With all the delays and cancellations in flights, lost luggage and shortages of everything, including staffing for the airlines, traveling in these times seems more like an exercise in masochism, than any kind of revenge. However, after having recently traveled across the United States from Florida to Hawaii with only one, carry-on suitcase (and a personal item), I feel qualified to offer some Travel Tips you might find useful on your trips.

In 1980, I attended training to be a Flight Attendant for Air Florida (now defunct). The training was for six weeks and took place by the airport. Although we had to learn about many things, including medical training, the theory of aerodynamics and countless airport codes, one of the lessons I remember to this day was about how to pack a suitcase.

• Pack shoes around the edge and work inward & fill shoes with items. I usually put underwear, sports bras and socks in my shoes, but they also provide a good buffer if you’re packing something breakable.
• Roll your clothes. This works great with jeans, but also t-shirts and dresses that don’t wrinkle and allows you to get a lot more clothes into your suitcase.

These next tips aren’t from my Flight Attendant Training, but just good tips I’ve learned over the years.

• Pick a color theme (2 or 3 colors). This will make it easier to mix and match and change up outfits for your trip.
• Pack beige sandals. Sandals are needed for most trips (if even just to walk to the pool in), and if you pack beige ones, they are a neutral that will go with everything.

Ok, I have a short story on the beige sandals.

I bought new ones- Clark’s Cloudsteppers– at DSW for my vacation. They weren’t the cutest sandals, but they are comfortable and have arch support. Imagine my dismay to see an elderly woman on our tour wearing a loud floral dress and my same sandals (different color) to our group’s Luau in Maui. When I commented we had the same shoes, she said:

I know and you should see the ones I got my mother- they are really cute. They have sequins and everything.

Dindee, elderly Luau-goer.

After being properly humiliated by this turn of events, I had a couple Mai Tais to deaden the pain at the Luau.

Also on your packing list…

• A long-sleeve button down shirt can double as a bathing suit cover-up. If you’re running out of space in your suitcase.
• If you pack a hard covered purse, you can put breakables inside.
• Pack a light, nylon backpack or flat bag to use for the Pool, Beach or Hiking.
• Bring a Sac purse for travel. I brought three different purses on this trip, but this was my go-to. It packs like a dream and fits a lot of items.
• Bring a refillable water bottle. My daughter-in-law got me a stainless steel HydroFlask for Mother’s Day, but if you’re running out of space or want to lighten your load, consider a plastic, refillable water container. We got two free ones in Maui.
• Bring a reusable Laundry Bag. What’s up with all the plastic laundry bags in the hotels? I bring my own, reusable cloth bag to stash my dirties in. They’re inexpensive and available at places like Marshalls, Home Goods or online; this makes it so much easier when you return from your trip to just throw dirty clothes into the laundry. I’m not, however, above using the plastic ones for wet swimsuits or packing breakable items
• A Rain Poncho. Although I brought an umbrella on this trip, I think the edge in rain protection goes to the poncho, as its lighter and less bulky to pack. Also, you can sometimes get wet with an umbrella, if the rain’s blowing sideways. I prefer clear ones to the ugly orange ones.

Two things I seem to always forget are a hairbrush and sunglasses, so now I just keep cheap versions in the side pocket of my suitcase. Also, don’t forget the chargers! Phone, camera, Apple watch, Kindle, headphones, laptop, all need chargers and don’t forget to grab them from your hotel room. These are one of the most forgotten items. Also, I always try to pack big and small Ziploc bags. They are light, take up little space and can prove to be invaluable.

As far as traveling clothes go, I love to wear yoga pants (super comfortable) and a long sleeve workout shirt, with a light jacket on top. You never know what the temperature will be on the plane (one leg of our trip was FREEZING) and, even if you could find a blanket on the airplane (good luck!), you probably don’t want to use it.

Other traveling essentials:

• Shoes that are easy to take off. For TSA. I’ve traveled in cowboy boots before- big mistake.
• Noise-cancelling earphones. To drown out that crunching seat mate or crying baby, these are a life-saver!

• Snacks. Snacks are essential, since you don’t want to be at the mercy of the airline’s selection of food (and by the way airlines, a can of Pringles is NOT a meal!) While United gave us a meal AND a snack on the way to Honolulu, American Airlines served a bag of pretzels and a drink for a five-hour flight. Even if you plan on eating at the airport in between flights, sometimes you may not have time, depending on flight delays, so be like a Girl Scout and come prepared.

The best things to pack as snacks are items that- like you- travel well. Fruit is a good choice, especially apples, but dried fruit is also an option. Olives and nuts are portable and nutritious and, if I know my flight won’t be serving food, I supplement them with veggies, hummus and cheese and crackers for a tasty charcuterie plate en route.

Dining Out.

My last piece of advice while traveling regards dining out. I like to book some dinners/lunches for trips (all our breakfasts were included on our tour), but also leave some meals open for experimentation and whimsy. Obviously, Open Table and Resy are easy ways to make reservations, but often, there are no times available and they tend to be inflexible. Your next call should be directly to the restaurant to try and sweet- talk someone into getting you a table. If they can’t give you the reservation, they may tell you what time to try and come to walk in.

If that fails, and you have an American Express card, call the concierge service to try and get you in. This is how we got reservations at Mama’s Fish House, a restaurant in Maui that books up months in advance. Since we told them it was our anniversary (a few weeks late), this helped get us in on a busy Friday night. We didn’t score one of the coveted tables by the water, but we did get a cute table in the Lounge. Success with this method depends on American Express’s relationship with the restaurant in question.

At last resort, try just walking in to your desired restaurant. They may have a table open due a last-minute to cancellation, or the wait may be short.

Pro Tip: Many restaurants keep the bar open for walk-ins. We learned this trick from our friends Brooks and Sharon, who actually prefer to sit at the bar when dining out. We did this a couple times on this trip and had a very pleasant experience. The food is usually the same and you have the undivided (well, maybe) attention of the bartender/server.

Like Mikey said, try it, you might like it!

Oh somewhere over the rainbow Blue birds fly And the dreams that you dreamed of. Dreams really do come true, ooh-ooh.

Iz, aka Israel Kamakawinwo’oele

Up Next: Hawaiian Food

My gateway into Asian cuisine was like most of us, through Chinese food. When we think of Chinese food, it’s typically Cantonese or Szechuan. My family, growing up, didn’t dine out that much (there were 6 of us!) but when we did it was typically Black Angus (my Mom’s favorite), Italian (Sorrentos) or Chinese Food at Canton.

At Canton, I loved the round tables, crunchy noodles and endless cups of tea, which we drank with lots of sugar added. Egg rolls, Spareribs and Won Ton or Egg Drop soup to start and then onto covered plates of Honey Chicken, Beef with Broccoli, Almond Duck and maybe a Seafood Dish, served with hot white and Pork Fried Rice followed. The eating was communal, as we shared all the dishes and you could have a little of this, a little of that, which is my favorite way to eat. And then, to end, the hard-as-a-rock Fortune Cookies for dessert. Which, by the way, aren’t Chinese, but an American creation started in California.

In the 80’s I discovered Japanese Cuisine in the form of sushi, sake, tempura and miso soup. It was all the rage back then and my favorite was (and still is) the California Roll, which come to think of it, doesn’t sound Japanese at all. I did venture out to try sashimi, hand rolls, salmon, spicy tuna and even uni (sea urchin) eventually, which has a very unique taste and texture. Sushi is one food I crave on a regular basis.

Thai Food– with its fresh ingredients, unique tastes and five flavor profile- spicy, sweet, salty, bitter and umami- is one of my favorite Asian cuisines. I remember going to the Thai restaurant on US-1 (which is now Diced) which was run by Atchana’s family. Atchana was a friend of my sister Elise, so when we dined there, we would begin with crunchy, sticky and sweet Mee Krob, sent over to the table, complimentary if Atchana was there. Pad Thai would follow, possibly with Chicken Satay or a Curry Dish (red, yellow or green) and we would end with Hot Thai Donuts, served with sweetened condensed milk, also on the house.

Vietnamese Cuisine follows the same five flavor profiles as Thai and also uses fresh ingredients with aromatics like lemongrass, ginger, mint, Thai Chile and lime, as well as fresh herbs and vegetables. Fish sauce is more popular than soy and one of my favorite sandwiches- the Bahn Mi– originates from Vietnam. The first time I ate Vietnamese food was at the iconic Hy Vong restaurant on 8th street.

I went there with my Mom and sisters and I remember getting the Whole Fried Fish. On other visits I got the Pumpkin Soup, Spring Rolls (served with fresh mint, lettuce and a dipping sauce) and the Pork Rolling Cakes, possibly my favorite appetizer of all time. I recently read the story of Hy Vong’s creation in a book called Mangos and Peppercorns. It was fascinating and filled with recipes I want to try, but not the Pork Rolling Cakes- it’s way too complicated.

I tend to eat Asian food at restaurants, but, a couple weeks ago I decided to try some recipes at home. One was a Spicy Ramen Soup with Pork Meatballs, from Parade magazine. Although I don’t know anything about Korean cuisine, this recipe called for an ingredient- gochujang chile paste– which is Korean. I also needed baby bok choy, and fresh ramen noodles, so made a trek down to Kimchi Mart on 153rd Street.

While it calls itself an Asian Mart, this store is actually Korean. It’s clean and bright and I love looking at all the interesting products and vegetables you can’t find at Publix. The baby bok choy were adorable little things and the fresh ramen noodles tasted so much better than the dried ones you get in the package. The recipe for the Ramen Soup was a little complicated, but I made the Pork Meatballs one day and the rest of the soup the next. It was delicious (A.J. loved it!) and I made it last for days, by continuing to add chicken broth to it.

And the gochujang sauce, which I think is trending because I’ve heard about it lately, was a revelation. Like hot sauce, but darker, thicker, with an umami, sweet and spicy flavor. While I used it on the soup, it also would be great on scrambled eggs, vegetables, sandwiches- anyplace that you want a a bold heat and complexity. It has a thick texture which is derived from brown rice, and is typically served over Bibimbap, the yummy Korean rice bowl dish. Best of all, the Chung Jung One brand I bought can be found at Publix. This would also make an awesome and different Chicken Wing sauce! Move over Frank’s Hot Sauce.

The second dish I made, for Sticky Hawaiian Drumsticks, was less successful. It was a relatively easy recipe (also from Parade) with teriyaki sauce, ketchup, crushed pineapple, ginger and garlic which the drumsticks were brushed with and then grilled. I couldn’t bare to put in the whole cup of honey it called for, which might be why it didn’t turn out quite as “sticky” as promised. I served it with jasmine rice and stir fried bok choy, Japanese Eggplant and mushrooms. I concluded (and Zeke agreed) I’m not a big chicken drumstick fan. I would much rather eat chicken thighs and not deal with the tendons, lack of meat, etc… in drumsticks. But I do love teriyaki.

My Dad and I didn’t have much in in common, but we both loved teriyaki and I remember eating Teriyaki steak on our family trip to Hawaii. When we returned from Hawaii, I was so enamored of the islands, I ordered a How To Cook a Luau book, as well as How to Speak Hawaiian and the Mrs. Hawaii Cook Book. The first dish I ever remember making for my family growing up was the Walnut Chicken recipe from that cook book. I wrote next to it “O.K.”

Although Asian Fusion is a a popular concept now, it’s been a thing for a while in Hawaii, where cuisines from China, Japan, Korea, the Philippines, Puerto Rico and Portugal, have been melded into a distinct blend of cuisine known as “local food”. At one point, twelve chefs came together to create a Hawaiian Cuisine style typified by local ingredients and a fusion of ethnic culinary influences.

I’m very excited to return to Hawaii this summer. Zeke and I went to Maui on our honeymoon 19 years ago, but this time we’re going to hit the other islands- Hawaii, Oahu and Kauai- as well. While this article only touched on some Asian cuisines, obviously there are a lot more out there to explore. I would love one day travel to Asia, try the local cuisine and even take a couple cooking classes.

But first… Hawaii.

Up Next: Foodie in Miami’s Favorite Asian Restaurants