What kind of traveler are you?
MANILA, Philippines - Traveling is often talked about in such glamorized and romanticized terms, especially portrayed in Instagram photos of people having the time of their lives. But anyone who sets out regularly, or maybe even goes on marathon out of town, out-of-country trips, is well aware that traveling is also an exhausting, sometimes stressful, affair. From last-minute shopping, taking care of the logistics, packing and unpacking to even thinking of everything you need to bring, rushing to meet departure schedules, upsetting body clocks and habitual rhythms, plus carrying a mini-closet’s worth of stuff in unfamiliar places — it’s enough to make anyone look forward to settling back home and curling up in bed.
Needless to say, the more you can iron out the basic details of your journey, the less you will have to worry about. Different kinds of travelers will frequent different kinds of places. And having exactly the kind of luggage you need as you navigate your choice of territory is one concern you’d be glad to do without.
If you’re a luxury traveler who will only take the best of things, from first class seats to swanky accommodations, the best of fashion and shopping, and all the other admittedly pretentious things you like to do when indulging your inner brat, the last thing you’d probably want is to look haggard as you make your way to the hotel. American Tourister’s Stream Alfa and HS MV provide a sleek and elegant way to roll your stuff around, whether on the streets of Paris, New York, Milan, Madrid, or maybe even just to add some feels as you check into a five-star hotel in Makati or Manila.
Roughing it out
On the other end of the spectrum are the backpackers who look forward to roughing it out in the open, perhaps with nothing but nature to commune with. Whether exploring the ancient temples of Cambodia, the archeological digs of Turkey, climbing Mt. Pulag or Sagada, or trekking into the crater of Mt. Pinatubo and camping out under the stars, it pays to conveniently have everything you need, from cooking paraphernalia to first-aid kits, and sleeping bags zipped up and on your back with the Combo Zip-Off.
Then there are those cozy trips you take with your families — the kind where you know your mother will be ready with all toiletries and incidentals. But family can also be stressful in a way. Your parents may nag you to no end about certain details of the trip. Your daughter may have over-shopped on the streets of Bangkok (guilty as charged). You may be bringing a baby or your little brothers along to Hong Kong, Malaysia, or even familiar places like Baguio or Tagaytay. Whatever you need as you travel with the most loved but also most annoying people in the world, American Tourister’s Sky and Glider will help you comfortably lug it all around on its trusty wheels.
Speedair and Citi Pro, on the other hand, are for the no-fuss business traveler. Perfectly structured to fit the essential gadgets, such as your laptop, tablet, and all your paper files, you’ll be ready to give presentations, attend conferences, and close deals from China, Singapore, Vietnam, to those company workshops that were conveniently set at more relaxing settings, such as Pico de Loro or Cebu.
Which brings me to my favorite kind of traveling —combing beaches, which we’re lucky enough to have the best of. Beach bumming looks deceptively simple, but the whole gamut of bodily preparations go without saying. Being at sea with the salt on your skin makes one feel grounded and down-to-earth, but it also probably entails the most vanity. Whether you’re into the rowdy, be-seen scene of Boracay, diving in Anilao, cliff jumping in Tali, or island-hopping in Palawan, slinging an American Tourister X Bag over your shoulder is the most convenient way to carry all you need over soft, sandy terrain, not to mention those mini balancing acts you have to do when hopping on and off a bobbing banca.
Photos by Cholo dela Vega
Makeup by Janina Dizon
Hair by Iwa Ajinomoto
All bags from American Tourister
