Traveling and staying ahead of your trip!

Since my husband and I travel a ton, (and by a ton we are on our 7th plane ride of the year) we have found a routine that not only keeps it easy but also keeps us healthy and SANE. Our favorite saying is, “let’s stay ahead of the trip!” Don’t let a trip/vacation wear you down and get the best of your health/immune system.

Prep Aka Packing

1.  Roll Ups! We like to call the way we fold our clothes while packing “roll ups.” My husband read the book, “the life-changing magic of tidying up.'”  It described the best way to keep your clothes not wrinkled and take up the smallest amount of space was to roll them up with the KonMari method. Watch video for a more in-depth look! It really does help maximize what we can pack and keeps them wrinkle free! Even dresses.

2. “Packing days.” I have a hanging area that I bought for packing my clothes and setting out clothes for the next day. It is amazing and so cute! A few days before my trip (after making sure all my clothes are clean) I normally do a “round 1” of packing. Throwing anything I think I may want, this is where I start my brainstorming of outfits. What will I be comfy in? What shoes do I need with what outfits? What will the weather be like? It normally results in a large mound underneath my rack. I walk away and revisit the next day. Ok, ok you are judging me thinking you don’t have time for this process. Don’t get me wrong, I understand packing sucks and there sometimes is not enough time but I have managed this into an art of about 5 min. Trust me just go with your first gut, we will cut back later. The next day I start to take away items that I realize won’t fit, won’t work or simply don’t need. I try to narrow down outfits so I can share the same shoes and condense the space needed. I normally keep it out in my corner for another night. Yes. Another night. The next day I will come back and start rolling up into my suitcase and even then, I will continue taking items out of the stack. It is a process but trust me when you have a well thought out and packed suitcase it will be worth it.

3. Snacks. I am already going to be that soccer mom packing snacks for everyone but it WORKS! I love the Cutie Halo Oranges (rich in VitC) and Clif Bars (to keep us full and they are one of the most natural energy bars) to throw in my purse. This helps me nibble so I don’t snack too much on all the other wonderful but very unhealthy restaurants and snacks in airports.

Airport Rituals

1.  Water. I cannot reiterate this enough! The first thing I do when I get to an airport is purchase a large bottle of water. They are pricey but I always prep for it and it is worth it until TSA allows water through security again. Flying can really dehydrate you and let’s be real, most trips involve drinking alcohol and depriving your body. The tiny, tiny, tiny cups of water they give you on the plane are never enough, so just bite the bullet and spend the $5. (Or if you are flying into an airport like Denver, bring your own water bottle for free filtered water stations.) Normally I try to sit on an aisle seat to avoid the, “I don’t want to have to get up too many times on the plane so I’m not going to drink anything.” Just bring some hand sanitizer and I promise you will live.

2. Arriving early. I normally grab some coffee before heading to my gate. I think it is so fun to get to the gate early enough to plug in some head phones (normally playing some soothing music) and relax. Use this time to either read or people watch. I also do some praying here for my trip and the people around me. I think this is an important part of my trip because it allows me to be present in the experience and really get the most out of it that I can. Ask my husband, I am a grumpy person if I am arriving late to my gate.

3. Carry on when you can. This speaks for itself. We finally purchased new suitcases and I am upset we didn’t do it earlier! Our suitcases were from about 1996 ,so we were majorly in need of an upgrade. They have smart suitcases now that you can track, lock, charge and are very lightweight. We recommend the Radens! We loved the first set so much, we purchased a second set and will be using them for our two week trip to Italy in August! 

Trip Sanity

1.  Sneaking off to bed. I love my sleep. I need my sleep. I do not operate without my sleep. Do what you can to sneak away from your wedding, trip, friends, family at a close to regular bed time to get the proper amount of shut eye.

2. Don’t share cups. I realized one day most of my sicknesses came from drinking after people. It never fails if I share a cup with someone, even a close friend, I will feel it in my throat the next day. Drinking games can be hard to accomplish this germ-free task, but luckily, we have grown out of most of those! 🙂 

3. Wake up early. Since we already followed step one in sneaking off to bed, hopefully you can get up at an earlier time than everyone else. I love this quieter time in any city! Whether you watch the sunrise on the beach, enjoy some coffee on the porch, or simply help the house owner tidy up the kitchen a little. I find this helps me stay ahead of my day. Do my morning prayer and relax. I even occasionally sneak in a little work out. I think my day through and normally get first dibs on the shower and towels.

4. Eating normal. We all know what it’s like to eat healthy leading up to a trip and then splurging like it’s the last Pina Colada on the island! I have realized if I don’t go overboard but find a happy medium of enjoying the food & drinks but not indulging too much, I come home feeling just as great! Don’t put all your effort you did before the trip to waste. This helps me continue my work out and healthy eating plan afterwards as well.

5. Stay packed! I always try to unpack just enough where my suitcase can stay clean and everything folded. Unlike my packing corner, my trip corner stays kept! This will help you see all your clothes and not waste time repacking before you leave. We already spent so much time packing, why mess it up? Dirty clothes are an issue. I normally try to fold them in a pile on the side of my suitcase and then slide any of my clean roll ups over to make room for the dirty in one spot the day I leave.

I hope these help you have an organized, healthier and more enjoyable trip experience! I would love to hear your stories! How do you make trips manageable? Leave your comments!

Salut, SA!

Shop Stacy: Trina Turk Denim Dress, Tory Burch Tote, Vionic Sandals, Steve Madden Sandals, Stuart Weitzman Heels, 7 For All Mankind White Pants, Gigi New York Luggage Tags, Raden Smart Suitcase, Hobby Lobby Decor