My 5 Year Old Self Would Be Proud of These Travel Tips
Hello from The Netherlands!
I’m buzzed to be back here. I know I said Canadian summers are beautiful but the architecture of Europe just doesn’t compare. It has culture, atmosphere, mood, tradition and feels like I’m in a movie scene near Amsterdam (maybe because I kind of am).
Quick rewind to last week prepping for my 24 hour travel day. Before I arrived in The Netherlands, of course I packed and well... packed too much. I struggled to know what to part ways from. To compromise I brought many hand me down / second life clothing items as I’ll part ways with them before going to a warmer climate in the winter. Seriously don’t know how I committed to carry-on life before.
There are a few random tips I have to share that will make you a better traveller:
Purchase squeeze toiletries not hard cased containers (think lotion / beauty products in toothpaste tubes like this) then you can squeeze the empty air out
Get rid of the labels and any little unnecessary packaging on clothes and items. I even cut out a hook in one of my bags because it kept getting hooked 😋
Order more contacts lenses!
Deal with insurance - change your car's, purchase travel insurance
Build yourself a first aid kit in case of emergencies and for comfort while away from home. This one is pre-built
Get your meds. Prescription 100% but also the pain relief, nausea etc, that you know and make you feel relieved when abroad
Trust your outfits. Bring the clothes you know, you like and will be excited to wear
Strength train. My 50L (+6L attachable topper) backpack weighed 30lbs
Content creators get your hard drives and memory cards organized, formatted + uploaded to your cloud drives so you’re not uploading content like me 15 mins before bed the night before 😅
If you think wow Anna you like lists. You really think of everything. Just relax, pack your bag, it’s simply not how my mind works. If I was going on a 1 week vacation and knew what activities I was going to be doing it would be easier to pack.
In my case I go for at least a month at a time. I have to have flexible, bring multi-use items. I think ahead of exercise scenarios, social settings, days I’m just working from my “home”.
I’m sure you also have some secret little travel tips up your sleeve. I invite you to share them in the Main Chat of the YTF Community. You never know if someone has the same idea or really appreciates your tip.
Ciao for now,
Anna
COMMUNITY CALL
Come chat with a group of international people to share travel experiences, ask questions + curiosities for your next adventure + it's a chance to ask me (Anna) anything!
MONDAY SEPTEMBER 22, 2025
12:00 MST [Calgary]
14:00 EST [Toronto/New York
20:00 GMT+2 [Paris/Berlin]
01:00 ICT [Chiang Mai]
Highlights from the past Community Calls ⤵
January 19, 2025
February 16, 2025
March 16, 2025
April 20, 2025
May 18, 2025
June 15, 2025
After reserving your spot, you'll be sent a calendar invite with a Google Meet link.
[group calls capped at 10 people to allow conversation to flow]
FAVOURITES
✈️ Remote Job Opportunity
Creator Sales & Partnerships Specialist @ Worldpackers / Epic Trips
🎒 Travel Fav
Steal the napkins. From the snacks on the plane, in the bathrooms, from restaurants. You never know if you'll need to blow your nose, clean up a spill, or wrap a leftover cookie 😉
📺 Watching / Reading
Should be no surprise I’m hooked on the Love is Blind UK and Brazil seasons. I try to watch the Brazil series with just subtitles to practice my Portuguese.
WHERE SHE BUILDS | EP. 11
Is Travelling Really a Vacation for Digital Nomads
We love the digital nomad life… but no, it’s not a vacation.
We get real about what it actually looks like to juggle work, family time, fitness, relationships, and travel—all while living out of a suitcase. From setting boundaries with loved ones to carving out quiet podcast recording corners, we’re sharing how we (kind of) keep it all together on the move.
TRAVEL RESOURCES
Where to rest:
booking.com | find local apartments and rooms with a great rewards system
HostelWorld | most affordable accommodations with an awesome chat feature
IHG Hotels and Resorts | first chain of hotels I inquire with staying
Worldpackers | exchanged your skills for experiences
Trusted Housesitters | find a furry companion along with a place to rest
What to do:
GetYourGuide | one stop shop to find activities with trusted reviews
GuruWalk | the only platform I use to explore a city with a local
How to get around:
FlixBus | searches their own buses and local companies for solutions
Kiwi | Great to play the “let’s look up flights” research game
Tools to for a better trip:
Airalo | Go to e-sim provider for over 3 years
Safety Wing | International travel health and nomad insurance with great start and stop option
Holafly | Fav e-sim for unlimited data when remote working
Creative Lunch Club | match monthly with new creators around the world
Wise | Favourite way to handle money internationally
LARQ | the indestructible water bottle that actually keeps water cold
What I use as a creator:
Kit | fantastic newsletter marketing platform with great automation options
Epidemic Sound | the only royalty-free music library I trust
Squarespace | website and email host and online store
Travel Payouts | earn money while people book travel
KraftGeek | magnetic tripod for easy phone mounting