Vietnam, Bras and a Carry-On.

Crazy how time flies especially during these summer months. It has already been 2 months since I travelled to Vietnam for a medical mission. To say it was a very successful and rewarding trip is an understatement. I had never travelled to Asia before and to be going for such a rewarding reason made my first time there even more memorable.

I went on a medical mission to DaNang, Vietnam with a pediatric medical team from the Alberta Children's Hospital. My main job was a recovery room nurse of the patients who received repairs of cleft lips and palates with a plastics team, as well fixing some penis' with an urology team. I have been working with these amazing people for over 12 years and to be able to experience this with friends was the icing on the cake.

We completed over 40 surgeries in 7 days, ate some great food, saw some beautiful sites, did a lot of sweating, had some tears and a lot of laughs.

The only clincher to travelling with a medical mission is that we had to bring all our own medical supplies; therefore, we were all responsible for 2 large hockey bags full of supplies.

I was gone for 16 days and I could only pack 1 carry-on bag. That was it.

Let me say it again so it can sink in: I travelled to a foreign country for 16 days with only a carry-on bag!!! (Cue my parents hysterical laughter just at the thought of me only packing a carry on bag. I tend to overpack...ALWAYS!!!)

Now the question you are dying to know the answer to. What did I pack?

When I asked my friend who went last year what to pack she said "BRAS!!" Say WHAT?!?

It was unbelievably humid in Vietnam during the time we were there and she said you sweat all the time and nothing ever dries properly so if you want to feel comfortable while you work, pack lots of bras.

Ok...Bras, check. Didn't leave much more room in my carry-on bag.

The remainder of my bag was packed with a lot of lightweight sundresses, flip flops, bikinis, minimal beauty supplies and of course my trusted essential oils. I don't go away to a hockey tournament without my bag of oils and a diffuser, so of course I packed my oils for a 16 day trip to Vietnam.

These were the oils that I packed and I am so thankful that I did. The 20+ hour commute was tolerable, I did not get sick once, 13+ hour work days, I slept well almost every night (with the exception of waking up early on the first few days) and I did not get sick when I arrived back home.

Staying healthy, calm and happy during my trip was a huge priority for me. I could not have done it without the unbelievable support from my family, my travel buddy Karen and of course my trusted oils.

My must have Essential Oils when traveling:

Peace: Airports stress me out, so I had my Peace roller bottle on hand to keep me sane during those airport lines and long flights.

ZenGest: I have a sensitive stomach to begin with, so when travelling to a foreign county ZenGest was a must for any stomach issues I had.

On Guard: I was gone for 16 days from home and I did not want to get sick in a foreign country, so I packed my OnGuard with Veggi Caps and took 2 pills a day while I am gone. I also rubbed OnGuard on the bottoms of my feet at bedtime.

Peppermint: Jet lag and long days can make for one nasty headache so having peppermint on hand to rub on my temples was a must.

Serenity: When you are working long days and have early mornings, sleep is a necessity so putting a couple drops of Serenity on my pillow before bed helped me to drift off to sleep.

Cheer: I was away from my husband and kids for 16 days and was working 12-14 hours a day, I was bound to need a little pick me up. Although it did not bring my family closer, Cheer roller bottle was a second best solution.

So, with a carry on bag packed full of mostly bras and essential oils I was prepared for whatever Vietnam threw at me; humidity, long days, stomach bugs, headaches, sadness and everything in between. After all this trip was not about looking amazing and photo shoots, this trip was about changing lives and giving back.

If travel is in your future, no matter how big or small make sure you have your trusted essential oils packed. You never know when they will come in handy...I am going to venture a guess and say that they will come in handy everyday for many different scenarios.

Comment below what essential oils you never travel without.