TRAVEL TIPS FROM A PRO
Since I travel at least 100 days a year (mostly for business but sometimes for fun, too), I have learned many things to help others negotiate the potentially unfriendly skies these days. It can be a wonderful blessing to be able to travel to exciting cities, exotic cultures, and restful havens, but only if one is prepared.
Anne Gourley and me at the Grand Canyon in May
LUGGAGE:
First of all, you want to find the lightest possible luggage you can. The average suitcase weighs from 12 -15 pounds, so that leaves you only about 35 pounds to fill in order not to have to pay a penalty. I use a large duffle bag, which is by far the lightest option, for my work materials, workout clothes and cosmetics. Because I am a professional speaker, I need to take “presenting” clothes as well as casual things for evening, so I need a molded suitcase for these items. I have found a brand called Heys that I love. The very largest suitcase only weighs 11 pounds, the lightest I have ever found, and it has held up well even through international travel. (I only plan to get about 1 year from my bags, so if they make it beyond that, I am thrilled!) Bed, Bath and Beyond has a very inexpensive handheld scale that you can use to check the weight of each bag ahead so that you have no surprises when you get to check-in.
PACKING:
I do not have a lot of advice about packing sparingly since I have never learned to travel light.! Fortunately, I am a Gold Medallion on Delta, so I get three bags of 70 pounds each free…..HOORAY! However, I do have a couple of packing tips. I keep an extra set of all my meds (which I carry on the plane), and I keep cosmetics, a spare curling iron and hair dryer (I never rely on the hotels to have these as they are essential to my looking good 😉 and toiletries already in my suitcase so that I never have to worry about packing those. I have shoe bags and molded forms to stick in my shoes, and I fill my tennis shoes with pairs of socks. I buy mostly knits and clothes that pack well – Chico’s for casual and St. John for dress and presentations. A basic black pant and top, dress, or skirt and tank with several different jackets help save space and always look good. I pack everything in plastic cleaning bags to help them stay unwrinkled. Many people are also recommending the special bags that are airtight and save a great deal of space in one’s suitcase.
HEALTH ON THE ROAD:
On the plane, I rely on two products (and even though I am on dozens of flights a year, I rarely ever get sick) – Airborne which you can get at the drugstore and a product from New Zealand for longer flights called “No Jet Lag” (www.nojetlag.com). The latter is a little mint that you chew every two hours, and it is miraculous. Even on a 28 hour flight home from South Africa several years ago, neither my daughter nor I had jet lag. I also carry antibiotic hand crème everywhere and a Z-pak from my doctor just in case I do get ill on the road. I drink lots of water and take daily vitamins, and I always get a flu shot. Be sure to wash your hands often on the plane and walk around every hour.
I also carry a stretch band and a tennis ball. Each morning on the road, I do 15 minutes of stretching exercises and 100 sit-ups with the tennis ball between my knees. This helps to keep me limber and gets my metabolism going even if I do not have time to do more of a workout. I always carry a swimsuit and goggles and tennis shoes and shorts and t-shirt in case I have time to work out; however, after a long day with clients, I am not excited about going down to an exercise room late at night all by myself, so instead I spend time with my stretch bands in the room.
I recently bought a sound machine to carry on the road and I also carry a fire hood in case of emergency. If you travel frequently, there is a wonderful service called Med Jet Assist which will airlift you from anywhere in the world to your choice of a hospital. The fee the last time I checked was around $100 a year—a wonderful bargain for peace of mind.
OTHER TIPS:
* Remember to always have a photo ID or passport. Check with your state; in the state of Florida, you can get a free photo ID that is a duplicate of your Driver’s license so you do not have to worry about losing your license when you are traveling.
* I always dress well when I travel (no jeans). I am treated with much more respect, I often get upgraded, and if they were to lose my bags, I still have something I could wear to speak.
* Keep ID inside of each bag as well as on the outside. Especially if your bag is black, have some distinguishing feature such as a colored ribbon tied on it, stickers, or a bright band around the bag. That helps keep anyone else from mistaking your bag for theirs.
Travel has gotten harder and harder since 9/11; however, if you are well-prepared, you will find great joy in experiences you could never imagine at home.
To learn more about Barbara’s travel schedule, go to www.barbaraglanz.com/calendar. There are also many journals of her travels on this blog.
