Dallas Fashion Consultant, Julie Bartlett of Colour IQ, solves the traveling blues.
Going on vacation? Taking a business trip? Travel can take its toll on your blood pressure unless you are prepared. Here are my top 5 tips on staying sane and keeping calm while traveling.
1. Consider your bag: Donate your tired suitcase to the Salvation Army (tax deductible) and invest in updating your luggage.
- Choose the most versatile, yet compact bag possible: garment bags for business trips, rolling bags for family
vacations, “weekenders” or cabin bags for carry on luggage, and small purses and laptop cases for under-the-seat storage. A complete luggage set will cover any size bag for any trip. - You’ll want something you can lift above your head without struggling.
- Tie a ribbon around the handle of your bag, something memorable, to avoid a bag carousel fiasco.
- Bags for children should be just as versatile: pockets for small objects, wheeled for easy movement, sized to hold sufficient clothing.
- Save yourself $50+ and weigh your bag before leaving home to avoid charges.
2. Pack light
- Read our “The Packing Panic” article to refine your packing list.
- In your carry-on, pack items to use on the flight and a change of clothes in case your luggage doesn’t quite make it to your destination on time.
3. Keep IDs easily accessible
- It is one thing to be protective of your identity, and quite another to hold up the line at security by having to dig deep to find IDs.
- Invest in a small cross-body bag, and keep the bag in front of your body to deter pickpockets.
- Compile important documents (license, Passport, insurance cards, and a small card with emergency numbers, etc.) the night before. If you’ll need your passport, hunt it down a few months in advance and renew it if necessary.
4. Eat and stay hydrated
- If your trip is a direct flight and/or less than 2-3 hours, eat right before you leave and plan to eat shortly after your arrival.
- If the trip is longer, consider doubling your purse as a snack bag or switch to an insulated bag. Use the pockets for your book/phone/mp3 player, pack a few sandwiches, fruit, crackers, and slide your wallet on top.
- Bring an empty water bottle to fill at a fountain.
5. Comfort Options
- You don’t have to hear your neighbor snore… bring ear plugs or sound reducing earphones to mute the cacophony.
- Use eye-covers to block out light from late-night readers.
- Bring your own blanket and neck pillow, just to be safe. Make sure they fit in your carry-on.
As your Dallas Fashion Consultant, it is my mission to help my clients always look fabulous without being a slave to the whimsical ways of fashion trends. I am passionately committed to making sure my clients always look their very best in order to help them achieve their personal and business goals. If you have any questions or are interested in a personal consultation, please give me a call at 214-223-2200.