The Lin Life Universe

Suffragist Leader Susan B. Anthony   Want answers? Send your questions, comments and thoughts about life to universe@thelinlife.com   Thank you so much for listening to The Lin Life Universe. I hope you've been enjoying it. Please leave a review! 

Abolitionist Sojourner Truth   Want answers? Send your questions, comments and thoughts about life to universe@thelinlife.com   Thank you so much for listening to The Lin Life Universe. I hope you've been enjoying it. Please leave a review! 

Pirate Ching Shih   Want answers? Send your questions, comments and thoughts about life to universe@thelinlife.com   Thank you so much for listening to The Lin Life Universe. I hope you've been enjoying it. Please leave a review! 

Catherine The Great   Want answers? Send your questions, comments and thoughts about life to universe@thelinlife.com   Thank you so much for listening to The Lin Life Universe. I hope you've been enjoying it. Please leave a review! 

Chinese Empress Wu Zetian   Want answers? Send your questions, comments and thoughts about life to universe@thelinlife.com   Thank you so much for listening to The Lin Life Universe. I hope you've been enjoying it. Please leave a review! 

Queen Arawelo of Somalia   Want answers? Send your questions, comments and thoughts about life to universe@thelinlife.com   Thank you so much for listening to The Lin Life Universe. I hope you've been enjoying it. Please leave a review! 

Pharaoh Cleopatra Want answers? Send your questions, comments and thoughts about life to universe@thelinlife.com   Thank you so much for listening to The Lin Life Universe. I hope you've been enjoying it. Please leave a review! 

Japanese Artist Yayoi Kusama Want answers? Send your questions, comments and thoughts about life to universe@thelinlife.com   Thank you so much for listening to The Lin Life Universe. I hope you've been enjoying it. Please leave a review! 

TV Pioneer Lucille Ball   Want answers? Send your questions, comments and thoughts about life to universe@thelinlife.com   Thank you so much for listening to The Lin Life Universe. I hope you've been enjoying it. Please leave a review! 

Media Mogul Oprah Winfrey   Want answers? Send your questions, comments and thoughts about life to universe@thelinlife.com   Thank you so much for listening to The Lin Life Universe. I hope you've been enjoying it. Please leave a review! 

Entertainer Josephine Baker   Want answers? Send your questions, comments and thoughts about life to universe@thelinlife.com   Thank you so much for listening to The Lin Life Universe. I hope you've been enjoying it. Please leave a review! 

War Photojournalist Margaret Bourke-White   Want answers? Send your questions, comments and thoughts about life to universe@thelinlife.com   Thank you so much for listening to The Lin Life Universe. I hope you've been enjoying it. Please leave a review! 

Textile Artist Anni Albers   Want answers? Send your questions, comments and thoughts about life to universe@thelinlife.com   Thank you so much for listening to The Lin Life Universe. I hope you've been enjoying it. Please leave a review! 

Photojournalist Dorothea Lange   Want answers? Send your questions, comments and thoughts about life to universe@thelinlife.com   Thank you so much for listening to The Lin Life Universe. I hope you've been enjoying it. Please leave a review! 

Blues Performer Ma Rainey   Want answers? Send your questions, comments and thoughts about life to universe@thelinlife.com   Thank you so much for listening to The Lin Life Universe. I hope you've been enjoying it. Please leave a review! 

Children's Author Beatrix Potter   Want answers? Send your questions, comments and thoughts about life to universe@thelinlife.com   Thank you so much for listening to The Lin Life Universe. I hope you've been enjoying it. Please leave a review! 

Photographer Julia Margaret Cameron   Want answers? Send your questions, comments and thoughts about life to universe@thelinlife.com   Thank you so much for listening to The Lin Life Universe. I hope you've been enjoying it. Please leave a review! 

Activist Juana Inés De La Cruz Want answers? Send your questions, comments and thoughts about life to universe@thelinlife.com   Thank you so much for listening to The Lin Life Universe. I hope you've been enjoying it. Please leave a review! 

Author Aphra Behn   Want answers? Send your questions, comments and thoughts about life to universe@thelinlife.com   Thank you so much for listening to The Lin Life Universe. I hope you've been enjoying it. Please leave a review! 

Renaissance Painter Artemisia Gentileschi   Want answers? Send your questions, comments and thoughts about life to universe@thelinlife.com   Thank you so much for listening to The Lin Life Universe. I hope you've been enjoying it. Please leave a review! 

Composer Saint Hildegard of Bingen   Want answers? Send your questions, comments and thoughts about life to universe@thelinlife.com   Thank you so much for listening to The Lin Life Universe. I hope you've been enjoying it. Please leave a review! 

Novelist Murasaki Shikibu   Want answers? Send your questions, comments and thoughts about life to universe@thelinlife.com   Thank you so much for listening to The Lin Life Universe. I hope you've been enjoying it. Please leave a review! 

Poetess Sappho   Want answers? Send your questions, comments and thoughts about life to universe@thelinlife.com   Thank you so much for listening to The Lin Life Universe. I hope you've been enjoying it. Please leave a review! 

Recently a friend of mine was searching for the feminine version of “Knight”. Something that communicated the noble honor, integration of royalty, with the strength, cunningness and calculation of a warrior. Knighthood came about in the Middle Ages during a time when there was no feminine equivalent for a knight because women were not considered equal to men. I suggested that she look into the Japanese culture, there were female samurai called Onna-Bugeisha. They were intelligent, educated, elite, powerful leaders trained in weaponry the same way men were. They fought alongside the male samurai, strong and independent. Empress Jingu, Tomoe Gozen, Nakano Takeko are some of the more famous Onna-Bugeisha. There is history that happened and then the history that has been passed down. For most of history, Anonymous was a woman. I want to share about these amazing women history in the days ahead. They didn't make our history books in school but they certainly changed the world for the better. Get ready to be inspired!   Want answers? Send your questions, comments and thoughts about life to universe@thelinlife.com   Thank you so much for listening to The Lin Life Universe. I hope you've been enjoying it. Please leave a review! 

Continuing our Transformational Conversations series. One of the most difficult habits to overcome from my family dynamic growing up was the avoid and explode cycle. Without much in the way of support, our parents would often hold in whatever they could for as long as they could. They were busy learning English, trying to make ends meet and raising three small children in a new country. By the time something surfaced, everyone was often at wits end and a shouting match was the only way to diffuse the pent up frustration. I had to work really hard in my first serious relationship to break that terrible habit. I would say things during these temper tantrums that I would later regret. An argument was a way to release tension, not a way to work towards a solution. There is bound to be one habit or tendency that you learned from childhood that still informs how you respond today. This can be a bad thing if you repeat the worst tendencies, but it can be a good thing if you are motivated to change. Your change will be chosen by you and profound.   Want answers? Send your questions, comments and thoughts about life to universe@thelinlife.com   Thank you so much for listening to The Lin Life Universe. I hope you've been enjoying it. Please leave a review! 

Continuing our Transformational Conversations series. How to get started when they are a departure from the norm. This can be especially true with family. Start where you are, in the present. My family cares and loves each other in their own way. One of my most challenging relationships is with my sister. We're oil and water in her words. She has her baggage too of "when we were kids, you did this to me." This is an argument that no one can win. If you want to go back far enough, you can always find something to hold against each other. Most recently, she was staying at my place and I asked her to take out the trash before she left. She replied back with a list of 10 things she wanted me to do before I left her place. I wanted to react and carry the baggage forward remembering all the times she didn't help out the way I expected. Instead, I practiced being in the here and now. if my best friend were to ask me, what would I do, how would I feel? I would love to do it, and I would be happy that she asked so I could leave her place as she likes. I thanked my sister genuinely for the reminder. And she replied wanting to know if there was anything else. There was no argument that day.   Want answers? Send your questions, comments and thoughts about life to universe@thelinlife.com   Thank you so much for listening to The Lin Life Universe. I hope you've been enjoying it. Please leave a review! 

Continuing our Transformational Conversations series. Today we're going to be talking about how to determine a fact from a fiction. The overview of the non-violent communication method is: I see, I think, I feel. The first step is to make an observation. Let's say your friend is late and you find it disrespectful, as a result you feel hurt. We often hide a dig in the observation. "I see that you are selfishly late like always." Ask Is it true? If it's an absolute truth, you can ask anybody in the world and it would still be true. Is it always selfish to be late? Perhaps not. And If they have ever been on time even once in their life, like always is still a statement of fiction. Selfishly like always is not a fact, it's a dig. "I noticed that you came 30 minutes later than we agreed and I didn't hear from you." That's a fact. Do you want them to hear the rest? "I think that it's disrespectful of my time to let me wait. I feel hurt and angry.” You honor the relationship by communicating with integrity, do your best to begin with a statement of fact, not a fiction.   Want answers? Send your questions, comments and thoughts about life to universe@thelinlife.com   Thank you so much for listening to The Lin Life Universe. I hope you've been enjoying it. Please leave a review! 

Continuing our Transformational Conversations series. Today we're going to be talking about how to address unacceptable behavior. Many years ago I was in a newish relationship near the holidays and I casually mentioned that I would love to visit Thailand. His response, "If you go, don't bother coming back." I immediately recognized that there was a story behind the story. The crime of a travel lover saying ”Ooh Thailand” does not match the outsized punishment of a threat. I spoke up. "Hey, it's ok for you to say 'I want to spend the holidays with you' or ‘I'm curious if you are making plans to go away' but you can never threaten me. It's completely unacceptable.” He expressed that he'd always hated the holidays, they had been dreadful growing up and he was finally looking forward to having someone to spend it with.” I shared "That is a much better way to share how you feel. Thank you.  I'm a curious person and will always be saying things like I would love to visit blank.  That's not the same thing as making plans. And I will continue to express what I like.” He never used threatening language again.    Want answers? Send your questions, comments and thoughts about life to universe@thelinlife.com   Thank you so much for listening to The Lin Life Universe. I hope you've been enjoying it. Please leave a review! 

Continuing our Transformational Conversations series. Today's tool is about addressing a common trigger….criticism. Turn your criticism into a request. Criticisms are about a negative past. Requests are about a positive future. I was on a trip with an ex-boyfriend and we decided that we would prepare most of our meals to cater to his dietary restrictions and save some money. I'd wake up early and start making breakfast and packing our lunches before getting myself ready. Then after a full day of activities, we'd get back to the hotel where I'd unpack our containers for reuse and start prepping dinner. He would lay on the bed and watch tv. After a couple of days, I felt pretty resentful. I wanted to relax too. I thought he was being selfish but I knew he would get defensive if I criticized him. That evening while we got ready for bed, I asked what time he wanted to get up at. He said 8. I replied, “Every morning I spend half an hour prepping breakfast and lunch before I get ready. Can you add an extra 15 minutes to help me with the meal prep?” No blaming, shaming, name calling or criticizing the past, just a request for the future. He helped with meal prep everyday after that.   Want answers? Send your questions, comments and thoughts about life to universe@thelinlife.com   Thank you so much for listening to The Lin Life Universe. I hope you've been enjoying it. Please leave a review! 

Continuing our Transformational Conversations series. How to handle Defensive Behavior. Do you have a loved one that will hurt your feelings or cross a boundary? And as soon as you start expressing yourself, their walls go up. They accuse you of always criticizing them. And they start to attack you with reasons why you're actually in the wrong. In other words, they get defensive. People who are defensive have difficulty taking responsibility for their actions and resist feeling “wrong” because they view it from a negative lens that they have failed. It's a knee jerk reaction that shields the person from guilt and self-doubt. Kids often develop this behavior as a way to cope with difficult situations and then it becomes a bad habit as an adult.   If it has merit, go ahead and apologize for whatever reason they give in their counter-attack. Lead with humility. “I'm sorry, that was not my intention. I take responsibility for making you feel that way.” Follow up with, “Even though I sympathize with how you feel, you are responsible for how you respond. You seem to only bring these things up when I want to have a conversation. I expect you to initiate your own conversations when you are hurt. It doesn't feel very good to have you take over when I want to talk."   Want answers? Send your questions, comments and thoughts about life to universe@thelinlife.com   Thank you so much for listening to The Lin Life Universe. I hope you've been enjoying it. Please leave a review! 

Continuing our Transformational Conversations series. Being a change maker means that you always bring your A-game to the conversation. Practically that means setting a powerful intention. Before I coach, I always take a few minutes to ask myself what I want to bring to the conversation. This is unrelated to the outcome because that relies on the other person. And it has nothing to do with your expectations of the other party. Setting an intention is defining how you will show up for the other person. That if you decide to bring trust, then you will give the other person the benefit of the doubt. If you bring empathy, then you will resist the temptation to constantly think of a response and embrace the opportunity to listen and meet the other person where they are. If you bring support, then you will eagerly seek to find out their agenda. If you bring clarity, then you will notice and honor your own blind spots and check them at the door. I will set an intention and hold it for the entire session. Even if the other person does not consciously recognize it, subconsciously they feel supported by the energy of your intention. That's what it means to bring your A-game.   Want answers? Send your questions, comments and thoughts about life to universe@thelinlife.com   Thank you so much for listening to The Lin Life Universe. I hope you've been enjoying it. Please leave a review! 

Continuing our Transformational Conversations series. Ask yourself what you really want? Sally was hurt when Diana did not ask her to be a bridesmaid. When they talked about it, It didn't go well. I only knew because Diana called me telling me that she felt blindsided and attacked, which reinforced her decision to leave Sally out of the bridal party, Diana contemplated disinviting Sally altogether. But I could imagine Sally's blunt approach was let's share all the things bothering us about our friendship to “clear the air.” What's more effective is the vulnerable approach which requires emotional intelligence and taking action to support the outcome you really want. In this case, the friendship by taking Diana out for some quality time. Saying “Spending time with you today means so much to me. I want to confess that I felt a little insecure when you didn't ask me to be a bridesmaid. I realized I only wanted that because I value our friendship. Please let me know what I can do to help you and support you for the wedding. I'm here for you.” Which approach would move you towards a stronger friendship?   Want answers? Send your questions, comments and thoughts about life to universe@thelinlife.com   Thank you so much for listening to The Lin Life Universe. I hope you've been enjoying it. Please leave a review! 

Continuing our Transformational Conversations series. Ask what's the story behind the story? One time my sister and I were having lunch. I ordered a dish for myself that was under 10 euros, totally within my budget. She ordered a main dish, an appetizer, something for her son and a dish to go. When the bill came, it was a bit over 40 euros. I asked myself what I could generously chip in for and offered, “How about I give you a 20?” She snapped, “So now you're going to nickel and dime me!" The punishment did not fit the crime of offering a 20. What's the bigger story? Emotionally, my sister had a tougher childhood than I did and money is one of her biggest triggers. It wasn't easy but I reached hard for some compassion and spoke to her later when she had calmed down. I told her that I thought I was being generous by rounding up even though I was on a budget and had only ordered one thing. While she saw things differently, I was still able to have a calm discussion with her. But first I had to make room for a bigger story that wasn't mine.    Want answers? Send your questions, comments and thoughts about life to universe@thelinlife.com   Thank you so much for listening to The Lin Life Universe. I hope you've been enjoying it. Please leave a review! 

Continuing our Transformational Conversations series. Ask does the punishment fit the crime? Do you get sucked right in or do you have the ability to take one step back and say something is off here? One time my dad asked, "How is Jimmy doing?" I blew up and accused him of putting pressure on me and the relationship. I partially blamed pops for how things turned out, things had just ended with Jimmy. Dad's crime that day was asking a question. I was really hurting but the punishment did not fit the crime. The thing I said that was honest that day was it's unfair for you to tell me what to do at this point in my life. "Can't you just be happy for me when I'm happy and support me when I'm sad? I'm the one that has to live with the consequences." I could have spoken up the month before when he was lecturing me on what he thought should be happening in our relationship but I didn't. This outburst was on me and I took responsibility for snapping at him and apologized. Other people will trigger feelings in our lives, but we are always responsible for how we respond. This is the premise of emotional adulthood and transformation.   Want answers? Send your questions, comments and thoughts about life to universe@thelinlife.com   Thank you so much for listening to The Lin Life Universe. I hope you've been enjoying it. Please leave a review! 

September marks the beginning of fall. A time of change. Traditionally this was the harvest season, when you would reap what you had sown in the spring. Spiritually, it's a great time for self reflection.   This month, I want to focus on transformational conversations. How to have them and what it means to use words that can change your life and the lives of those around you. We're going to focus on the energy that those words carry with them. Have you ever wondered why it feels so difficult to address conflict? It's because the words and tone we have been taught to use tend to carry a negative spirit.   I'll be sharing real life examples. All names have been changed. If the situation feels too close to home, don't worry, it's probably because it's common. But common doesn't make it good. And we're here to make the world better because we're in it. Stay tuned for a life-changing series on how to have transformational conversations.   Want answers? Send your questions, comments and thoughts about life to universe@thelinlife.com   Thank you so much for listening to The Lin Life Universe. I hope you've been enjoying it. Please leave a review! 

For travel accommodations, I use Airbnb if I'm looking for a space for a few days with a kitchen. I avoid it the first night if I'm arriving after dark. It's just too uncomfortable to be in a new city after dark with luggage and not have a smooth and guaranteed check-in process. One time I was at a pizza delivery shop in Nice for over an hour late at night waiting for someone to let me in across the street because they went to a concert and their car was blocked in. I mainly used the Booking.com app for the majority of my accommodations bookings this summer in Europe. I used Agoda as a backup for a price check and they occasionally had a better price or option. But for the most part, the filters on booking.com made it the easiest to use. At the top of my list is location and I could easily sort by distance from the train and scan the map. The common filters I used were price range, free cancellation and property type. And when I did need to cancel, I found it fairly straightforward.   Want answers? Send your questions, comments and thoughts about life to universe@thelinlife.com   Thank you so much for listening to The Lin Life Universe. I hope you've been enjoying it. Please leave a review! 

I love to experience local culture through it's food offerings and hate to waste any part of my travels on a bad meal. I have my finger on the pulse of the LA dining scene but I've been following the local chefs and their careers for years, some well over a decade. What's my strategy when I travel? I do a search on chowhound with the name of the city I am interested in visiting. For popular chowhound cities, the search results will be plentiful with many recent recommendations. When I see that the search yields scant results or there are not entries within the last couple of years, I know I'm not in a culinary destination. It doesn't mean that it's not a worthy cultural destination, it just means the food culture is not strong enough yet for it to appeal to other foodies. A good example is Ireland, the chowhound boards are pretty quiet about Dublin. Most days I prefer my own cooking to any of the restaurants. But when I was in Barcelona, I tried dozens of restaurants based on fellow Chowhound recommendations. Spain has a strong food culture, Ireland does not. I also search for local food bloggers, some are recommended within the chowhound boards. Some I just find on google.   https://www.chowhound.com   Want answers? Send your questions, comments and thoughts about life to universe@thelinlife.com   Thank you so much for listening to The Lin Life Universe. I hope you've been enjoying it. Please leave a review! 

Air travel is not environmentally sustainable in its current form. The most environmentally friendly option is to walk or ride a bike. That's just not an option for getting from the US to Europe. But once I get there, one of my favorite modes of transport is train. With all the security measures and extra time required around flights, sometimes a train can be more relaxing than a flight. For example, the train from Paris to Barcelona is 6.5 hours. At first that sounds like a long time but that is from city center to city center. But if we fly it's likely going to be on a discount airline like Ryanair or Vueling and likely from an airport that is outside the city limits. Let's say that takes you an hour, then add the two hours of recommended check-in and security, then almost 2 hours for the flight and then another hour on the backend to get you to the city center. That's 6 hours already and that's if you don't experience any flight delays. My favorite app for booking train tickets is Loco2. European state-owned websites like Renfe in Spain can be clunky and cranky. A great resource for getting around Europe by train is Seat61.com.   https://girlvsglobe.com/what-is-the-greenest-mode-of-transport/ https://loco2.com/ https://www.seat61.com/   Want answers? Send your questions, comments and thoughts about life to universe@thelinlife.com   Thank you so much for listening to The Lin Life Universe. I hope you've been enjoying it. Please leave a review! 

At a minimum, you should have a travel credit card that does not charge you international conversion fees. When making purchases abroad, you will always be better off declining the merchant's exchange rate for US dollars in favor of opting for the local currency which will use the more favorable bank exchange rate used by your credit card as long as there is no international conversion fee.   Other perks to look for in a travel credit card are things like global entry application credit, primary car rental insurance, airport lounge access, a generous sign-up bonus. One of the most popular amongst my travel savvy colleagues includes all of these benefits, the Chase Sapphire Reserve card. Before you apply read up on the Chase 5/24 rule. It's the reason I don't qualify. I've been using my Citi Aadvantage Platinum select card to top up my American Airlines points since I was close to a flight award. A great website for answering questions about travel cards and effective strategies for accumulating and leveraging reward points is ThePointsGuy.com.    https://www.asksebby.com/blog/rules-to-know-for-chase-credit-card-applications https://thepointsguy.com/   Want answers? Send your questions, comments and thoughts about life to universe@thelinlife.com   Thank you so much for listening to The Lin Life Universe. I hope you've been enjoying it. Please leave a review! 

I often share what I'm doing that I think is working well. But in this area, I know I can do better when I need access to cash. I need to upgrade my travel debit card. Typically, it's been a BofA or Wells Fargo debit card. The cards have a $5 fee for withdrawals outside the bank network which basically means any withdrawal overseas. This summer I was on a family trip and was responsible for spending cash for 5 other relatives on a 14 day tour through Europe. I normally make relatively few withdrawals but when I was at the atm every other day during our trip, the fees became excessive.    Charles Schwab is the most highly recommended debit card in my network of fellow travelers and it's easy to obtain by opening a no fee brokerage account that does not require a minimum deposit. They refund all atm fees. The other option that may soon be available in the US is the Revolut card. It's popular in Europe and lets you automatically exchange money to the local currency which is fantastic when your trip involves multiple currencies.   I'm eager to make the switch and stop paying unnecessary fees.   https://www.schwab.com/public/schwab/investing/accounts_products/accounts/brokerage_account https://www.revolut.com/   Want answers? Send your questions, comments and thoughts about life to universe@thelinlife.com   Thank you so much for listening to The Lin Life Universe. I hope you've been enjoying it. Please leave a review! 

Today I have some tips about getting around when you travel. I download the associated app for whatever airlines I fly and join those frequent flyer clubs. This summer I used mostly American Airlines and Ryanair. If you like to make plans on the fly, this will save you so much time. Uber works in a number of European cities but it faces a lot of legal battles and regulations which are always changing. In Dublin, it's linked to officially licensed taxis. The public transportation system is also generally quite good in Europe. I'll download the Metro app for whatever major cities I'm traveling through. This summer I used the Paris Metro app and the LUAS app which is the light rail system in Dublin. Google Maps is my default navigator whether I'm at home or abroad so I'll use that first to help me determine my local route. Then I'll go to the LUAS app to get live schedule updates for the tram. And if the timing is off or I just want a faster connection, I'll use Uber. I like the convenience of the in App automatic payment. If something happened and I was without cash or cards, I could still get around with my phone.    Want answers? Send your questions, comments and thoughts about life to universe@thelinlife.com   Thank you so much for listening to The Lin Life Universe. I hope you've been enjoying it. Please leave a review! 

I'm happy to report that an online passport manager like LastPass is a lifesaver at home and in my travels. I've used the Autofill features on my phone and laptop before but have always had hiccups when I switched to a new phone or maybe I'm using Chrome on my laptop and Safari on my phone and the password was only saved on one but not the other. And changing passwords was painful because it didn't update everywhere. I finally hit my pain point when I launched a new business a couple years ago. I had to spend a bit of time adding all my major accounts. Now it's easier to keep up with since I use LastPass at the same time that I set up a new online account. I also use the notes section to save my credit card info. If I'm making a purchase online while I travel, I can access everything I need even if I don't have the card physically on me.   Want answers? Send your questions, comments and thoughts about life to universe@thelinlife.com   Thank you so much for listening to The Lin Life Universe. I hope you've been enjoying it. Please leave a review! 

You know that emergency contact line you fill out on forms? It's typically a family member, a significant other or friend. If I'm traveling that person is probably asleep and not really able to help me. Turns out money solves a lot of problems and lack of access to it creates a whole host of new ones. I have the contact number of every credit and debit card I travel with programmed into my phone. I try to have some local currency ahead of my trip but have often times waited until I've arrived to withdraw cash from an ATM. This is so convenient unless your card is blocked. What if you need money to leave the airport? You get to the car rental counter and your card is declined. An unfamiliar attempt can flag the fraud protection algorithm to place a hold on the card. And if I need to submit a travel notice, I can easily take a few minutes before boarding to call the numbers that are already programmed into my phone. I don't even need to dig the cards out. I also have all my frequent flyer membership numbers saved in my contacts to make spontaneous flight arrangements. These are actually the contacts I end up looking up most while I travel.    Want answers? Send your questions, comments and thoughts about life to universe@thelinlife.com   Thank you so much for listening to The Lin Life Universe. I hope you've been enjoying it. Please leave a review! 

The most important travel document you can have is your passport. It's your responsibility to verify that you meet the entry criteria including visa requirements. Most international travel requires that you have at least 6 months validity after your departure and two blank pages remaining on your  passport. I always take a picture and email it to myself. My aunt recently misplaced hers the day before her flight back to the states. We called the US embassy in Dublin right away to get an appointment. She ended up finding it but the earliest appointment we could get was actually after her flight was scheduled to leave so she would have missed her flight. Ireland has some of the strictest entry requirements in Europe apart from perhaps Russia which requires an invitation letter. I was asked to show proof of sufficient funds, a return ticket, my accommodations and what I planned to do by officials in Ireland. You can be refused entry if you fail to sufficiently demonstrate your travel intent to immigration officials. It's been the most aggressive line of questioning I've been subjected to from the roughly 20 European countries I've visited.   Want answers? Send your questions, comments and thoughts about life to universe@thelinlife.com   Thank you so much for listening to The Lin Life Universe. I hope you've been enjoying it. Please leave a review! 

When I'm traveling, I try to bring the smallest things that will still get the job done. In the case of a wallet, I use a slim cardholder that carries my ID, a debit card and my transport card which is really common in Europe. They call it the LEAP card in Dublin, an Oyster card in London, the OV chip card in Amsterdam. The card is pre-laoded with pay as you go credit to spend on public transit. It's often the best fare available. I usually just keep my credit card in my phone case since I don't take my purse to the gym and hate not being able to run to the store afterwards. In Europe, I run into plenty of situations that require actual cash and coins, bathrooms for example. So I've gotten use to having a coin purse in Europe. I also have a simple slim single zipper wristlet that I use to hold currency that I'm not using. This summer I mostly used euros but I also needed pounds for my time in the UK. Having the extra wristlet helped to keep me organized. In the past, I've also been able to separate my funds for the day from the rest of my cash. This was a lifesaver the one time I was pickpocketed by gypsies in Italy. They took my daily funds but thankfully I still had a small stash set aside.   Want answers? Send your questions, comments and thoughts about life to universe@thelinlife.com   Thank you so much for listening to The Lin Life Universe. I hope you've been enjoying it. Please leave a review! 

I use Bare Minerals makeup. It doesn't make me breakout which is my biggest concern with cosmetics. I also like that I can travel with it since it's all in powder form: the concealer, foundation, blush, eyeshadow, finishing powder, etc. But I hated having to dig through a makeup bag to find what I needed. Until I found the Lay&Go Cosmo Cosmetic Bag. It's washable if something spills inside. And it lays out to about a 20” diameter. The lip around the edge keeps things from rolling off the counter into a toilet, wet sink or trashcan. It has elastic brush holders for my travel brushes and a small zippered interior storage pocket that I usually keep a pair of tweezers and some strips of double stick fashion tape to prevent minor wardrobe malfunctions in. And when I'm done, the drawstring closure makes it quick and easy to pack away.   Want answers? Send your questions, comments and thoughts about life to universe@thelinlife.com   Thank you so much for listening to The Lin Life Universe. I hope you've been enjoying it. Please leave a review! 

I used to carry all my travel toiletries including makeup in one bag, the Victorinox Lexicon 2.0 Truss Hanging Toiletry Kit. That was before all the airport security restrictions on liquids. It's still in excellent condition which is a testament to that bag's materials and quality. Even the hanging hook does not have one loose stitch despite carrying quite the load over the years. I used to just keep my liquids in a one quart ziplock in the main compartment but having to unzip the flap all the way to take the liquids bag out for TSA screening made it less appealing for a high volume of travel. I now have 3 bags instead of 1: a separate makeup bag. then a dry bag for solids like cleansing bars and deodorant, facial cleansing cloths, dry shampoo, q-tips, etc.. And a third super basic bag that basically fits a one quart ziplock bag for liquids in it, I keep that one in my personal bag for easy access and TSA screening. Once I pass security, I'll toss it in my carry-on.    Want answers? Send your questions, comments and thoughts about life to universe@thelinlife.com   Thank you so much for listening to The Lin Life Universe. I hope you've been enjoying it. Please leave a review! 

I ask every hair dresser who cuts my hair what their advice is on keeping my hair healthy. They all say to wash it as little as possible. I had one hairdresser recommend only washing it once a week. I've gone from being a daily hair washer to twice a week. When I'm super active, it's every other day. I use dry shampoo on the roots to help me bridge the gap. The only one I can recommend is the Oscar Blandi Pronto Dry Shampoo Powder. Sadly, I fear it's been discontinued so I'm clinging to the last of this precious powder. The spray version of the same brand does not work well nor do any of the other aerosol versions I've tried. I've tried at least a dozen at all price points, no bueno. My other travel must have is a rockstar hair treatment. I discovered Nexuss Keraphix Damage Healing Treatment Masque last year and it's fabulous. I can get about three treatments out of each packet. I'll disperse a few packets throughout my luggage and have never needed to include it in the one quart ziplock liquids bag that TSA limits us to.   Want answers? Send your questions, comments and thoughts about life to universe@thelinlife.com   Thank you so much for listening to The Lin Life Universe. I hope you've been enjoying it. Please leave a review! 

If you open my cabinets at home, you'll see an avalanche of skincare products. I love them all. But when I travel, I find that I need to be able to have the option to not check my bag which means limiting the amount of liquids I bring. I'll often bring a Dove Beauty Bar instead of body wash. This also works great for hand-washing underwear in a pinch. This summer I switched to a bath bar from Whole Foods, one that I could read and understand most of the ingredients.    Ireland and most of Europe carry the brands I've become accustomed to but one of my favorite luxuries that I always manage to find space for are the Bliss lemon+sage french milled bars that the W Hotels carry.   During my recent 11 day tour through Europe where we were in a different hotel practically every night, I used the ROC Daily Resurfacing Facial Disks. I could easily get 2 uses out of each pad. Once to wash my face at night and then the next morning before checking out. These small substitutes help to make room for the serums, moisturizers, and sun block that I consider essentials.    Want answers? Send your questions, comments and thoughts about life to universe@thelinlife.com   Thank you so much for listening to The Lin Life Universe. I hope you've been enjoying it. Please leave a review! 

Last year in May of 2018 I visited Turkey for the first time. I discovered these lovely cotton Turkish towels in a rainbow of colors at the bazaar. I mustered up my bargaining skills and courage and went to bat for a few beauties. My favorite one is a thinner yellow striped one. If I have a little extra space, I make sure to include it. When I was caught off guard by cooler weather a few days in Turkey, I used it as a wrap. If I'm on a flight that is short of blankets, it does extra duty as a blanket. Even some of the private hostel rooms I stayed in this summer didn't include a towel so it was nice to have my own. Since it's thinner than the plushy ones at home, it dries quickly. It's been my go to workout bag towel for drying off after a shower at the gym. I've also used it as a beach towel for hotter destinations. This summer I used it as a picnic blanket. I also travel with a velcro wrap and having both keeps everything neat and compact.   Want answers? Send your questions, comments and thoughts about life to universe@thelinlife.com   Thank you so much for listening to The Lin Life Universe. I hope you've been enjoying it. Please leave a review! 

Even though it's summertime in Europe, Ireland can still be quite chilly and wet. The warmest month this year was probably July. Outside of that, I did need lots of layers. These are the jackets I brought with me this year. The one I got the most mileage out of was my denim jacket with pockets from Zara. it's a little boxier but I really liked how roomy the interior pockets were. I could stick a water bottle in there if I needed to. Sometimes if I went to a concert and wanted to be bag free, this was the ideal jacket. The other indispensable layer was my North Face slim profile vest with zip pockets. This was so easy to layer and gave me the extra warmth that I needed. I also brought a beige microfiber midi-length trench coat from Zara. It's unlined which helps for packing but it still looks more polished for nicer occasions. When it's really cold, like when I first got to Ireland in May, I would wear all my layers. I keep a lightweight pink raincoat from Dunnes at my sister's place in Dublin since it's the only place I travel to that rains that much.   Want answers? Send your questions, comments and thoughts about life to universe@thelinlife.com   Thank you so much for listening to The Lin Life Universe. I hope you've been enjoying it. Please leave a review!