If you haven’t done much traveling this year, make plans to take flight next year! Be sure to put “getting a passport” (or getting yours renewed) on your bucket list even if you don’t have the money to go out of the country. It’s always best to be safe than sorry, and I don’t know about you, but I like to know that if I want to go — I can! I’ve traveled quite a bit over the past four years and if there’s one thing I feel as if I finally know and understand well, it’s definitely airports! I went from trying to be the boogie traveler (who wore wedges), to being the practical one (who now wears flats, but packs her wedges to switch into once getting to her final destination). And I must say that I no longer see the transition through the airport as being much of a hassle.
For starters, be sure to choose the right carryon. With large airports, crowded walkways, and fast moving indoor traffic, it’s definitely important to carry a carryon that isn’t too heavy and that has tons of compartments that’ll get any girl on the go to where she needs to be, effortlessly. I used to carry shoulder luggage bags that had no wheels, but ended up investing in a pink & brown Diane Von Furstenberg luggage set that comes with a smaller amazingly shaped bag that I get tons of compliments on. Sadly however, that luggage set is no longer available, but her site does have other cute things! By having a bag that rolls, I only have my itinerary in my hand, which makes things much easier and faster for me! And even though carrying a purse definitely has its perks (don’t act like you don’t stuff a couple pairs of jeans in there), I only wear one that can essentially be stuffed into my carry on. All in all, I like being hands free when traveling, and limiting myself to a single bag prevents me from looking baffled. But enough of that, let’s get right into a few things that I bring along for the ride!
FLEECE Although I shouldn’t be shocked about the airline’s innovatively random charges, I was quite shocked when the stewardess on the coldest flight in America told me that there were blankets available (yeyyyy) for the price of $15 (nehhhh). So, ever since then, I’ve always made sure to pack my Old Navy Fleece (pictured above) in my carry on, for comfort during my flight. Old Navy had this fleece on sale last Christmas for $5 and my sisters and I bought tons of them and included them as stocking stuffers for our friends!
BUDS I carry one or two sets of earphones only because I get nervous that I will lose a set or that one will magically stop working. I can’t be in the airport without my iPod handy. Although my boyfriend and his friends have made many kidnapping attempts in efforts to “break my brick” (that I’ve had since 2005 and haven’t updated since), I’m faithful to it and I never leave home without it!
LOTION I have dry skin, and I truly go crazy when I wash my hands and don’t have lotion to put on immediately after. It makes me feel like I’m scratching my nails on a chalkboard and it’s very unsettling. Hand lotion is a definite must for the cosmetic bag compartment of my carry on! *Don’t forget, you can only carry a specific amount of liquids when you travel, so do go very small with these travel sized life savors.*
DEODORANT I keep a travel sized deodorant in my car, as well as, in my travel bag. I’m not one who perspires a lot but I just feel a bit more confident knowing that I’m not leaving a trail behind while on the move.
SANITIZER I’m quite the germ-a-phob and strangers who get too close get me pretty nervous. So I keep hand sanitizer on deck small enough to squeeze discretely but strong enough to kill.
MAGAZINE / BOOK Who doesn’t travel without a new magazine or a good read? I always have a home, diy, Lucky, and/or Glamour Magazine in tow, as their articles are more appealing and relatable to me.
MOUTHWASH I love to sleep on the plane but I don’t always appreciate the stale breath that comes afterwards (when keeping it real gets real). So I go to the ladies room after exiting the aircraft and give my mouth a refreshing rinse. Greet your loved ones with love not hhhate.
MINI BOARD GAME When traveling with friends, I always have a mini board game or playing cards in my bag of tricks. My usual airport games of choice are UNO and travel Scrabble. Definitely makes the time go by a little faster.
What are your carry on essentials?
