Travel Tips

TIPS, TRICKS & USEFUL KNOWLEDGE FOR TRAVELING

After 5 years of traveling for work, I have compiled some of my favorite travel tips to ensure a solid travel experience! Whether it be to the next state, across the country or a trip to the other side of the world – this blog contains nuggets of experience and tricks that have worked for me. I am known for getting hangry, tired, and melting down if I don’t keep good nutrition + sleep during long travels. I’VE LEARNED finally on how to pack my bag correctly and what to do so I don’t get hangry or overly exhausted. HERE we go….

TIPS:

1. Always choose the AISLE SEAT- this is a must when traveling long distances. You gotta pee, can’t sleep or need to stretch your legs…DEF choose an aisle seat. I love love love having the window seat especially when traveling over beautiful places BUT not at the expense of being stuck inside and having to ask a few people to move so I can go pee every hour. Which leads me to my next tip…
2. DRINK so much water- you have to pee every hour. Flying at high elevations will cause you to dehydrate faster and everything just goes down hill from there. Staying hydrated is known to help jet leg as well. I always bring a hydro flask and refill it any chance I get. I also rarely get anything but water when they give you free drinks on the plane. Sugar and alcohol will continue to dehydrate. Ok lets be honest I’ll have one glass of wine on a long flight to Europe if I can’t sleep….cause it’s free and SO good. 
3. PACK SNACKS – oh my goodness if I did not pack snacks….I would be the worst travel buddy. After years and years of eating food that made me sick cause it’s all I could find at the airport I learned to pack a legit snack bag. Help from my amazing Dietician Abby Chan, I now don’t go anywhere without it. Even if that’s a wedding day, driving 2 hours, traveling for over 36 hours on plane. Because of my various health issues, I must keep high protein and low sugar snacks. You do what’s best for you but here are some of my favorite: chick peas, fresh fruit (apples, bananas), snap peas, turkey sticks, protein bars, etc. Stasher bags. 
4. MOVE YOUR BODY – always. I believe this statement to be true every single day of our lives but especially when traveling it’s important. This looks like stretching on planes every 2 hours by walking the aisles. Finding a space in the airport to practice yoga or do some squats and push ups. When I travel to places I always find gyms to drop into, yoga studios to try, running outside, or taking advantage of hotel gyms. Look up HIIT, strength training or cardio circuits on Instagram for ideas. I always bring a jump rope, resistant bands and running shoes wherever I travel. They are all small and can easily travel. ALSO, if possible bring a travel yoga mat- super nice to roll it out and have quiet movement time on your mat in random places. 
5. TSA PRECHECK – is a must when traveling in airports every month. There are other options such as Clear or Global Entry but this is SO helpful. I never show up to the airport more than 1 hour before a flight due to Pre-check. You don’t have to remove shoes or take anything out of your bag. When I travel with camera gear and computers this is SO helpful. I am all about efficiency when traveling. 
6. Sign up for TRAVEL CREDIT CARD – These travel credit cards save you money in the long run, let you into amazing lounges all over the world, and rack up all those points for future flights, car rentals, and hotels. I have the Chase Sapphire Reserve and I received 100,000 points when I signed up along with TSA pre-check, access to over 1,000 lounges in the world, and 3x on every dollar spent on travel and dining. Many people have one card through an airline like SouthWest or American Airlines but I’ve found more perks through a very specific travel credit card. This also includes car rental insurance and they will put you up in a hotel if your flight gets delayed over 6 hours. 
7. MEMBER at a car rental – I’ve really loved being able to walk from the airplane straight to your rental car without waiting in any lines!! It’s FREE to sign up and you always get a discount if you are a member. I use AVIS and I also get points that rack up over the year. With Avis you get a kick back from Amazon with a 10% gift card by just renting a car!! 
8. FIND the local coffee shop, bookstore + little shops. This is where I find ALL my treasures is in hidden little nooks when traveling around. From prints, jewelry, books, and clothing. I meet the best people, as well. 
9. Look on SKYSCANNER, Justfly, or Hopper for the best deals when searching for flights. They will often have great deals even if that means a day layover, but worth a $450 flight compared to a $1,200 flight. ALSO, always remember to search in an incognito window which blocks browsing history, cookies, and more. Many airline companies can jack up prices based on browsing history. Click File at the top on computer screen, then New incognito window.
10. Always CARRY ON your bag if you’re going for a short travel. You will save money, time, and worry. I cannot tell you HOW many times my checked bag got lost from connecting flight and it’s such a hassle to track it down. Traveling minimally will teach you how to live out of one bag and use everything you brought (basically to not over pack). Get a good bag that can easily roll with 4 wheels and a lock.

WHAT’S IN MY BAG: 

This is what I get asked the most when I travel. SO HERE it is…all my go to’s, essentials, and must-haves when traveling, especially overseas. 

• Chapstick – a few different places 
• Vitamins/pill box – with Melatonin, Bendryal, Probiotics, Claritin, Advil, Tums, Enzymes, Vitamin C
• Essential oils – thieves, peppermint, lavender, tea tree 
• Travel size toiletries
• Hydrating mask or eye things  
• Rose water + face clothes – little bottle when traveling helps you feel refreshed 
• Toothbrush – for the plane over 8 hours is great to feel refreshed 
• Snack Bag: carrots, peppers, snap peas, apples, almonds, protein bars, peanut butter, 
• Eye mask 
• Bug spray + Gold Bond (for humid places)
• THE BEST travel pillow
• Norwex face cloths
• Dry Shampoo – powder 
• Passport (obvi )
• Blank journal – moleskin 
• 1 book or Kindle 

(If you want the same things, I added links to each item! Just click on it.)