Tips, tricks, and must-have products to help you stay healthy and ready for anything while you travel the world!
It is a good idea to prepare your mind and body beginning three days in advance of your scheduled departure date. Start by making sure that you get plenty of sleep and avoid stress. For me, this means averaging around 8 or 9 hours of sleep per night, and sometimes I’ll even take a cat nap during the day to stay sharp. A lot of people I know have gone with very little or even no sleep the night before a long trip, thinking that it will give their bodies a “jump start” in adjusting to a distant time zone. This is absolutely the worst idea ever. Your body will go through uncomfortable, cramped leg space, balancing in a squat position while in a turbulent airplane bathroom, eating high-sodium prepackaged airplane food, carrying heavy bags, and quite possibly sprinting through airports whose signs you can’t decipher. You need to be well rested to do all of these things. Trust me, you will thank your future self.
You might also consider taking an extra vitamin supplement in the days leading up to your trip. Popular products include Airborne and Emergen-C, which you can find in any drugstore or supermarket. However, a simple multivitamin or vitamin C supplement will suffice. Make sure to keep your body hydrated as well. Drink plenty of water (coconut water is uber-hydrating an full of potassium) and avoid high-sodium foods. The combination of extra vitamins, hydration, and extra sleep will do you wonders in preventing illness.
Here is a snapshot of the things I absolutely always carry onboard with me, whether I’m traveling somewhere near or far.
Sleep mask.
You can find them anywhere for just a few dollars. It can be very difficult to relax on long flights, and even if you don’t completely fall asleep, the mask helps to block out all of the light, especially if you happen to be sitting next to someone who refuses to turn off their reading light even when they aren’t reading (I sense a blog post on travel pet peeves coming on). The sleep mask is something I cannot travel without.
Handy-dandy pack of antibacterial wipes.
I’ve read several articles that claim that the tray table is the germiest place on the entire airplane. More germ-y than the bathroom that 200 people share. As soon as you take your seat in the airplane, grab one of these Wet Ones and wipe down the tray table (don’t forget the edges!), the arm rests, the head rest, the T.V. screen and its buttons, as well as the rim of the seat pocket in front of you.
Emergen-C.
Drink a packet as soon as you get into the plane, and one a day while you’re away from home living on a diet of croissants and cheese (#noshame). The orange flavor is my favorite. If you close your nose, its almost like you’re drinking Fanta.
$3 packet of Yes to Cucumbers facial wipes
that you can pick up at Target. They literally smell like a spa: cucumber-y fresh. Use them to freshen up your face after a long flight and while in the airport between connecting flights. I particularly use this brand because it is made of 98% natural ingredients and is paraben free. It also doesn’t dry out the skin, which tends to be a problem for many travelers. One swipe and your skin feels cool, tingly, and clean. It also doubles as a makeup removing wipe, in case you thought wearing make-up on the plane was going to be a good idea and then ended up regretting it 6 hours into your flight to the Amazon or something.
99-cent bottle of aloe vera
It is fragrance-free, so it won’t exacerbate your airplane headache or annoy the person sitting next to you. It works a bit differently than a typical moisturizer, though. A moisturizer adds hydration to your skin, while aloe vera works by creating a seal over your skin to prevent moisture from leaving your skin. I use this as opposed to creams because it is light and fast absorbing. The aloe can be used anywhere. Tip: apply it under your eyes every hour to avoid raccoon eyes.
Summary: Sleep, take vitamin supplements, and stay hydrated before you fly. Use anti-bacterial wipes, face wipes, and aloe vera while you travel. That’s a lot less than most girls keep in their cosmetics bags!
