My search for a cold weather travel boot began as soon as my husband and I made the decision to spend the winter in the mountains of central Mexico.
A previous winter stay in Cusco, Peru, where I’d given away a favorite pair of boots, had taught me that I wanted a boot that would provide stability on uneven, cobblestone streets, was warm and comfortable and versatile enough to be worn with jeans or dress pants, leggings or skirts.
The Veranda Mid by Merrell ticked all the boxes. Sleek and chic, they look fabulous and felt like a natural fit straight out of the box.
Ultimately though, I balked at the hefty price tag ($160) and assured myself that I could do without. Instead, I decided to give the money to a friend who works hard and rarely splurges on herself.
I’d waited until the evening before our Mexico departure to slip a check into a beautiful card and give it to my friend. It felt good to have forfeited something I desired. To give instead of get.
Ellen Barone is an American writer and wanderer. She co-founded and publishes the group travel blog YourLifeIsATrip.com and is currently at work on her first book "I Could Live Here".
I admit it: I’m tough on luggage.
I’ve trailed suitcases across bumpy cobbled streets, down muddy rainforest trails, up sand dunes and along frozen tundra. I’ve watched my luggage be tossed atop third world buses, piled into donkey carts and jungle canoes.
So, after my Eagle Creek carry on rattled around in a safari trailer for a few weeks and loosened some screws and years of dust and dirt eventually clogged the telescoping handle, guess what happened when I returned it?
Ellen Barone is an American writer and wanderer. She co-founded and publishes the group travel blog YourLifeIsATrip.com and is currently at work on her first book "I Could Live Here".
These P^cubed Pick-Pocket Proof Pants™ by Clothing Arts, with an ingenious design for surreptitiously carrying passport, credit cards, mobile phone, etc., are perfect for modern day nomads like me. Cold weather or warm they go well with sweaters or T-shirts, boots or sandals. Better still, they’re durable and lightweight.
Ellen Barone is an American writer and wanderer. She co-founded and publishes the group travel blog YourLifeIsATrip.com and is currently at work on her first book "I Could Live Here".