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Are you also in the carry-on-only club? Elise Hu and Aliza Sir share the comfiest stuff to wear to the airport, smart travel tips for kids, and the packing strategy I heartily agree with.
have I officially reached my mid-thirties when I just want everything from terrain?
Hi! Happy almost July 4th weekend to those in the States! I’m sending this out a little early, given the long weekend… We’re hosting a Korean BBQ for some friends and secretly hoping it becomes an annual tradition if all goes well. After that, I’ll be reading Margot’s Got Money Troubles on my Kindle and sipping on a spritz. What about you?
Today’s issue is the final installment of our special travel pop-up series, featuring two interviewees whose work I love, Elise Hu and Aliza Sir. (You can see part one here and part two here.) Cheers! x Alisha
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Elise Hu is a journalist and podcaster at NPR, TED, and more. Most recently, she’s joined as a co-host to one of my long-time favorites, the Forever35 podcast. She’s also the author of Flawless: Lessons in Looks and Culture from the K-Beauty Capital, a fascinating book about Korean beauty culture. (I recorded and interviewed her about the book, which you can find here!) Elise writes the newsletter Hu's Letter?.
“Here I am with my daughters before taking off for the 13 hours from Taipei to LAX in January.” (Photo courtesy of Elise Hu)
The travel uniform she swears by…
My black, high-rise Lululemon joggers have probably logged the most mileage, in the aggregate, in all my years as a foreign correspondent and a restless person. They’re indestructible, and you can dress them up if you have a work thing to be presentable for as soon as you land.
These days, I love traveling in lightweight sweatshirt/sweatpants sets from Electric and Rose. The brand is based in Venice, and twice a year, they have ridiculous sample sales where you can get entire sets for, like, $50. Holler at me if you’re in LA and want to go with me sometime.
The things she never steps onto a plane without…
I like the grapefruit hand sanitizing spray from Trader Joe’s, a reliable travel charger for my iPhone and Kindle, and for keeping my lips moist, I am a devotee of an Asian product called Mentholatum. I stock up on giant canisters of it at Don Quixote in Tokyo every time I’m there.
If you’re a big gadget geek, my friend Matt, who is a traveling fool and an entrepreneur, comes out with a list each year of “What’s In My Bag” that I totally recommend. Because he is constantly trying new things to meticulously optimize the items in his bag, this list is a go-to for me when I need to update my travel tech.
Her packing strategy…
Packing cubes! I’m a carry-on-only person, so I stuff A LOT into packing cubes.
A few years ago, I did a travel series for NPR’s Life Kit, and from that reporting, I have two reliable packing tips: One is to pack and then do an edit in which you take out at least a third of what you packed so that you are really cutting down on the bulk in your bag.
Next, liquids weigh the most. Be meticulous about not bringing more liquids than you need in your makeup/skincare travel kit. I bring tiny containers from MUJI for my cleanser and moisturizer, and that’s about it. You can purchase any other liquids you really need at your destination.
Elise also shared this helpful video she made with NPR on how to pack a carry-on:
A trip she’s looking forward to (and how she’s packing for it)…
My next trip is to Cabo San Lucas. I’m thinking a lot about hats right now. I still don’t have a good, packable hat and am in the market for one, so please leave a note in the comments if you have one you love.
Following Mexico, we’re going as a family to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and doing some national parks up there.
With packing for kids, I distribute one packing cube to each of my three daughters and allow them that space to pack their own clothing, underwear, and socks. Then they return their packed cubes to me, and I make room for them in my two adult carry-ons. The daughters each get a backpack for an iPad, toiletries, their lovey, water bottles, books, or any assorted items they feel they can carry.
Aliza Sir’s Top Travel Tips
Aliza Sirwrites the newsletter Platonic Lovewhich is filled with fantastic interviews with interesting people, plus essays from Aliza and her co-founder Aja Frost, covering everything from body image to motherhood and friendship. She lives with her husband and son Jude near Cambridge, Massachusetts. Aliza always shares the best tips and insights, and she’s got a wealth of great info to share, below!
My favorite baseball cap is from my friend Justine’s clothing line Mmoody Kids. Most of her clothes are adorable sustainably made children’s items with vintage, scrap, surplus, and deadstock fabrics — the baseball caps were a special edition for parents!
A few of her travel must-haves…
TSA pre-check. There are few things that feel better than breezing right through security and onto the plane.
My Kindle. I usually love physical books, but you can’t beat the convenience of having an entire library in one slim device.
If I’m with my toddler: the Nuna TRVL stroller. Seriously, I love this stroller; it’s lightweight, durable, and spacious. (This is a longer conversation, but my husband and I actually hardly use the fancier — and much heavier — stroller that I put on my registry before my son Jude was born.)
The trip she’s looking forward to this summer and how she’s packing for it…
Jude and I are flying to Nashville to visit my family for a few days in early June (and I can’t wait!) When traveling with him — he’s nearly two — I pack our stuff in the same suitcase (a Large Calpak) to make things easier. Packing cubes help me compartmentalize Jude’s clothes, my clothes, and the other crucial baby items, like a crib sheet and sleep sack. This system also makes unpacking quick and (relatively) painless when we arrive at our destination.
Later this month, my husband and I are flying to California for a friend’s wedding. When I’m traveling sans kid, I’m on team “never check” — which means I’ll be fitting everything I need into the Away Bigger Carry-on. [Editor’s note: This is the way! Carry-ons only!] (Somewhat related, I recently wrote about how my expectations of travel have shifted since having a kid.)
The book she’ll be reading on vacation…
I can’t wait to read Leslie Stephens’ debut novel, You’re Safe Here. Leslie’s been one of my favorite Substack writers for years, and several weeks ago, I had the chance to talk with her about her career and writing journey. It was inspiring! (The full interview is on Platonic Lovehere.)
Since it’s a long weekend, I’m just sharing a few things I purchased and love recently…
This cropped denim jacket from Madewell on super sale. I’ve had a “cropped white denim jacket” written down on my “Closet Gaps” note in my Notes app for a few months. Lo and behold, when I popped into Madewell the other day “just to see” what they had on sale, I found this jacket in my size. I felt pleased that I was able to fill in this closet gap with an item on sale. It’s wonderful when a purchase feels intentional rather than impulsive. Now my question is: How can I continue this trend?
This white cotton gauze dress from Quince. As I shared last week, I’ve been pretty pleased with the quality of their stuff. The material is soft, the straps feel sturdy, and I know this trend might be “over,” but I love smocking details for comfort. I feel very much like myself in this dress, and I’m trying to stay more attuned to this feeling in what I bring into my wardrobe. Comfortable, a little romantic, and casual.
Red terry shorts from Donni.** I’ve been looking for red athletic shorts to wear with loose white tees/cotton sweaters and sandals this summer, and they’ve made a great one. I actually shared this exact pair earlier this month in this post:
As my readers know, I love this small brand for their basics and high quality fabrics—plus, everything is made in LA. I like their kick flares, pointelle fabric, and “simple pant” silhouettes.
Continued below: a quick TV rec and my two current hyper-fixations, including a nerdy obsession and my new go-to place for home finds…...
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