As Erik and I are gearing up to go home for a week (and as I finish off a pint of Ben & Jerry's Phish Food...), I'm going through a million lists in my mind of everything we need to accomplish before our 1:30 flight tomorrow. I absolutely love the feeling of the night before/day of a flight! I had a job for about 9 months where I got to travel every weekend. It was one of my very favorite things I've ever done. By the time I was done working that job, the check-in agents at O'Hare in Chicago knew my name and giggled every time they saw me coming with my 70 lb. suitcase and my huge pelican case with speakers inside. Most of the stuff was for the event I was working, not mine, I swear! I traveled to 30+ cities and I learned a lot at that job. More importantly, though, was how much I learned about packing and the things that you just don't forget when you're traveling.
1. Headphones. Don't get me wrong, I love meeting new people and hearing their stories but sometimes...you get seated next to an awfully loud, obnoxious, maybe cranky, or just an uninteresting human. Flying is such an escape for me and these headphones are a vital piece to those precious moments.
2. Chapstick. There have been a couple times where I could have cried when I realized I left my chapstick somewhere that wasn't my pocket. Burt's Bees has been with me through the thick and thin. I don't recommend getting on an airplane with the driest of air without it. It will save you hours of discomfort!
3. A good book. I always love the escape of diving into a really good, encouraging, challenging book and looking out the window while you are literally above everything else. It's so cheesy but it's one of my greatest joys in life. I can't tell you how much reading books by Steven Furtick, Christine Caine, David Platt - have all changed my life while on an airplane.
4. Ray Bans. Okay, so maybe Ray Bans aren't for everyone but I've had mine for almost 3 years now and they are my most prized possession. They have come in handy for really early flights and the occasional red eyes you're forced to take. I just throw them on and they instantly make me feel a little bit better about how little I actually attempted to get ready.
5. A blanket. I don't know if you're anything like me, but I'm literally always cold. I learned the hard way that forgetting a blanket on a flight is the literal worst. They stopped handing blankets out freely on flights so I started bringing my own and it was such a good life decision. I didn't have the blanket pictured above but I want it now more than I wish I had more ice cream to eat.
Someday I will do a post on how to effectively pack for a weekend, a whole week, or maybe even a whole summer but for now - don't forget these essentials when you're flying high in the sky!
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