Let’s face it, financial jargon is confusing AF. Tax-loss harvesting? Stagflation? Single-stock investing? What does any of this even mean? Luckily, Your Rich BFF Vivian Tu is here to break it down for you. Tu is an author, businesswoman, and media personality best known for founding the media company Your Rich BFF, a platform all about making financial education accessible to the public. For the last four years, Tu, who got her start trading stocks at JP Morgan, has been sharing finance advice online. Since becoming a full-time influencer in 2022, Tu has launched a podcast Networth & Chill and released her first book, Rich AF: The Winning Money Mindset that Will Change Your Life. Most recently, Tu partnered with Marshalls to bring The Upgrade Lounge, a free, public pop-up lounge with complimentary beverages, snacks, and self-care essentials, to JFK. Plus, she's promoting the The Upgrade Shop, a new summer-inspired shoppable edit on the Marshalls website. Tu sat down with associate editor Annie Harrigan at The Upgrade Lounge to share her hottest travel tips, why she only travels with a carry-on, and how she went on an international trip with her now husband only a month into dating. Thrillist: What is your favorite travel memory? Vivian Tu: My favorite travel memory is the very first adult vacation I ever took. I had only known my now husband for about a month, but I needed a travel buddy. We ended up doing one week in Positano, Italy, and one week in Santorini, Greece. We had little to no budget because we were in our early twenties, so we did the planes, trains, automobiles thing. It is one of the fondest memories I have because I got to spend time falling in love with someone. How did you pitch going on a major international trip to someone who barely knew you? VT: I was like, “So, what are you doing for your vacation this year?” And he was like, “No plans yet.” And I was like, “Would you want to go on vacation with me?” We very literally had just started seeing each other. And maybe that was irresponsible and maybe it was just on a whim, but it worked out okay. What is the one thing you do in every place you travel to? VT: Okay, so this is a tradition. The very first day that we get there, usually we're pretty jet lagged and tired. So we'll get room service. Growing up, my parents pretended that if you drank a Coca-Cola out of the mini bar or you got room service the entire family would go bankrupt. Now as an adult who really values traveling, I really value those experiences. What's your go-to room service order? VT: It depends. I really try to have whatever cuisine the area that I'm traveling to is known for. So obviously when I'm in Italy, I want the pastas. When I'm in Asia, I will get whatever noodle dish or a rice dish is really popular there. When I'm in Mexico, I'll try to get an authentic Mexican meal. Are you a light or over packer? VT: Light. Because you know what, if it's not a medical thing—if it's not contacts, your retainer that's custom fit to your teeth, or a medication that you need to be taking—you can just buy it there. So I would rather just travel with my little carryon and my purse and ride it out. I’m not checking bags. Never, never. I've had too many snafus where my bag has been lost and my trip has been derailed. Now I just have my carry-on and my little personal item and I make it work. What are some of your carry-on essentials? VT: First and foremost, contacts—your girl needs to see. Second, my night guard. Like I said, for things that I do need to pack, it's the things that I can't replace. I also like to have a Kitsch hair roller so I can have heatless curls on the plane. It’s really helpful if I want to look cute as soon as I hop off, especially if I have a meeting. I’ve got to have headphones so I can listen to music and lock in on my work. And I like to have a little bit of lip balm or a moisturizer because you can get really crusty on the plane. I like Laneige.