Travel Tips

In Health by Erinne Kennedy, DMD, MPH

I love airplanes. Really, I love everything about travel: TSA, airport food, neck pillows, you name it! However, I can say with confidence that when I first started traveling I was frazzled. At the end of every weekend trip I felt exhausted and behind. Over time I have developed tips and tricks that help me leave each trip rested, and ready to start my week.

  • Planning …

The art of traveling is all about your plan. Before I take a trip, I try to plan the days in advance. With my plan, I can maximize meetings in the city, choose flights that will allow me to have adequate sleep (at least 8 hours), and pack well in advance. I write down the details of each day in my planner. This level of preparation makes the week of traveling a breeze. The other planning habit I have developed is to plan the content or work that I will accomplish on the flight. This allowed me to maximize every moment of the travel experience.

  • Tea Bags

My secret trick is that I keep chamomile tea and jasmine green tea in my bag. They take up so little space and are an easy way to up hydration, stay warm on a flight, and relax if you are traveling late. There is nothing better than a good cup of tea on a late flight, my laptop, and writing a blog!

  • Hydration

Hydration was my biggest challenge when I started traveling. My skin was so dry 3-4 days after each flight. Now, the day before I fly I try to drink 2 extra liters of water, and I repeat the day of flying. Recently, I started to remove makeup before I hop on a plane and use a good moisturizer. I can’t believe I am sharing this, but I have also started applying facemasks on the plane to prepare for a recent igniteDDS video event (*so embarrassed*). All I can say is, a girl has got to do what she has to do to de-puff those under eyes!

  • Healthy Snacks

For most travelers, they will agree that making healthy food choices at the airport is a struggle. Although they are trying to improve snack options, the ones that exist still have a lot of sugar and tend to be expensive. I pack snacks for all the day of my trip and make sure that I have a healthy breakfast packed as well. In my bag, I will have protein shake packets, Lara Bars, Raw nuts, and usually a few apples. This is a great way to save a few bucks and keep your energy up!

  • Vitamin C

Does it seem like you get a cold every time you fly? It sure does seem that way for me! I feel like I get sick all the time when I fly. This past year I have started to up my attack against germs! I started taking Vitamin C the day of travel. Packets are easy to carry and fit right in my purse.

  • Hand Sanitizer & Wipes

As you all can imagine I load up on hand sanitizer while traveling. Recently, to keep my area clean, I started to bring Purell Hand Wipes. It makes it easier to clean the debris off of my hands, my tray table, my phone, my computer, or anything around you. They are a super cheap way to be able to keep you and your space germ-free.

  • Must haves!

When you travel on a regular basis you want to make sure that your purse or carry on bag is always filled with your go- items! I have a small makeup back that is always packed and ready for any trip! In it, I have Band-Aids, basic medicine, extra contacts, a toothbrush, lip balm, a USB, hand moisturizer, hand sanitizer, wipes, tissues etc. These little items make it so much easier to fly. If I am delayed or lose a bag I don’t fret, I know that I am ready for at least a day or so with my small carry-on bag!

Let us know your travel tips and tricks!

We would love to hear them, be sure to tag @dewlifemag so that you can share with all of our ladies on the go!

HAPPY AND SAFE TRAVELS!