How I
Travel
with Sisonke Msimang
Author and activist Sisonke Msimang
finds herself on a long-haul flight about
once a month for work, and is no
stranger to travel. Her first book, Always
Another Country: A Memoir of Exile
and Home, chronicles her childhood in
Zambia, Kenya and Canada, her college
studies in the USA and her homecoming
to a post-apartheid South Africa.
A storyteller by trade, Msimang’s
CV is impressive: she is a regular
contributor to international newspapers
and magazines, including The Guardian
and The New York Times; heads up oral
storytelling at the Centre for Stories
in Perth, Australia; has done talks for
TED in San Francisco and for The Moth,
and – despite this hectic schedule –
remains actively involved with several
South Africa- and New York-based social
justice organisations.
Her secret to surviving this demanding
travel schedule? Five key items she’d
never leave home without:
1 | WARM SOCKS AND EXTRA-LARGE
SCARF THAT DOUBLES AS A BLANKET
I’m always cold on planes. It’s like there’s
a rule that the aircon has to be turned
up as high as possible. So I pack a big
cashmere scarf in my bag and carry an
extra pair of ugly woollen socks.
2 | REUSABLE WATER BOTTLE
The world doesn’t need any more plastic
bottles. Staying hydrated while you travel
is key but I hate buying water. So I put a
water bottle in my bag. During layovers,
I find lots of restaurants offer free water
and don’t mind if you fill up.
3 | SMARTPHONE CAR MOUNT
These gadgets aren’t too
expensive – about R385 – and
they are handy when you are
driving around in a rented car.
These days with Uber you don’t
always need to, but I had to
drive myself a few times this
year and it was handy not to
have to fiddle with a phone
while trying to figure out how
to get somewhere.
4 | LAPTOP SLEEVE
I got a lovely laptop sleeve in Jo’burg this
year, made by a South African company
called Wren. It’s made of recycled paper
that’s fully waterproof and has a lovely
design. The best thing is it doesn’t look
like a laptop sleeve so it’s a deterrent to
people with sticky fingers.
5 | A REALLY, REALLY LONG
LIGHTNING USB CABLE
I got one as a freebie when I did my TED
talk in San Fransisco at the end of 2016;
it was a great gift. Hotels often don’t have
many USB charging outlets. Depending
on where the USB outlet is, having a
long cable lets you lie in bed
or work at the desk while still
charging your phone.
1
1
3
2
5
4
PHOTO BY JUSTIN YOUENS
MAKE MEMORIES FOR LIFE // 11