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2.28.2013

With Eyes Skyward >> Travel Essentials


This week I am total travel preparation mode, since I leave on Monday already for India! While I haven't traveled as much as some people, I would say I have traveled more than the average person my age has. This will be my sixth overseas trip in 8 years! I had never flown on an airplane until I was 18, and did not travel outside of Minnesota much until I was 21. Since then, I've been to 15 countries, 5 Canadian provinces, and 26 US States, including living in 3 of them. While many of my peers have spent their 20s starting families, buying homes, or climbing the career ladder, I have spent my 20s travelling. I wouldn't trade my experiences for anything!

I thought I would share some of my must-haves for really long flights. This will definitely be my longest flight ever, with 10 hours from Seattle to Amsterdam, and then 8.5 hours from Amsterdam to Mumbai. Ugh! I wish I could skip that part entirely. But since I can't, here are the things I'm bringing to help make it more manageable.

1> Kindle. Duh. One of the reasons I finally went e-reader, was that it will be so much easier to take lots of reading with me, and really lighten my load. Plus, I can even even get newspapers and such on it, so I'll always have something to read.

2> Dried Cherries. I've read that they are on the most natural sources of melatonin (which helps you sleep and maintain your natural bio-rhythm), and can help fight jet lag. I'm going to try it out; hopefully it helps!

3> Ginger. Travelling sometimes makes me feel woozy in the stomach. Sometimes it's turbulence,  sometimes it's eating bad airport food, and sometimes it's just plain anxiety. I like to keep ginger to suck on or chew to help soothe my stomach and digestion. It works so well!

4> Comfortable headphones. I just got these off of Amazon, and I think they'll do the trick. I think earbuds get uncomfortable when you lay on them, and these are nice and cushiony. Plus, while not noise cancelling, the over the ear design really block out a lot of outside noise.

5> Folder. I am SO disorganized. I am always losing things. I need all the help I can get to keep things together. I am going to use this folder to keep all of my documents and printouts together and wrinkle-free. Bonus - I found it in the $1 section at Target!

6> Earplugs and Face Mask. I am a big believer of sensory deprivation for sleep. This eye mask from REI is the BEST (I've tried a lot), and the earplugs will drown out any crying babies that might be on board (lord help us).

7> Cleansing Wipes. Flying always makes me feel icky. I like to use easy, no-water-needed wipes to freshen up. These ones from Pacifica are made with coconut water and papaya. Yum!

8> Luna Bars. I get grumpy when I'm hungry. If the airplane food stinks, or is not enough (I'm a growing girl!), I like to keep these on hand for emergencies. Also, they're a heckuva lot cheaper than buying overpriced airport food.

What are your must haves for travelling? Anything I should add?

6 comments:

  1. I think you look pretty well set! Now, you just need a pillow to be more comfortable and don't forget to dress in layers! I hate it when the plane is either too or too cold and there's no way to know!

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  2. Ooh, very interesting about the dried cherries! Good stuff to know... report back if you find that they worked. :)

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  3. I think your list is perfect! And you went with an eReader for the same reason I love my iPad....I can bring dozens and dozens of books without weighing everything down! So nice. I didn't know that about dried cherries. I'll have to pick some up at the Bulk Barn the next time I'm there. Maybe they'll help with my sleep issues!

    P.S. I tried the camel pose...very very slowly...and just about killed myself! But I can see how with more practice (and maybe being in a better mindset) it could really help!

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  4. abhaya_sondra3/3/13, 9:59 PM

    thanks, sis! :)

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  5. abhaya_sondra3/3/13, 10:00 PM

    I will!

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  6. abhaya_sondra3/3/13, 10:02 PM

    yeah, you definitely want to take that one reeeeeeaaaaaaalllllyyyyy slow. Start working with bridge pose just to start to work on the flexibility and strength in that area, and work up from there! Good luck. :)

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