I have been so lucky to have been able to travel a lot in my life, many of those times being overseas and there are definitely some things my family and I have picked up on to make traveling internationally easier. Here’s my top 5 tips for smooth sailing:
Do an all-out self care routine before you leave.
I have found that before a trip I always want to look and feel my best and one way to do that is to take care of all the self-care needs that I have been neglecting. I like to start off with an everything shower followed by the face and hair masks I only remember to do once in a blue moon. This helps me feel clean and ready for a long flight and the possibility that I may not have access to my normal routine while traveling. I also like to dermaplane, whiten my teeth, and take care of any tweezing or waxing that has been neglected.
Keep necessities in your carry-on.
This is especially helpful for long, overnight flights. Keeping my most essential skincare and a toothbrush in my carry-on is a nice way to stay refreshed when I’ve been on the plane for hours. I also like to keep an extra outfit in my bag because most times there is a significant gap from the time I land to the time I can check in to my hotel or AirBnB. This way I can be cozy on the flight, but not look like I’m in my pajamas when I get to my destination.
Always carry-on luggage.
Speaking of carry-ons, avoid checking your bags whenever possible. I promise you can fit more than you think in a small carry-on suitcase. This helps avoid lost luggage, especially when you have connecting flights, and cuts down airport time because you don’t have to wait at baggage claim.
Keep ice in your water bottle.
A great hack I learned from my dad is that, while you can’t take water or liquids through security, you can take ice! I always travel with reusable water bottles and having ice cold water is nice to have on long travel days. Fill your bottle to the brim with ice cubes and send it right through security.
Spend time doing the things you normally don’t have time for.
Long flights are a great opportunity to read that book that’s been on your shelf for months, catch up or get ahead on work or school, or find a creative outlet that you usually don’t have time to try. On my most recent flight, I worked on getting caught up on schoolwork and started a book that I have been wanting to read forever. Of course, if you want to just sit back and watch movie after movie that’s great too! But having several consecutive hours of down-time is a perfect time to do the things daily life doesn’t allow you to.