The Talking Suitcase

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Uncategorized

Travel Gift Guide for Men: Gift Ideas for the Man Who Loves to Travel

June 13, 2018 by Dana Zeliff Leave a Comment

Disclosure: This post may contain an affiliate link & I may have been compensated for my time writing this article.

Looking for gift ideas for the man in your life?  My husband is notoriously difficult to buy gifts for and usually refuses to give us any ideas. So I’ve tracked down some fun and unique travel related gifts that the kids are just itching to buy.  No more “World’s Best Dad” mugs or power tools from us!

:: Get Lost On Purpose Tee –

  • Designed in California
  • Vintage Black Tee
  • 65/35 Polyester Cotton Blend

:: Bose wireless headphones

  • Great for flights and tuning out the kids arguing
  • Deep, immersive sound, improved eq-best-in-class performance for wireless headphones. Connectivity Technology: Wired/Wireless
  • Latest Bluetooth technology for easy connectivity and seamless audio/video syncs

:: Personalized Luggage Tag –

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Please Tell Me Who You Are

March 17, 2017 by Dana Zeliff Leave a Comment

Disclosure: This post may contain an affiliate link & I may have been compensated for my time writing this article.

Can you take a couple of minutes to help me please?

I’m taking a blogging course and I need to learn more about you.  The survey will only take a couple of minutes.  It will help me customize content for YOU and learn what articles I can write to help you reach your travel goals.

*Giveaway CLOSED* Feel free to complete the survey but the giveaway has ended and winners have been emailed.  Thanks!!  As a thank you for your time, I’ll randomly select 2 winners to win a $10 Amazon Gift Code.

Can’t see the survey below? Click HERE.

Thanks so much for your time!!!

Filed Under: Uncategorized, Limited Time Offers

CARE Empowering Women & Providing Knowledge to Last a Lifetime

March 16, 2015 by Dana Zeliff Leave a Comment

Disclosure: This post may contain an affiliate link & I may have been compensated for my time writing this article.

Disclosure: Today’s post is sponsored by CARE, but my love for their humanitarian programs is all my own!

Care

Traveling opens your eyes to the struggles of those around the globe.  All around the world children are hungry, parents don’t have the skills necessary to provide a stable income, there is a lack of healthcare, lack of education, and violence against women and girls.  These struggles are real and are part of daily life in many countries.

That’s where CARE comes in.  CARE is a leading humanitarian organization fighting global poverty with a commitment to empowering women and girls. CARE seeks a world of hope, tolerance and social justice, where poverty has been overcome and people live in dignity and security.

CARE facilitates lasting change by:

• Strengthening capacity for self-help
• Providing economic opportunity
• Delivering relief in emergencies
• Influencing policy decisions at all levels
• Addressing discrimination in all its forms

CARE Cow Story

One of the stories that I loved is how CARE taught one women the best way to feed & find proper food for her cow which has changed not only the lives of her family, but an entire village.  In a small village in Bangladesh, Kallani wanted to help support her family.  They had no money or clothes and no way out of their financial crisis.  They had a cow, but it didn’t even provide enough milk for the family.

Kallani decided to take part in CARE’s Strengthening the Dairy Value Chain program.  She was taught the proper food to feed her cow as well as how to negotiate prices for the best feed to stimulate milk production.  Soon, her cow become producing enough milk for her family with extra to sell.  CARE eventually helped Kallani go into the feed business, and she goes door-to-door teaching other farmers the same techniques to improve their own farming.

I find this story to be incredibly inspiring.  Instead of just giving Kallani and her family money, CARE helped her provide a new way of life and stable income for her family.  The money would have run out, but the knowledge will last a lifetime.

There are countless other stories on the CARE.org site to inspire you to help others.  Visit the website HERE to learn more, sign up for email updates or donate to the cause.  Join me in fighting poverty with CARE!

*Photo Credits: CARE.org

Filed Under: Uncategorized, Limited Time Offers

Storms in NYC = Flight Cancellation in Norfolk

August 19, 2014 by Dana Zeliff Leave a Comment

Disclosure: This post may contain an affiliate link & I may have been compensated for my time writing this article.

Trip to Paris France

Day 1:

The day has FINALLY arrived!  We are ready to fly to France!

Everything is looking good.  We arrive to the airport with plenty of time to get through security, find our gate and get the kids settled in while we wait for the flight to board.

Things are still right on track as we all board the plane and take our seats.  The doors close and the captain comes on telling us we will be taking off in 10 minutes.  The excitement builds as we are about to start the first leg of our journey.  Off to New York then a connecting flight into Paris.

“Ladies and gentlemen, there are storms in New York.  The flight has been cancelled.  Please exit the plane.”

WHAT?!  10 minutes ago we are about to take off!

We exit the plane and make our way back up the stairs (we were on a little commuter plane that didn’t have a gangway).  We’re handed a card with an 800 number and told to reschedule our flight.  The line at the counter is already super long, so I get on my cell phone to call the airline while Derrick gets on his phone to call his parents.  They had dropped us off at the airport and were just sitting down in a restaurant to eat dinner.

We’re both on our phones while the children thankfully sit on the luggage and talk quietly.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Uncategorized

My Travel Bucket List

April 3, 2014 by Dana Zeliff Leave a Comment

Disclosure: This post may contain an affiliate link & I may have been compensated for my time writing this article.

Travel Bucket List

{Pin It}

Do you have a list of places you want you visit?  I’ve always just kept a list in my head, but remembering all the places you read about can be tricky – especially when it’s a LONG list.

I decided to start keeping a travel bucket list and figured here on the blog was the best place for it!

Places I want to visit:

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Uncategorized

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Welcome!

Hi, I’m Dana. I believe planning a great trip doesn't mean spending endless evenings scrolling through travel forums and getting overwhelmed by all the logistics.

My approach to travel is built on real-world experience. Alongside my husband and our two kids (who are now 19 and 22), I’ve explored 48 countries across 4 continents including a life-changing four years living as expats in France.

Whether you want a custom European trip built from scratch or a seamless cruise vacation, I combine my firsthand travel knowledge with top industry credentials to handle the stress of planning. You just pack your bags and enjoy the journey. Read More…

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