Back then I was far too young to embark on my own adventure, but every trip I took, every class tour or family vacation turned into an opportunity to practice my packing skills. First I’d choose the smallest possible bag I could find, fill it with everything I needed and then remove about a third of the contents. Of course, what marks a truly gifted light packer is not the size of his bag but the fact that it contains everything he might need in the smallest possible pack. It is in fact, if you like, an exercise in minimalism, similar to writing a Haiku.

The funny thing is that this is it quite an addictive habit.  After living happily on the road for months with just a small backpack you begin to wonder why it is that you need all of the stuff that is constantly cluttering your house.  That is why my favorite part of the famous environmental slogan is “Reduce”,and there’s no better time than a financial crisis to reconsider the amounts we consume as individuals and as a society.

In this funny and informative video Toshio from IdealBite learns there are some major Eco-friendly advantages to losing his job:

I don’t know if style is genetic or if it’s influenced by the environment, but either way, Rome has these two reasons to be a beautiful and trendy city. Centuries of Fine Art can’t be ignored, and Rome is the living proof of it.

Yes, life is beautiful when you stare at the Fontana di Trevi, wishing that you were a Fellini character, while you enjoy your delicious Frutti di Bosco gelato.

The truth is, Rome has so much style that just by being there you feel that the the sky is bluer, the grass is greener and the birds sing better. Not only fashionistas find their way in Via Veneto, but even priests and nuns have their own boutiques where they can find some Red Carpet looking clerical outfits.

If you’re in the need of some beauty around you, take a Roman Holiday! Because unfortunately for us, mortals, who live in the real world, there’s little hope to ever see our cities find the perfect balance between elegance and knowledge, keeping a relaxed atmosphere. After all, Rome wasn’t built in a day.

The truth is, I always felt a bit intimidated by this futuristic idea, plus the classic snapshot of people being squashed into the subway during peak hours. But City by City showed me that Tokyo has a lot more to offer. Besides having the largest seafood market in the world, and lots of fun street fashion, it’s the home for neat and classy design.

The thought of massive amounts of sushi and wild karaoke nights make me consider Tokyo as my next travel destination. Even if I get lost in translation.

Two years ago I got on the flight to New Orleans and happened to sit next to a woman with a lovely southern accent. Within 10 minutes of conversation she was telling me all about her family’s ordeal during hurricane Katrina. She was a part of an organized tour and soon all of her friends, who were sitting around us, joined in on the conversation. They told their stories; what was lost, who was hurt. They talked about their fears of another hurricane and their frustration with the authorities.  Then they asked me where I came from. They were proud to hear I flew thousands of miles just to visit their city.  An out-pour of recommendations and suggestions followed; jazz clubs, traditional food and charming places I simply must visit. This weird combination of tragedy, warmth, loyalty, lost, history and humor followed me for the rest of the visit.

This Tuesday the city of New Orleans will be celebrating Mardi Gras or “Fat Tuesday” in all of its glory. Visitors will be swept by a whirlwind of Beads and parades, outrageous customs and makeup, Cajun food and drinks, all submerged in music and colored in purple, green and gold. Masses of people will fill the beautiful old streets, dance, laugh and flash complete strangers.  They will also remember the ones who are gone and what remains to be done for those who lost everything.

This might be one of the greatest carnivals in the world, but the most remarkable thing about it is the city and its spirit.

To honor Mardi Gras and ring in the celebrations, learn how to stir up a Sazerac cocktail fit for Fat tuesday – Sazerac is actually one of the oldest cocktails around, with its roots in pre-Civil War New Orleans. Enjoy!

That’s why TravelChannelTv decided to go to the crime scene and show each of the paranormal stories in the brew: shadows of soldiers through the window, voices from another dimension, spirits wandering around between the living, abandoned and confused for all eternity.

Gettysburg is usually referred to as the most haunted town in America (it competes only with New Orleans and its voodoo magic), so I guess we’ll have a lot to see – and sense – with this haunted tour.

In the meantime, take a look at the “Dancer in The Dark” , and I don’t mean Lars von Trier’s tragic musical. If we’re going to see something dark after all, why not bring it from the Other Side?

With all those terrorists running around, one might get truly frightened by the experience. It can be horrible if you just get messed up and sick from the plane ride itself.

Luckily, Illumistreamhas given us some great tips on traveling well:
Put a stop to cabin pressure pain with one, soak up some general health travel guidelines with another and learn how to leave jet lag behind with another great video in this series.

Go ahead – travel well with Illumistream!