My Travel Tips

I travel a lot, or as often as I can. I’ve never found the actual “travel” part of it to be very much fun - I still can’t believe we haven’t figured out how to apparate :)Airports are just stressful, and I’m a big worrier so I become even more anxious. I always imagine the worst possible outcome for every situation. I will get sick on the plane, they will lose my luggage, there will be flight delays, I’ll sit next to someone who farts the whole flight, I’ll forget my passport or visa, etc.To minimize this stress, I’ve rounded up all my best travel tips! Keep this as a checklist, next time you travel…

Before you go:

1. Clean up your place!Coming home to a tidy space is an underrated but winning move. When you have to unpack, it will be much easier if your room/closet is already organized. I don’t know about you, but when I get home I toss everything on the floor and jump in to bed. Making a new mess is better than adding to the old one!
2. Get your waxing done, nails done, hair did etc. in advanceMake all your appointments a week before, and then don’t worry about it. I usually leave my nails for last so that they last longer.
3. Download your music on to your iPod, your books on to your Kindle, and buy your magazines so you’re not doing this last minute. And CHARGE them!Don’t get stuck on the plane without some kind of personal entertainment. Do you really want to talk to the person next to you for x amount of hours? I’ve done it! I’ve met some really lovely people that way, but I’ve also been stuck nodding along to some crazy person who wants to show me pictures of their siblings, and tell me about their affair. TRUE story.
4. Print all your documents and leave your itinerary with someone at homeYes, I know this seems old school, and we should avoid hard copies to become more eco-friendly. But having hard copies of your tickets and confirmation emails is just so official. This is totally my preference, and I know a lot of you will stick to your smartphones. One thing I would suggest though, is to make sure someone at home has a copy of your itinerary, and photocopies of your passport/government ID. This will help if yours gets stolen, and you need to go to your embassy to deal with all that paperwork. Another true story.
5. Stock up on your medical and health necessitiesI always need to bring migraine medication for sure. And I like to keep track of when I’m going to get my period – I’ve tried tampons in other countries and they’re not for me. I always bring extra! Medical and health necessities are surprisingly easy to forget. I have a family member who is diabetic, and needs to remember batteries for his pump, and a friend who is allergic to lots of things and needs his epi pen etc.

What to pack:

1. Wear your heaviest items. If you’re going somewhere that you’ll need layers, wear them on the plane. It’s always chillier on the plane anyway. I definitely wear my bigger scarves, especially my Aritzia blanket scarf which doubles as a pillow and neck rest – bonus!
2. You should absolutely travel light. If you can pack everything in a carry-on, good for you! You should feel smug about this. I absolutely CANNOT do that, ever. Not ever.
3. So I pack my valuables and necessities in my carry-on, and guard that more closely than a newborn child. It really helps to have a passport holder and document folder to keep all your relevant information. Tickets, itineraries, visas, proof of medical insurance, emergency contact information, etc.
4. Besides your standard clothing, comfortable shoes (lol), toiletries, and electronics, here are a few things I always pack:
   1. Extra undies and socks
   2. Gum
   3. Electrical adapter (if traveling outside North America)
   4. Bandaids or insoles (can really impact how far you walk in a day)
5. Avoid packing things you can buy inexpensively at your destination. I usually don’t buy shampoo and conditioner (unless I’m going somewhere like Cuba – communism and good shampoo do not mix). I don’t like to use the hotel shampoo, I actually love trying out different shampoos in different countries! Maybe this is not a good tip for you, but really just a weird fact about me.

How to survive that long plane ride:

1. Down three glasses of chardonnay and fly first class
2. Just kidding. Not really. I’ve only flown first class once, and I still miss the beautiful flight attendant who passed by my seat every fifteen minutes offering more nuts.
3. I could not fly without a pair of earphones, a good playlist, and I also find that having a fully charged e-reader makes the time pass by more quickly.
4. Read some trashy magazines, or be boring and do your work/assignments
5. Pack some easy “refresher” makeup, because you WILL look dead once you get off the plane. At least get some cream blusher, and dry shampoo for goodness’ sake.

Bon Voyage!