images beside the attraction's name.
Add the address below the attraction's name.

A sample can be located here :
www.xellow.com/trip_planning_sample

Written by Johnson Huynh

How to find the best transportation for any trip

I have traveled to over 50 countries world wide, so I am a seasoned traveler.  Below are my methods to find the cheapest vacation :

Research your vacation between Monday to Wednesday.  Most people are usually working on these days and normally don't book their vacations during this time. --  Travel companies know that.

Transportation Research
1) Find out how to get from your home to the airport.  There are 4 ways.
a) ask a friend for a ride b) take the bus c) take a taxi d) take your own car and park at the airport e) Greenbeeparking.com - this site allows you to park your car at hotels near the airport.  There are shuttles that will transport you from the hotel to the airport terminals.

1) If your destination is within your country, research car rentals.

2) If it's outside your country, find out what the most popular mode of transportation.  In South America, it's a taxi.  In Europe, it's the subway.  In Asia, it's a little of both.

3) Find out how to get from the airport to the hotel and vice versa
Most hotels offer free shuttles. 
If you're part of a tour group, there is normally a representative that will pick you up from the airport.
If you're planning to take a taxi, approach a taxi driver yourself.  In Brazil a man approached me asking if I needed a taxi.  Turns out he was part of the Mafia just asking for referral fees from the taxi drivers.
If you're planning to take the subway, make sure you're flight lands during the time the subway is open. You also don't want to take the subway in the middle of the night when it may be dangerous.

4) Find out how to get around the city.  For cities where the attractions are spread out, it may be easier to hire a tour guide to drive you to all the attractions.  For others, a subway may be sufficient.

5) If your flight is going to land in the middle of the night, make sure you exchange your money before hand.  Most foreign exchange depots at the airport close around 9pm.  You will need money for transportation to your hotel.

Written by Johnson Huynh

How to research the best accommodation for any trip

I have traveled to over 50 countries world wide, so I am a seasoned traveler.  Below are my methods to find the cheapest vacation :

Research your vacation between Monday to Wednesday.  Most people are usually working on these days and normally don't book their vacations during this time. --  Travel companies know that.

Accommodation Research
1) Go to Orbitz, Expedia, and Hotels.com.  Enter your vacation destination and dates.

2) Decide where you would like to stay, for example, "city center".  Select this neighborhood in the search filter.

3) Once you decided on a hotel, go directly onto the hotel's website and book it there to see if it's cheaper.  Once you get the final price, check if there are any additional fees such as parking and internet.  I once booked a hotel in LA that I thought was cheap and found out the parking is $40 per day.  If you don't have a car, check if the hotel provides airport shuttle services.  All these perks adds to the total of hotel.

4) Once you have the final price of the hotel.  Go to Airbnb, VBRO, and Wimdu.com.  These are people's homes that they are willing to rent out.  Check if there are any additional charges such as parking or cleaning fees.

5) If you plan to travel for over 1 week, try to book an apartment that has a washer and dryer to wash you clothes.

6) Make sure you withdraw $20 worth of one dollar bills.  You will need this as your tip money once you arrive at the hotel.

Written by Johnson Huynh

How to find the best flight for any trip

I have traveled to over 50 countries world wide, so I am a seasoned traveler.  Below are items you need to research before planning your vacation.  One simple misstep can ruin a perfect trip.


Weather - Find out the average weather for the city your planning to visit during that time of year.  Go onto Google and type "#cityname# average weather"   One week before the trip, check the actual weather.  This will determine if you need an umbrella or sun screen.  Last thing you want is to visit a country during typhoon season.
Visas -  Some countries require you to purchase visas before hand.  Brazil and China are among the few that require you to spend a day at their embassy lining up for a visa.  On the contrary, some countries also allow you to purchase visa once you arrive. Be prepared. Go to Google and type in "#cityname# required visa".
Travel shots – Make sure you obtain proper travel shots before visiting certain countries.  To find out which shots you require, visit this website : http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/list

Research your vacation between Monday to Wednesday.  Most people are usually working on these days and normally don't book their vacations during this time. --  Travel companies know that.

Flight research
1) Go onto Orbitz and Expedia.  Enter your vacation destination and dates.  Select "non-stop" flights only.  If non-stop is not available, select the least amount of stops.
2) Sort by the "Fastest flight duration".This will give you an idea of the quickest possible time to get there.
Now sort the list by "Lowest price"  Go down the list to see the quickest and cheapest way to get there.
Do this on both Orbitz and Expedia.
3) Once you determine the flight you want, record the airline name and flight number.  Go directly onto the airline site and search for the exact same flight.  Sometimes you end up saving money be cutting out the middle man (Orbitz and Expedia).
4) When booking the flight, make sure you are guaranteed a seat.  If not, call the airline and make sure they guarantee you a seat.  A lot of the time airlines over book a flight hoping that some passengers may not show up.  Your seat is based on a first come first served basis.

Written by : Johnson Huynh

How to backup your photos and videos while travelling

Every time when I travel, I love taking lots of photos and shoot tons of videos.  I currently have a 16 gig SD card on my camera and somehow that's still not enough space to store everything.

There are three things you could do to fix this problem :
1) Lower the resolution on the video and photo quality
2) Purchase a spare SD card
3) Periodically during your trip, go through your photos and remove any duplicates or bad shots.
4) Backup your photos and videos online using your iPad

Backing up my photos and videos online frees up space on my camera and gives me peace of mind that all these photos will never be lost.

How to backup your photos online using your iPad

First you must purchase a SD card reader for the iPad
The one we are going to use in this blog is a 5-in-1 Camera Connection Kit. 
The particular unit supports iPads 1 through 3.

To backup your photos off your camera, attach the 5-1 connector onto the iPad.
Attach the 5-1 connector to your camera using a mini USB cable.

Note : If your camera uses an SD card, Mini SD card, or SDHC card,
you can plug the card directly onto the slot on the connector.

Launch "Photos" on your camera

Select "Import" at the bottom of the page

It will ask you if you want to delete the photos off your camera's SD card.
  Click "Yes" and voila, you now have more space on your camera to snap photos.

Setup iCloud or Dropbox to allow you to save your photos online.
Setup the software to sync with your iPad's photos
This will make sure all your hard earned photos during your travels are safely stored online and never lost.

Other things you can do with this adapter

Display movies on your iPad to your TV
During my trip to Europe, I loaded my iPad with all my favorite movies.  During the evenings, I would connect the iPad to the TV.
To this,change the video input on the TV's remote to "AV"
Launch videos under Ipad and the video/audio will be sent to the TV

Charge your iPad
The adapter can be used as a regular iPad charging.  Just use the mini USB cable and connect it onto the electrical plug.

Access your iPad
The adapter can be used to access your iPad through your computer.  Just use the mini USB cable to connect the iPad onto the computer's USB port

Go to my computer to access the iPad's storage. 

Use iTunes to manage the iPad's contents.

Written by : Johnson Huynh

How to never have a computer virus or spyware

According to this chart on Wikipedia, the majority of computer users are still using the Windows operating system.  This is also the reason why many programmers create viruses and spywares for Windows.  If you want to create something, why not create it for the masses. So how do you protect yourself from V.I.S.T.A. - viruses, intrusions, spywares, trojans, and adwares?

If you currently have a computer, perform the following the steps :

1) Get all the necessary software :
Download the free version of Zone alarm firewall - Think of a firewall like having a strong fence around your home.  Save the installation file onto a USB stick.
Download the free version of AVG virus protection - Think of virus protection as animal traps around your home.  Save the installation file onto a USB stick.
Download the free version of Spybot -  Think of spyware protection as an electronics sweeper that checks if you have any spying devices in your home. Save the installation file onto a USB stick.
Purchase Norton Ghost - Think of this software as a snapshot of your home (computer) at its perfect state.  Anytime you have a problem with your home (computer), you can restore it back to the perfect state with your furnishings (software and drivers) already installed.  You can purchase a used software copy for about $30.

If you are setting up a new computer, jump to step 4.

2) Backup all your data
This includes and personal documents, photos and internet bookmarks.  If you are using an email software such as Outlook, backup the e-mail rules and locally saved e-mails.

3) Restore your computer back to factory default image.
If you lost the CDs or image to restore it back to the factory default, most manufacturers have a copy on their website.

4) Storing the image and data on a separate drive
If you have two hard drives, proceed to the next step.  If you only have one hard drive, we must split up the hard drive into two hard drives. One drive for all your software (C drive) and one drive for all your data and the image file.  The image file stores all the information about your computer at the perfect state.

To split up your computer into two virtual drives, perform the following steps on your computer.
Click on START - Control Panel - Administrative Tools - Computer Management - Storage - Disk Management
Select C drive.
Right click on the the drive and shrink it as much as possible.  Note : Leave about 4 gigs of free space to allow for disk caching.
Right click on the newly created empty space and select "Create new partition"
Right click on the new partition and select "Assign a drive letter"
Select "D" drive
Right click on the new drive and select "Format using NTFS"

5) Protect your computer before going onto the internet
Once the computer is restored to the factory image, start up the computer. 
Plug in the USB stick containing Zone Alarm firewall, AVG virus protection and Spybot.
Install all three of these software before going onto the Internet.  Think of this like putting up a fence before building the home.

6) Customize personal settings
Once those three software are installed, you can now set it up to go onto the Internet.
Begin to setup your computer.
Install only necessary software and drivers that you know are safe.
Customize the background, wallpaper, power settings, start up menus, task bar icons.
Customize all software to save your files to D drive.

7) Scan and defragment
Once all the software and drivers are installed and setup, update your AVG virus scanner and Spybot to the latest pattern file.
Startup your computer and press F8 to go into safe mode. This will prevent any viruses from running during the start up process.
Launch AVG user interface and perform a virus scan of the "Whole computer".
At the same time, launch Spybot scan your entire computer for spywares.
Restart your computer to get out of Safe Mode.
Defragment your hard drive so that it's running in tip top condition.

8) Create an image
Install Norton Ghost and create an image of the computer.  This software will create a snapshot of the computer at its perfect state.
Anytime if there is a problem, we will restore it back to this current state -- this includes all necessary software, drivers, updates, and personal customization.
Make sure the computer image is stored on D drive.  In the event we need to restore the computer back to this state, we will need to grab the image from the D drive and restore the C drive where all the software is installed.  All your personal data will be protected because it's stored on D drive.

9) Norton startup CD
Launch the Norton software and create a start up CD.
If there are ever any problems with Windows, you will need to boot your computer from the Norton start up CD.
To test the CD, place it in the CD drive and reboot your computer.
A messasge will appear, "Press any key to boot of the CD drive"
Press any key at that moment. 
It will take a few minutes to boot Norton Ghost off the CD.
Select Restore Image
Select the image file from D drive.
Check "Reboot when finished"
The re-imaging process usually takes about 2 hours to complete.

Voila, from now on you can install any software without being afraid of viruses or spywares.  Every few months I would a number of software software. Some may include adwares, spywares, or even viruses.  If it runs perfectly after installing a certain software, make a note to include it in the next image.

10) Tweaking your computer
Now that you have an image to fall back on in case anything happens to your computer, you can start tweaking it.  If anything goes wrong, estore the computer back to its original image.
Before you start tweaking, document all the steps you plan on doing.

Removing Unnecessary Programs
Click on Start - Control Panel - Programs and Features
Go through the software list and remove any software you feel you don't need
Be careful not to remove any video or audio drivers.  If you're not sure, go online and search "Can I remove #software name#"

Removing Unnecessary Start up Programs
Click on Start - Run
Type in "regedit" to edit your registry
Click "Yes" for "Do you want this software to make changes to the registry?"
On the left window, click on "HKEY_Current_User - Software - Microsoft - Windows - Current Version - Run"
On the right panel is a list of software that automatically starts up when Windows start
Go through each item and delete any software you feel aren't necessary.
Again, if you're not sure, go online and search "Can I remove #file name# from start up"
Go back to the left window and click on "HKEY_Local_Machine - Software - Microsoft - Windows - Current Version - Run"

11) Creating a new image
To create an new image, determine what software you would like to include in the new image.
Restore your computer to the original image.
Install all the new software and updates that you are confident that have no issues.
Create a new image with all new software and updates.

How to charge your car battery

Today when I started up my car, it started to make a ticking noise.  Usually when a car doesn't start, there's three main reason : dead batter, no fuel, or defective starter.  The first two are the easiest to detect.  I had plenty of fuel so I was suspecting it may be a car battery issue.  My car was parked in my garage so jump starting the car would require me to set the car in neutral and push the car out into the street.  Pull up my wife's car and jump start the car.  The problem with jump starting a car is that it only gets the car up and running.  You need to drive the car around for at least half an hour for the car to at least get enough charge for the next time it needs to start up.  I ended up purchasing a car battery charger by Black and Decker from Home Depot for $70.

There are three settings you can have for the charger :

1) Smart Charging 2) Alternator Check 3) Engine Start

First step is to charge your battery by setting the dial to "Smart Charging"

Attach the clamps to the proper diodes on the battery.
Note : If you accidentally reverse this, the charger will catch this and display an error message.

Place a good distance between the charger and the battery.
Make sure there is enough ventilation during the charger process.
Plug the charger into an 110 V electrical outlet.
If you need to use an extension cord, make sure there's 3 prongs on the plug to ground the unit.
The charge will automatically detect the voltage of your battery and begin to charge.

Look at the meter on the left to see how much charge you have left on your battery.
A full charge may take 5 hours

Once the battery is fully charged, unplug the charger
Set the dial on the charger to "Alternator check"

Plug the charger back in
Start up your engine
Look at the LCD display to see if it says "Alternator good" or "Alternator faulty"
If it's good, then turn on your fan, radio and lights.  Do not turn on the A/C or defrost.
Look at the alternator's status on the LCD display again


Even after a full charge, you have problems starting up the car
Unplug the charger and set the dial to "Engine Start"
Plug in the charger and start up your car.
Note : Each time you start the engine, the charger needs a five minute cooling time period.
This will be indicated on the LCD display

Written by : Johnson Huynh

How to get rid of weeds on cement cracks

How do weeds grow on cement?  People constantly walk on cement side walks, creating small cracks and leaving dirt behind.  Wind eventually blows this dirt into the cracks.  After many days, weeds begin to grow withing these pockets of dirt.  As the weed grows, the cement cracks grows with it. Leaving this alone will not only be an eye sore, but it will cause the cement to eventually crack.  If your house is sitting on this cement, the foundation of the house is now compromised.  So how do you properly remove the weed off cement or concrete?

Step #1 Use a screw driver or weed tool.
Loosen up the gravel in the cracks and remove the weeds.

Step #2 - Use a pair of pliers to remove the weed roots. 
Make sure you are very thorough with this process as it's the roots that cause them to grow back.

Step #3 - Wind in the middle of the night can blow all the debris back into the cracks
Sweep up all the weeds and debris around the area. 

Step #4 - Loosen up the gravel inside the cracks. 
Use a hose to water out all the loose gravel within the cracks.



Step #5 - Pour boiling hot water onto the cracks. 

This will kill all the remaining roots or seeds that's hidden deep inside the cracks. 
Do not use chemicals or vinegar if the concrete is near a your garden. 
If these chemicals leak onto your garden, it will prevent the plants from growing.

Step #6 - Place a chalk mark at every location where you pulled out weed. 
Wait 24 hours so that the water inside the cracks can dry up.

Step #7 - Place the bottle in warm water for about 10 minutes to warm up the liquid.

Put on some plastic gloves and cut open the tip of the bottle.

Fill each crack up with cement. 
Since the weeds do not have sunlight, it will not grow again.

Wait about 24 hours for the cement sealer to dry.
For cracks larger than half an inch, use Dap 31084 Concrete Patch (Interior and Exterior)

How to fall asleep : 10 steps to overcome insomnia and sleep apnea

I had sleep apnea for about 6 years.  I read every article and forum that was available online.   Every time when I get an invite to a social event, I would be excited the previous night, causing me to not sleep.  After the event, I would be wired and not be able to fall asleep as well.  I started cancelling a lot of social events so that it won't interrupt my sleep.  When you re-arrange your life for insomnia, insomnia has become your life. 

Insomnia or sleep apnea usually occurs when there is no need to get up at the same time every day.  This usually happens during college, unemployment, or self-employment. 

Sometimes your sleep is so light (stage 1 sleep), that you mistook it for being awake.  Sometimes, I can even hear myself snoring.  It is possible to spend the entire night in stage 1 and feel like I haven't slept all night.  In order to feel good in the morning, you must spend enough time in delta sleep.  Four hours in delta sleep is better than 12 hours in stage one. 

After trying everything, this seems to be the formula that cured my sleep apnea.

Step 1 : Stop the blame
Good sleepers don't try or think about falling asleep, they just trust that they can.  Don't blame insomnia on outside factors.  People that live beside a railroad track eventually learns to fall asleep.  Anything new or unfamiliar is likely to be stimulating or threatening to your mind.  This will disturb your sleep for a period of time.  A good example is sleeping on an airplane. 

Step 2 : Positive Thinking
Whatever you focus on will grow and come to dominate your thoughts and life.  Therefore, don't think about insomnia or sleep.  Insomnia forums are full of people looking for an answer rather than having the solution.  Most people that found the solution to their sleep problem usually don't hang around those forums anymore, they're sleeping.  Do not talk to others about your insomnia because it creates a negative feedback loop. You would tell them how horrible your sleep is and how you only got 2 hours sleep last night.  Every time you exaggerate, you give yourself a new goal to live up to. Boasting eventually becomes reality.  On the flip side, if you focus on the good things in life and they become magnified in the same way.  Tell people how much better your sleep has gotten. By saying out loud, it re-enforces your belief and it will be come reality.

Step 3 : Sleeping Pills
It's better to not sleep than to get a full night of drugged sleep. Sleeping pills usually helps you fall asleep but it doesn't keep you asleep.  When the pill wears off throughout the night, it's the comedown that wakes you up. However, although you slept the previous night, it causes drowssiness throughout the day since it's still in your bloodstream. Sleeping pills can also cause depression and be addictive.  When you swallow a pill, you're saying to yourself, "I can't sleep unaided and any success of sleeping is because of the pills."
However, if you do decide to stop taking sleeping pills, rebound insomnia will occur shortly after. Rebound insomnia will be much worst than before you took the pills.

Step 4 : Do not nap
A nap in the day lessens the chance of sleeping at night. Sacrifice the nap and force yourself to stay awake for a full night's sleep.

Step 5 : Cut Out Stimulants
Cut out any stimulants 5 hours before bed.  Examples are soda, coffee, or anything with caffeine or excess sugar. 

Step 6 : Exercise
Get some exercise at least 3 times a week. Small exercises everyday is better than a huge workout once a week.  However, do not excessive less than 5 hours before bed.

Step 7 : Be Comfortable
Enjoying a hot bath or shower one hour before bed is helpful.  As the body cools down, sleepiness sets in, reaching a peak after one hour.  Make your bed as comfortable as possible.  Black out the window shades with thick curtains.  Sound proof the windows and walls with insulation.  Keep a space heater in the room to keep the temperature perfect.  Clean up the bedroom so that you don't feel stressed.  Purchase a comfortable mattress and pillow.  If your partner constantly wakes you, try finding a different room to sleep in until your insomnia is gone.

Step 8 : Clock Watching
Watching the clock creates an unhealthy obsession with time. For the time being, cover the clock with a towel so that you can't see the time in the middle of the night.  Still set your alarm, just don't show the time.

Step 9 : Do not oversleep
Whatever you do in bed becomes associated with the bed.   Every hour you lie in bed awake weakens your association between bed and sleep.  Longer time spent in bed means shorter chance of deep sleep. Make yourself really tired, then go to sleep. If you're not asleep within 20 minutes, then get out of bed and do something. This method will take a while to change the association between bed and sleep.
Let's say you go to bed early hoping to catch some sleep but end up lying awake for a long period of time, this will associate the bed with being awake.  This association also happens if you spend too much time lying awake in the morning. If you find yourself waking up half an hour before the alarm goes off, cut it back half an hour to prevent yourself from lounging around.  On the flip side, if you find yourself sleepy during the day, increase the alarm by 1/2 hour.

People report that limiting their time in bed to just the right hours has allowed them to sleep throughout the night.  90% of all insomnia and sleep apnea can be cured simply by spending less time in bed.

Step 10 : Create a routine
Good sleep loves routine.  Keep yours and good sleep will become a habit.

Written by : Johnson Huynh
Reference : The Effortless Sleep Method: The Incredible New Cure for Insomnia and Chronic Sleep Problem by by Sasha Stephens

Things you must pack when travelling abroad

I’ve traveled to over 50 countries around the world, so I’m a seasoned traveler.  Every time when I want to travel, I leave an open suit case in my solarium or somewhere that’s not in the way.  I do this about one week before my trip date.  I would throw items in the suit case as they come to mind.  Trust me, no matter how prepared you are, you will always forget something.  Thus, this is why I created this list.

Things you must pack for your trip :

Bath Bag

Bath Bag - Purchase a few nylon bags to hold all your bath items.  Make sure it's light and collapsible.
Floss - sure many countries have this.  But is this something you want to look for when arriving at 1am in the morning?

Electric toothbrush or regular toothbrush

Electric toothbrush charger – Most Asian countries uses 220V plugs.  Make sure that your charger supports this standard otherwise the fuse will blow.

Toothpaste – Make sure these are travel size toothpaste. You can purchase these at the dollar store.  Place them in your liquid zip lock bag before your flight.
Face wash – Everyone’s skin is different and thus everyone requires a particular face wash.  The last thing you want is to use the hotel soap as face wash.  Place them in your liquid zip lock bag before your flight.
Hair products - For the guys, hair wax or gel.  For the females, purchase small 4oz bottles and pour your favorite shampoo products in each.  Properly label each bottle.  Try to limit the number of bottles to four  - shampoo, conditioner, hair treatment, face wash.  Place them in your liquid zip lock bag before your flight.
Shaving Razor - If you're going to bring an electric shaver, be aware that most of the world uses 220V  electrical outlets.  Make sure your shaver supports this otherwise purchase a voltage adapter.
Shaving cream - Purchase a small bottle from the dollar store.  Place this in the liquid zip lock bag as well.

Q-tips – Hotel Q-tips never have enough cotton on them.  Bringing your own allows to clean your ears and great for removing nail polish.  Place this in a zip lock bag to prevent them from getting dirty.
Band-aids  - Bring about 50 bandages.  One cut goes through about 10 bandages before it heals.    Place this in the same zip lock bag as the Q-tips.  This will prevent them bandages from getting dirty.
Neosporin - This is a topical medication to prevent cuts from getting infected.  Place this in the same zip lock bag as the bandages.
Deodorant - You will be spending all day visiting various tourist attractions.  Don't forget to take care of your sweat.
Tweezers - Great for plucking unwanted eyebrows or nose hairs.  You can also use this to get rid of nasty splinters during your trip.

Contact solutions - (optional) This obviously only affects people wearing contacts.
Glasses - Your contacts may irritate your eyes during the trip. Make sure you bring a pair of glasses for backup.
Eye drops – There are times when allergy or dust gets in your eyes.  China is known for the poo air quality.  Purchase a trusted brand that works well with your eyes.
Eczema cream – If you normally have eczema, going to dry places (ie Middle East) will cause your skin to be more drier.  Finding eczema cream in a foreign land is a nightmare.  Place them in your liquid zip lock bag before your flight.

Condoms  (optional) – Don’t get caught without one when the right moment comes.  Plus, are you going to a trust a condom brand in some remote island?

Retainers (optional) - This obviously only affects people wearing retainers.
Suntan lotion – Check if the weather warrants for this.  Even on cloudy days, I would recommend wearing sun screen since you will be out and about for many hours. Place them in your liquid zip lock bag before your flight.

Mosquito  spray - Check if the city you're travelling to has a mosquito problem this time of year.  Make sure the spray is within 4oz.  Place them in your liquid zip lock bag before your flight.
Tampons and pads
Nail clippers – In dry areas, your skin will become dry and thus cause you to have hang nails.  Additionally, since airlines don’t allow you to bring scissors, you can also use nail clippers to cut off price tags.
Touch up nails polish – After one week of traveling, you are sure to chip your nail polish.  Bring a small bottle to touch up.  Place them in your liquid zip lock bag before your flight.

Alcoholic wipes - Use this to clean off your old nail polish.  It can also be used to disinfect cuts or scrapes.

Makeup - Bring only the necessary makeup that don't require much space.
Zip lock bags - purchase brand name zip lock bags that don't break easily every time you open it.  This is needed to pack all your liquids during the flight.  Place the zip lock full of liquids in your backpack so that it's easily accessible during the airline security checkpoint.

Pills

Pill Holder - purchase a pill holder from the dollar store.  Label each compartment with the pill's description.
Pepto Bismal - Get a big bottle of Pepto Bismal.  Place it in a zip lock bag and customs will normally let you go even though it's way beyond 4oz.  They prefer that you not throw up on the flight.
Naussea / Gas / Heartburn - Be prepared to get some stomach issues eating foreign food.
Pain medication - Asprin, IBprofen, Aleve, canker sore patches.
Pain patches / muscle rub - After a full day looking at tourist attractions, your feet will be sore.
Sleeping pills - Some people find this as a remedy for jet lag.

Altitude sickness - This is required if you're traveling to a high altitude location
Birth control - Make sure you have enough birth control pills during the entire trip including any flight delays. The last thing you want is a surprise 9 months from now.

Clothing Items

Socks and underwear – If you’re going for 7 days, bring 4 pairs.  Hand wash and dry them while you rotate through your pile.

Shorts – Make sure you have lots of pockets to carry stuff.

Shoes – Grab your most comfortable pair of walking shoes that matches most of your outfits.  It's best to stick with a dark colored shoe.

Jeans – I’d recommend bringing two pairs - one blue and one black.
Belt – Don’t forget your belt to hold up your pants.

Hooded Sweater – The hooded sweater could be used as a light jacket during cold flights and cold nights.
Jacket with hood – The hood will protect you from the wind or rain.

Money belt – A money belt is a belt you wear underneath your clothing.  You would place you valuables in the belt to protect it from thieves.  For any third world or dangerous countries, I’d recommend carrying a money belt.  The money belt should only include enough money for the night, a credit card, and your room key.

Scarf – Scarves are great to protect your neck during cold flights and cold nights.
Slippers - Flip flops are great for lounging around the hotel or beach
Umbrella / Hat – Umbrellas are really clunky to carry during a trip so I prefer wearing a hat.  Hats also shades you from the sun.  Only bring an umbrella along if there's a very high chance of rain.
Sunglasses - Everyone looks great in photos when they are wearing sunglasses.  Make sure you bring along a small hard case to protect the sunglasses during the flight.  During your travels, just carry it by hooking it onto the top of your shirt.  The ladies can also use it as a head band.

Dresses and dress shirts - for the fancy restaurant
Dress shoes or Heels – If you indend on going to fancy restaurants, check their dress code.  If  needed  bring a nice pair of dress shoes or heels.  Make sure they are comfortable heels.  You may want to wear it on regular days as well.  For the guys, if possible, try to get away with using black runners.  Shoes take up the most room in a luggage.
Purse - Bring a purse that is large enough for your sunglasses but small enough to fit your second carry on bag.

Electronics

Electric Plug convertors - Check which plugs adapter you require for your travels at this webpage : http://www.kropla.com/electric2.htm
Smartphone - Load all the music but make sure you leave enough space for photos and videos you may take during the trip.
Ipad –  Download all your You tube videos you want to catch up on during your flight.  Use your iPad and download "MyTube for YouTube" app.  This app is free and will allow you to download any Youtube videos.
Ipad/Iphone chargers - Always bring a two chargers in case one breaks or gets lost.

Headphones – Bring two headphones just in case one breaks.  I'd recommend using ear buds over headphones.
GPS – If you’re renting a car, bring your own GPS to save some money.  Make sure the maps for the destination country is loaded onto the GPS.  For example, during long walks in Canada I use the GPS to find my location.  I can’t use Google maps on my iPhone since I don't have service in the country.
Camera / SD Card / Charger – Don’t forget to get a large enough SD card for all your videos.
Ipad SD Card Reader -If you're planning to take a lot of photos or video during your trip, you will run out of memory on your camera.  To resolve this, purchase an camera card reader for your iPad. Copy all the photos from your SD card onto your iPad.  From your iPad, you can back it up onto your iCloud or Dropbox account so that it's safe.  The SD card that I recommend is called a Sharkk 5 in 1 Card Reader.  Detailed instructions on how to set this up are located here : http://daily-life-tools.blogspot.com/2013/10/how-to-backup-your-photos-and-videos.html
Mini-tripod – When you don’t have anyone to take the photo, use the camera timer and place it on a tripod.  You will always get the shot that you want.

Airplane Items

Trip information - Print out your flights, hotels, tours and transportation information (car rental or hotel shuttle).
Carry-on Luggage - Make sure that it conforms to the airline's size guidelines.  If possible, do not check in any bags.  If there's a transfer between flights, and the transfer time is too short, your bags will not make it to the final destination.  This small problem can ruin your entire trip if you don't have your luggage with you.
Large backpack - Go out and find the largest back pack that you can get.  Most airlines are more concerned about the size of your carry-on luggage that they don't notice the size of your back pack.
Wallet – Take out any unnecessary items.  All you need is money, 2 credit card, 1 debit card, driver’s license, travel health insurance card, travel insurance information, and auto insurance card.
Money - Withdraw about $400 and hide $200 in one of your socks.  Hide that sock in your shoe.  Try to use your credit card as much as possible.   If you ever run out of money, use your debit card and withdraw more cash as needed. I don't recommend travel checks since it costs money and very hard to exchange.
Tip Money - Withdraw $20 worth of US one dollar bills.  This will be accepted anywhere in the world as tip money.  I once had to borrow a cell phone and luckily had some singles to tip the person.

Foreign currency – If possible, exchange your money before hand otherwise you will have to exchange your money at the airport.  This may be a problem because 1) Expensive fees 2) Require a minimum exchange amount 3) They might not be open if you land in the city late at night and require to pay for a taxi to the hotel.

Passport – Take a photo of your passport (the cover and information page).  Create a free Dropbox account and upload the photo onto drop box.  Download the Dropbox app onto your smartphone.  Log into your account and you will be able to access your passport information.  If you ever lose your passport, go to your country's embassy and show them the photo of your passport.  This will save a lot of processing time.

Travel insurance information – Make sure your traveling companion knows how to access this information in case you do end up in the hospital.

Magazines – Subscribe to a bunch of magazines using your spare air miles.  Accumulate them and read them during your trips.
Ear plugs – Purchase ear plugs if you have a long flight.  Sometimes there are renovations or construction around the hotel.  It's best to be prepared.
Pens - Some places require you to fill out customs form before entering their country.  Make sure you have a few pens easily accessible.

Neck pillow – Purchase an neck pillow for long flights.  Make sure it's inflatable so that it doesn't take up too much room in your luggage.  Make sure it there's a button to instantly deflate the pillow to save time.

Sleep Mask – Sometimes during flights, the person beside you turns on the light so they can read. Hotels facing east may have light curtains, allowing the morning sun to shine through.  Sleep masks are a great way to keep things dark during your sleep.

Napkins – Pocket size napkins during the flight to wipe your mouth or nose.
Filtered Water Bottle - Since airlines don't allow you to have water bottles, you can make your own filtered water.  I recommend using Rubbermaid 20oz filtration bottle.  It's great when you need filtered water in the middle of the night and don't want to crack open the hotel's $4 water bottle.

Packing Tips

Leave some space - Save some space in your luggage for items you may purchase during the trip.
Organize for airport security  - Place the zip lock bag full of liquids in your back pack close to your iPad or computer.
Packing list - Create your own packing list based on this list.  Remove or add any items on the list to fit your needs.  Leave a copy in your luggage so that you can go through this check list every time you travel.  If you don't need the item on a daily basis, leave it in the luggage.  This will prevent you from having to search for various items next time you travel.  Examples include neck pillows, small toothpaste, bath bag, small liquid bottles, etc.
Labels - Once everything is packed, print out two card that says :

        If lost, please contact
        sample@email.com
        (###) ###-####  --- For telephone number, you can setup a Google Voice telephone number and have that redirected to your cell phone.
Laminate the cards at Office Depot. I printed a bunch and laminated the cards using Scotch Self-Sealing Laminating Pouches.  Locate two locations on the luggage and attach the laminated card to your luggage and back pack using a zip tie.

Things to do the night before you trip

Flight Check in - Most flights allow you to check in 24 hours before the flight. 
Baggage Weight - Check the airline's baggage weight limit.  Use a regular scale and place a board on top of it. Weigh the board and then place the luggage on the board. Subtract the board's weight from the total weight.
Itinerary - E-mail a family or friend your itinerary so that they are aware of your whereabouts at any moment.
E-mail Out of Office - Set up your out-of-office reply for your e-mail.  Specify a person they can contact during your absence.
Voice Message - Update the voice mail for your cell phone and work number. Indicate in the message the duration of your trip and who they can contact during your absence.
Credit Card Companies - Contact your bank and credit card company that you will be using your credit and debit card abroad.  List all the countries you are visiting and their duration.
International Calls- Create an account with Skype. This allows you to make phone calls with your smartphone using any wifi internet connection.  This is much cheaper than using calling cards or the hotel telephone.  If you ever need to make a call, go to a coffee shop and you're smart phone can now make calls anywhere in the world for about 3 cents a minute.  Go here to view all the long distance rates : http://www.skype.com/en/rates/
Remote Computer Access - Go to Log me in and install their software. It's a free service that allows you to access and control your laptop from anywhere in the world using another computer or iPad. 
Fully charge your cell phone, iPad, and camera.  You want to have the maximum battery life during your long flights.
Food - Donate good food that will go bad once you come back.  Watermelon is a good example.
Mail - Contact the post office to hold your mail during the duration of your trip. 
Car - If you're planning to go on a trip for more than 2 weeks, give you car keys to a friend.  Every two weeks send them an e-mail to remind them to start up the car so that the battery doesn't get drained.
Flyers - Get a neighbor or friend to pick up any flyers in front of your home twice a week.  Burglars notices when unoccupied homes have fliers left on their doorsteps.
Transportation - Arrange transportation to the airport ahead of time so they can prepare their staff.  If you have a car, try using Greenbee Parking.  It gives you daily parking rates for hotels near the airport.  You will then drive you car to the hotel and park it there.  An airport shuttle will then drive you to the airport every half an hour. For example, daily parking in San Francisco airport is $30.  I got parking at a nearby hotel for only half the price.
Garbage - Throw out all your garbage so that it doesn't decompose.  If it's not garbage day, leave it in your back yard, otherwise you will come home to a nasty smell and fruit flies.
Wake up Alarm - Set up two alarms to wake you up.  Wake up at least 3.5 hours before your flight.
Last Minute Check List - Create a list of items you are still using but need to pack on the date.  Examples include toothbrush, cell phone, cell phone charger, hair gel, deodorant, etc
Flight Outfit - Prepare an outfit that you intend to wear on the day of your flight.  This includes your underwear, belts, bra, and jacket.  Find a jacket with lots of pocket and place these items in there :  wallet, passport, wedding ring, headphones, ear plugs, smartphone and pen.  These are items you need to have on you during your flight.

Things to do on the trip date

Last Minute Check List - Collect and perform all items on the last minute check list.
Water Tank Heater - Turn off the water tank heater so that it doesn't have to constantly heat up while you're gone.
House Alarm - Set your house alarm before you leave.
Security Checks - During security checks, place your iPad and the zip lock bag full of liquid onto the tray. Take off your belt, wallet, wedding ring, shoes, flight ticket and jacket and place it onto the tray as well.
Prepare Hotel Location -While you're waiting for your flight, find your hotel on Google maps.  Zoom in until you see the various streets names around the the hotel.  Keep the app open.  Once you land in the foreign land, go to the information desk and show them the hotel name.  The should be able to find the hotel just using the map's intersection.   The information desk will show you how to get there with various transportation methods.  Once you get off there, you will have to rely on this map since you don't have internet access on your smart phone.  If you cannot find your hotel, walk into any hotel and show them your Google map.  They should be able to point you to the right way.

---- That’s it!  You should be all set to travel to your location. Bon Voyage! ----

Written by : Johnson Huynh