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flying (comfortably)

i’ve been planning in my head for the past week what needs to be done before leaving and then once arriving but hello! crucial mid-step: the actual flight. with that in mind, here’s some thoughts on traveling comfortably. i’d love to hear any tips/advice in the comments!

so, there are two main categories of things to take on an airplane – items to be brought on for security reasons, and items to be brought on for comfort’s sake.

security:
~ expensive/fragile electronics (i.e. laptop!)
~ jewelry. i have a nice little rollup bag my mom got me that i fill up and just throw into the bottom of my carry-on bag
~ important paperwork & documents – especially duh stuff like passports and visa but also certificates of any kind, itineraries, whatever. i always think when i’m leaving the house, heading to the airport, ok do i have my passport/i.d. and credit card? everything else can be replaced or sent, but without those two things, i can’t get on the plane and that would be that (assuming no ticket is issued! every once in a blue moon, i’ll get one issued, and it’s tricky to have to remember ohhh i do need to bring a ticket. they should just have it all be e-ticket really. anyhow.)

comfort:
~ big empty water bottle, per person
~ gum & some mints
~ toiletry bag with toothpaste, toothbrush, facial moisturizer (the air is so darn dry on a plane!), eye drops, some barrettes, nail clippers, tweezers, hairbrush, moisturizer for my hands, and a little travel perfume spritzer that i absolutely love. ;)
~ variety of printed items: a fiction book or 2, something non-fiction, a couple magazines – at least one entirely fluffy one.
~ couple of pens, to fill out custom forms, sudoku and crossword puzzles in the back of airline magazines, and start random to-do lists on napkins (always happens.)
~ a wrap of some sort. it gets chilly on a plane! and i’m generally prone to get cold way before others anyways, so that makes a plane freeeezing.
~ my own headphones. nothing fancy but sometimes they just don’t have headphones or else they charge for them, so i just toss my own little ipod headphones in my bag too.
~ food! ideally bought before getting to the airport. just some unsalted nuts, some dried fruit, crackers, and something gummy and/or sour.
~ knitting of some sort is nice but i always worry about the needles getting past tsa, though i know that issue should be long dead. also it’s crucial that it’s an easy project, ideally mindless. which requires i start something new, yay. ;)
~ once in a while i’ll bring my ipod & load it up with a movie, but call me old-fashioned, i like the surprise of seeing what’s being shown in flight and deciding whether to watch it or not, etc etc. also, it’s usually so loud on the plane already, and i don’t like to damage my ear drums, i don’t tend to listen to my ipod.

hm, there’s also a third category but it’s usually really small – items to be brought on that need to be immediately accessed on landing. this might be some loose change in the local currency for any baggage handling tips, the address of where you’re going, and any phone numbers of people you need to call when the plane lands.

this time heading to bolivia i gotta bring, besides the above, specifically: the immigration paperwork for the cats (immunization records, international health certificates, printout of the consulate’s website where it states what exactly is needed to bring domestic animals into the country), some treats/cat food for them when we arrive, bolivian money and change i’ve been saving since going in december, and i think that’s it.

oh! a key aspect of flying comfy is making sure you travel light – one carry-on bag ideally that isn’t packed to the brim – and dressing comfortably but not frumpily. sometimes i bring clothes to change into just before landing, but during the flight and usually boarding the flight (which is almost always more stressful) i like to wear comfy layers. say: tank top, loose top, layering cardigan, comfy pants (i.e. not jeans!), (pretty) socks, shoes that are easy to take off, can even be high heels, whatever. i always slide my shoes off as soon as i get on board and buckled in. hence the pretty socks ;) or at least nice painted toes. my feet always feel like two heavy balloons after a long flight and so taking the shoes off can only help.

that’s it. a week from today! the countdown begins in earnest now.

;) happy wednesday ~ ~

{ posted 14 April 10 }

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