Let’s Talk Travel
I’ve been bitten by the travel bug and there is no cure. Here are a few things I’ve learned over the years to make travel more fun.
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We travel a lot. It’s one of my favorite things in the world to do. With a military dad and a wanderlust mom, I’ve been traveling since I was little. Whether it was assignments to Central America when my dad was in the Air Force, a road trip from the Panama Canal Zone to relocate to Florida, road trips from Florida to New York with my mom, flights to Greece, Spain and France as a plus one with my parents, or a long distance relationship for three years with my now husband, I’ve been bitten by the travel bug and there is no cure. There was one stretch of work where Scott and I had been on planes 28 weeks in the year, and it was only October when we counted them up. We sometimes landed, had enough time to do some laundry and have dinner at our favorite West Village restaurant before heading back to the airport and we loved every minute of it.
With all of those miles comes a little bit of trial and error of what makes for a good trip. I’ve learned how to pack for a week in Spain in just a carry on,* thankful it was in May and not December. I’ve learned to roll with it when your AirBnB host bails and you have to drag your suitcases down French cobblestones to a welcome hotel. I’ve learned that it’s really important to keep as much of your routine as you can so as not to return home with 5 extra pounds and bags under your eyes that rival your carry-on. I’ve learned that you can take a LOT more stuff when you road trip but three days of driving to get home is almost as hard as a red eye when you are 53. Sometimes I think back and wish I had become a flight attendant and then I think, no I should have become a pilot like my dad. I freaking LOVE to fly, well except for that period where turbulence freaked me out (read that post here) but that is resolved and every time I lift off above the clouds I marvel again at how amazing it is to be traveling 30,000 feet in the air.
So what are some of my best travel tips? Well first off, always make sure your passport is up to date. You never know when an unexpected trip may be offered to you. Right after my first husband and I separated, my mom and stepdad were going to Spain for work and had decided to stay an extra week for fun. Knowing I was in a rough mental space, they asked me to join them. It was about 6 weeks out from their departure date and I had no passport and no flight, but I had a burning desire to get the heck out of town. I called my travel agent and basically said I know this is crazy but can you check on flights to Barcelona in 6 weeks, to which even she laughed. I told her I knew they were probably going to be astronomical from LA and if they were then that was my answer. When she called me back an hour later, even she was astonished that the tickets were only about $600. I told her to book it and the next order of business was expediting a passport. It was down to the wire but my shiny new documents arrived in time and I was on my first European adventure, never to be the same again. While I’ve since had a valid passport it wasn’t until a few years later that those same parents encouraged me to always have it with me when traveling, even stateside. “You never know,” they said “you might meet someone who invites you to France for the weekend.” It’s never happened but you better believe I will be ready if it ever does.
I have learned over the years to try to keep as many of your normal routines as you can even while traveling. I learned this the hard way. That summer Scott and I were on the road every other week, I got super sick in Tulsa. Double ear infection and fever. So not fun when you’re traveling, oh and trying to work. I had gotten run down and didn’t stay hydrated or make sure to get enough sleep. I’m sure there was also too much alcohol and not enough veggies. Hotels and restaurants will do that to you. Now I make sure I travel with all of my supplements, green juice and protein powders. I have these great travel funnels* and vitamin boxes* to take only what I might need. I have a refillable bottle* with me and make sure to drink 100-125 oz of water even when I’m traveling. Yes it makes for more potty stops or trips to the plane bathroom but it’s worth it. Dehydration will wreak havoc on your skin, gut and energy levels, so staying hydrated is really important. I try to get a walk or run in on the mornings we are going to be flying, when I know there will be hours of sitting in my day.
I’ve learned that I can, in fact scale back and plan a capsule wardrobe so that I only need a carry on and my personal item on a flight. I’ve found great travel hacks to stay organized and efficient, chief among them packing cubes,* shoe bags* and layers. Travel sized regimens and samples of my R+F skincare and haircare help, as do makeup minis and palettes. I pick two cute pairs of shoes I really want to wear and build my wardrobe around that, wearing the bulkiest shoe on the flight so as not to take up space in my suitcase. Throw in a great scarf that can be used as a blanket, fashion accessory to change up basic outfits or bathing suit cover up, and a light jacket in case it gets cold. I also have the mindset that if I don’t have something there is always a store at my destination, not that I want to spend frivolously but in a pinch you can buy what you need.
I’m headed to Houston in two weeks for R+F Convention and I’ve already started planning out my packing. It helps to make lists, so as not to forget anything and put outfits together to make sure you have all of the underpinnings and accessories you need. What are your best travel hacks, tips and tricks? I’m always looking to make travel easy and fun so bring on all your best advice, especially you flight attendants, I know you’ve got some secrets!
