Carry-On Essentials for Wellness
- Jan 30, 2017
- 4 min read
Trips are fun, but they can be stressful. A crowded airport and waiting in endless lines can really take all the energy out of you. Over the years I have been lucky enough to travel and determined some carry-on essentials to make the trip more manageable.
When I was younger I loved the whole experience of going to the airport. Waiting for the taxi to pick us up to go to the airport, finding the gate, being above the clouds, and eventually getting to a new destination. Back then I did think of the airport as a nuisance or stressful, I thought of the airport as a privilege that I was so honored to be able to participate in. In fact one of the best parts of the entire trip for me was getting to just be in the enviornment. The airport had special cookies and I get to drink pop on the plane. I looked forward to the small things. I was overwhelmed with this awe-struckness of what it must have been like to work behind the scenes at the airport. There were so many moving parts and people involved. Now, much older I think I need to revert back to some of these child-like excitements. Little Elsie has something here to teach me, I need to get out of my adult mindset more often. Traveling is such a privilege. I should be overjoyed with the ability to travel. I should still looks at this experience with some of the same awe and wonder as little Elsie did.
"That's the real trouble with the world, too many people grow up."
-Walt Disney
Yes, travel delays suck. Yes, plans might not always go as expected. But changing my attitude towards traveling has the potential to make the experience so much better. Why do you think nothing fazed you as a kid? It was because of your attitude. {No, not that kind of attitude.} An attitude that didn't let things get you down. An attitude that life is truly good. An attitude that there were exciting things in the future.
My mom when I was a kid used to pick out little presents to place in our carry-on bag to keep us entertained on the plane. They were usually small little Polly Pocket's or a small board game. This is one thing that I want to incorporate into my carry-on bag. Small is gifts and make the plane ride trip more enjoyable.
Below is my Carry-on Essential list.
Carry-on Essentials:
Gum
Gum is literally my number one item I make sure I have before traveling. My ears pop like crazy during take off and touch down if I am not chew gum. Also, for me chewing gum seems to help calm my nerves so that another added bonus.
Scarf with favorite smell
When I was in my teens I loved Lauren Conrad, well to be honest I still do, but I bought her book Style where one of her traveling tips was to bring a scarf on the plane. She said that way you can cover up your face if you need to (like if someone is coughing next to you). Before I left, I sprayed it quick with one of my favorite lavender scents to not only smell good but be a soothing smell as well.
Book
The current book I am reading is called The Woman on the Orient Express. I don't want to give too much away because it is going to be my March Current read, but it is fun to compare the different travel experience between back in the 1920's and now. Okay, now I will not say anymore!
App with meditation
Mindfullness is an app that I downloaded for the trip to help combat those anxious or nervous feelings that can arise when traveling. There are 6 different meditations ranging in 20-30 minutes. The best part about this app? It is free. So go download it an tell me what you think!
Calming music playlist
Spotify has the best playlists. Hands down. My favorite calming music playlist is called Infinite Acoustic. The playlist has some popular acoustic hits, but there are some other really good folk music. It's a good mix of songs played on the radio and songs that you do not hear as often. By far my favorite playlist on Spotify.
Coloring Book
I was meandering around Target this past weekend and I found this little coloring book with some markers in their bargain section. No matter how hard I try I can never quite walk past their bargain section. Anyways, I thought this would be a good alternative to doing homework or reading a book. Who knows, it might help to bring out my childlike spirit. :)
Snack
Being hangry is a real thing. I will admit, I can get quite hangry. Instead of running around the airport paying for expensively priced items, I decided to take things into my own hands by packing some snacks for myself. Not to mention, there are not a ton of gluten free options available. So it is basically killing two birds with one stone. Anyways, I got Harvest Stone Gluten Free Crispy Mix to keep the hangry monster at bay.
I hope these essentials helps to make your next traveling experience better! Are there any wellness tips I've missed? Let me know! :)
Remember you're a Gem,
<3 Elsie
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