Up in the Air
Insulate yourself from travel chaos with a calm nervous system and good ear plugs.
You can tell a lot about someone by the way that they travel.
I’m efficient (and hate to wait in line).
I have TSA PreCheck, Global Entry, Nexus and Clear.
I’m nimble.
I fly carry-on only even for a two-week trip or wedding (like Melissa Magsaysay)
I’m self-reliant.
My multi-compartment tote has everything that I need like a water bottle, healthy snacks, wipes, warm scarf and a charger.
I’m immune to stressors.
Fortified with propolis nasal spray, earplugs, an eye mask, and the regulated nervous system of someone who has done somatic therapy for everyone else who won’t.
In my opinion, I’m the opposite of high maintenance.
The more self-sufficient and resourced I am, the less I contribute to the chaos or feel affected by it. Because travel, like life, is unpredictable. And the more we outsource our comfort or success, the more we flail when things go sideways.
And these days they really go sideways.
Like on my flight home from the most fun weekend celebrating a friend’s 50th. Our 9pm departure from JFK was already delayed by two hours because of weather when things got worse.
I was chilling out in my business class seat (which I scored for 38K miles + $5.60, thank you very much), podcast queued, red light glasses on, ready for some in-air decompression when a woman stumbled (in socks) into our section and collapsed right next to me.
She’d taken an Ambien on top of too much wine (try this sleep aid instead), and woke up confused, disoriented and short of breath. It took three flight attendants, two paramedics, and a lot of effort to get her and her scattered belongings off the plane. We were delayed by another hour.
People were pissed. But I just went back to my playlist.
Traveling is stressful. But, most people make it worse for themselves and everyone around them by showing up unprepared and having a low capacity for discomfort.
They arrive late to the gate. Their overstuffed suitcase doesn’t fit. They’re tired, hungry and one minor inconvenience away from becoming a liability. Or, they decide to overmedicate just to survive a 5.5 hour flight.
Airlines don’t help. Passing out orange juice (sugar) or prosecco (more sugar) at 11pm doesn’t soothe an agitated crowd. If anything, it accelerates the unraveling.
We can all do better.
If only they would let somatic therapist Neda Dardashti, nutritionist Mia Rigden and I overhaul the whole travel experience, everyone would arrive nervous system regulated, nourished and optimized!
And now, with a massive snowstorm sweeping across the country, it’s about to get even crazier. The only things not freezing this weekend will be the hot tempers — and hot messes.
If you want to survive travel these days, you need to become radically self-reliant.
Stay calm, carry-on and bring earplugs.
✈️ Travel smarter to stay sane
Insulate yourself from the chaos of delays, weather, and wild seat mates with my curated list of travel essentials — the things I actually pack to stay calm, hydrated, organized, and ready for literally anything.
This landed (pun intended) right on time as I leave tomorrow — earlier than necessary for my NYC book launch events as I cannot risk missing them and need to ensure I keep my wits about me. Grateful for my upgraded seating and being a teetotaler. I’ve even packed my beloved Dior event pants in my carry on in the off chance my bag gets lost. I’m not one to usually check a bag, but 90 books decided not to get delivered so I am lugging many from home; what’s a book event without books…
Whether on the ground or in the clouds, the advice you parse out is invaluable — I, for one, would be a mess without CrossFit, excellent sleep, decent nutrition and the love around me.
Thank you