Dear friend,
Somehow I made a seasoned travel of myself. From visiting our Southern family in Georgia and North Carolina, to living away from mine for a season in Alabama, to accidentally and passionately falling in love with Italy, it happened. I’ve often told my long-distance bff that all she has to do is say the word and I can have an international bag packed in less than twenty minutes.
That’s what happened last week when my friend Sarah called. Did I want to go to Italy with her? Yes, I did. Did I have some work to do there? Sure thing. Was I looking for an excuse to celebrate my 40th birthday in my adopted-country? Absolutely. Could I be ready in eight days? No problem. So guess where I’ll be writing you from later this week…
In all my travels, I’ve had an array of colorful experiences (some good, some bad, but all good stories once we were safely back home.) Through this, I’ve learned quite a few lessons along the way. A common thread amongst our Che Vita Getaway guests is that they’re worried about international travel to a country 5,000 miles away from home. I get it. I’m a home-body, after all (I just happen to jet-set off to romantic locations a few times per year.)
My parents will be traveling to Europe with us for our Che Vita Getaway this coming September. It’ll be their first trip to Europe and is a much longer than any trek they’ve previously attempted. Lounging in the sun with them yesterday, I began to list out some of my habits and tips I’ve developed over the years. Call them survival secrets for travel days, if you will.
Some of them are perhaps a bit quirky, but I consider them all non-negotiable. If you’ve got a travel day ahead of you… or if you want to join us in Italy in 2027 and want to make the trip as spankin’ as possible… here’s my list of travel/airplane essentials:
Paper Copies
Have a paper copy of your passport and drivers license kept in a separate bag from your passport and license. Both of these can be lost and both are hard to replace — having a paper copy is very helpful in getting a new one, should the need arise.
Noise Cancelling Headphones
I wear them the entire trip almost, sometimes even in the crowded airports. I invested in Bose headphones five years ago and they’re still in great condition. They cut the buzz of the plane noise and roar of the engines — plus, they’re built for comfort on your ears (unlike the free headphones they often give you on the flight to watch shows). The bluetooth works great in the air and even though they don’t connect to the screens in the back of the airline seats, they do connect to your phone for podcasts, music, movies, and shows. Which brings me to my next point…
Download Your Comfort Shows
I prefer to download my own comfort shows on my device and watch on my device instead of the screen. As soon as I’m seated, I can put on my headphones and watch an episode of something that comforts me (ahem, Seinfeld) while the rest of the passengers get boarded and we trolley around on the tarmac. In this way, the shows aren’t interrupted by announcements, you can watch something long before they turn the screens on for entertainment, and you know you’ll be able to find something you like. I still sometimes watch on the airline screens while I’m eating (limited space and all), but on the whole, I account for entertainment prior to takeoff.
Allllll The Food
It should be of no surprise that I pack an entire lunchbox of food each trip, pretty much regardless of where I’m going! I’ve traveled enough to know a) what happens when I don’t eat and b) what happens when I eat the wrong food and c) how I feel when I’m not sure when I’ll be able to find food next. Like a lot of travelers, I always get the jitters prior to flying — even though I’ve done it many, many times. It’s no secret that food is a comfort and knowing I have my nutrition and that piece of my well-being taken care of brings me great comfort.
When I travel, even when I do the best I can, I inevitably run into food situations I can’t control. For my, airline food is pretty much a no-go and I plan accordingly (unless I’m flying Turkish airlines, their food is delicious.) I always count on packing my own. I make a few cold salads before I leave (vegetables and chickpeas, for example) and also include dried meats, hard cheeses, nut butters, hummus, vegetables, etc.
I also bring myself teabags for the plane. Additional comfort + support (plus, the flight attendants are always happy to bring cups of hot water).
Supplements
I’ve learned the hard way that travel is not the time to step away from my emotional support supplements (5-HTP, serotonin) and digestive enzymes. I know it seems a bit lame to pack a baggie of pills when you’re going on vacation, but what is more lame is spending extra time feeling anxious or in the bathroom. So I take them ALL.
Cross-Body Purse
If you’re traveling, a cross-body purse is the way to go by a mile. It’s small, which helps me focus on only carrying the necessities in my purse: lipgloss, phone, pen and notebook, wallet. In the airport, I also carry my passport always on my body. DO NOT put it in your suitcase or even your carry on. Passports belong on your person-hood. Once your purse is stocked, there’s only one rule: unless you’re on the airlplane, already in your seat, do not remove the cross-body purse from your body. Ever.
Washcloth, Face Wash, Toothbrush
A few hours into the trip to Europe, I find it necessary to show myself some basic kindness. I’ve had a few anxiety attacks on airlines (back in the day when I hadn’t yet learned what caused them) and I never want to experience that again. So I make sure to regulate my nervous system in the best ways I’ve learned over the years. One of these ways is to give it signals that I am comfortable and safe. Though it may seem strange, I travel with a real, cloth washcloth. Once I’m settled into the journey, I take a trip to the bathroom (I always choose aisle seat because this makes me feel less claustrophobic, knowing I can go to the bathroom when I need) and I wash my face. Yes, I pack a small container of face wash. I scrub my face clean. I hold the warm rag against my skin and give my neck and hands and forearms the same treatment. I put my serums on and brush my teeth. These are small gestures of stress-relief to myself. I remind myself I am cared for. I feel better. I go bare-faced for the remainder of the trip, which make sleeping much more comfortable, until about an hour before we land. Then I wash and brush again before preparing myself for the day. I’ve learned I can manage unmet-expectations and the stress far better when I feel clean and put together.
Socks
After I’m cleaned and ready to settle into the journey even further, I change my socks. Yes, I travel with a pair of socks in my carry-on. Have you ever tried to sleep with cold feet? Near impossible. Again, warm, comfortable feet signal relaxation and comfort to my body — and since I’ve only ever flown economy seats in coach, I try to give myself every degree of comfort I can.
Neck Wrap
I travel with a serpentine-style neck wrap that winds around the neck and snaps into place. Though I never really sleep on airlines, it allows me to close my eyes, rest, and feel secure in a situation that is less-than-ideal. I’ve found it worth the travel space.
FlyKitt
This is an essential I recommend to all of our Che Vita Getaway guests — it is a series of supplements that you take in a particular sequence to prevent jet-lag. It’s not cheap ($100 for an international round-trip supply), but it also saves me two days of miserable sleep and exhaustion on vacation! Win. I’ve tested it multiple times with multiple European trips, thinking “Surely, that can’t work as well as I thought it did.” and each time it has proved itself. The kit comes with blue-light blocking glasses and an app that tells you when to take each supplement, when to try to sleep, when to eat (another reason to pack your own food), when to have caffeine, and when to wear your blue-light glasses so that when you land, your circadian rhythm is already set. It works (Italy is 9 hours ahead of Washington so the threat of jet-lag is real… no thank you.)
Change of Clothes
Travel makes people smelly — is it the stress? the airplane champagne? the overly salty food? Who knows. What I know is that inevitably, twelve hours into traveling, I will want to change my shirt and put on fresh deodorant. So I travel with both. A simple shirt change is all I need to feel fresh (the dirty shirt gets tucked into my bag and washed when I arrive). If it’s an extra long journey, I’ve been known to pack a pair of clean underwear. Just sayin’.
Squats
In one of the many bathroom breaks, I’ll do a quick workout in the bathroom. I know — silly. But my blood gets stagnant and I start to feel sweaty and terrible. So I go to the bathroom and jump up and down for a few minutes. Then I do some squats. Then I touch my toes and stretch as best as I can. Rinse and repeat a few times and it really helps.
Never Check Your Makeup/Camera/Laptop
As a final bit of advice, I would always recommend keeping your essentials with you in a carry-on. I never check my makeup. Clothes are easy to replace if the bag is lost, but makeup is highly personal. So my laptop, my big camera, and my makeup bag are always carried on. It’s not the most convenient, but proper planning can prevent serious sadness if one of those were to go missing…
There’s more… but for now, I hope this helps if you’ve got a trip planned soon! And if you’re coming with us to Italy in September, I hope you make use of this information to enjoy that travel day all the more (the trip is sold out, but we do have access to one final room if you’d you like to join us either as a single or duo traveler.)
The experience of the adventure ahead is worth the challenge of making it through airports and long flights. A little bit of discomfort brings a lot of joy at the end! And hopefully, with this list, it’s a bit more comfortable.
Love,
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