How to Travel Like a Wi-Fi Bandit

I travel light, either I check my one suitcase (carry-on size) and carry my laptop and purse, or I have a large leather shoulder bag (into which I stuff my purse) and carry my laptop. When I'm on the plane, I pull the purse out of the shoulder bag and stuff it into the bins. 

When I pack, the shoes (one pair of Asics and the lightest pair of pumps or sandals) go on the bottom of the suitcase and are stuffed full of socks and other small pieces of clothing. On the plane, I wear Dansko clogs (easy on and off through airport security). Two pairs of jeans, one pair of slacks, one skirt, one dress, two-three t-shirts, several long sleeved knits, socks, swimsuit and two nicer tops. Pajama pants, two camisoles, nightshirt and one pair workout pants (not sweats - too bulky - the spandex type). Extra toothbrush in my purse. Jacket (raincoat type) is stuffed on top of everything, I wear a sweatshirt on the plane.

I stuff protein bars in the bag, carry dried tart cherries for jet lag and pumpkin seeds for headaches (altitude, traveling, off-schedule with meals and caffeine input); Fine Cooking, Bon Appetit or Food and Wine plus a language paperback (French grammar anyone?). Before I go on a trip, I ask around and check the webpage of the airline I'm traveling on for travel information, which is how I avoided having to discard big bottles of shampoo when going through security. I read up on the airport I'm landing in (how do you get around and how many terminals are there? Are they connected?), double-check my flight information and look at the airport map in the airline magazine. 

My goal is to stay at hotels actually in the hospitality business (continental breakfast is included and/or there is an airport shuttle). Last October in Portland, we stayed at the Ramada Plaza on RIverside which has an airport shuttle every 30 minutes. In contrast, Spokane's Courtyard by Marriott on North Riverpoint Blvd has no shuttle and no breakfast. There are bottles of water in the rooms with teeny tiny print (I didn't see the teeny tiny print and we drank $7 worth of water.) Yes, I should have noticed it (caveat emptor!!!) but SERIOUSLY??? We were in Spokane for the memorial service of a family member - relatives already were staying there so I chose to stay there to be with family. Oh yeah, internet service worked really well, and the hotel staff offered to call a taxi for me. Wow.