š« 5 Ways to Make Travel Easier
We're going for unbothered & unstressed in the sky.
Last year, I wrote about the travel rules I always regret breaking. Theyāve been a guiding force for me throughout the last ~10 years Iāve been traveling for work, fun, and everything in between. Today Iāll be sharing 5 tips for how to make travel easier, whether itās a trip just a few states over or across the pond, in hopes that you can take a slightly less stressful trip the next time you fly.
Tip #1: Visualize your days.
Iāve been keeping up with vacation intentions as a pre-trip ritual. To add to that, Iāve started adding daily visualizations into the mix. When I was in Japan last year, Iād wake up, do a little meditation, and visualize the entire day unfolding as if it was a perfect day. Even if I didnāt know my full itinerary (pro and con of solo travel!), I visualized eating yummy food before I got too hangry, not being stressed on the metro, finding cool treasures at funky stores⦠and guess what? Thatās usually how my days unfolded. On the days I didnāt run through a short visualization, they kinda felt mushy and sometimes frustrating.
Neither of these practices need to be long or drawn out. Write your intention on a post-it note before you leave and visualize your days while youāre in the shower. Simple moments to trick yourself into making whatās in your head a reality. Trust me, youāll feel like a magician.
Tip #2: Lock in your travel outfit & snacks.
9 times outta 10, Iāll be wearing almost all black on a travel day. Knowing what Iām going to wear on the plane makes it 10x easier to get up and out the door for a 6AM flights. Key features of my travel outfit are a) feeling nice enough I can go to lunch after I get off the plane, b) having layers because plane air conditioning is temperamental, and c) comfort.
My go-to look usually consists of the following:
Leviās Denim Jacket ā A classic.
Everlane Sweatshirt ā I have an older version, but this one looks nice!
A white tee ā I got mine at Marshallās.
Vuori Performance Joggers ā Dare I say that the Costco dupe might be better?
On Running Shoes ā One of my unwritten travel rules is to always bring running shoes and a swimsuit.
Clare V bag ā Pricey, but worth it because it goes from day ā night and fits easily in my carry on tote. This one would also do the trick.
Tip #3: Find your airport comfort food.
To clarify, I do NOT mean food from the airport. I mean food that you enjoy eating while youāre at the airport and/or in the airplane.
Learning that airport food costs up to 120% more than if youād buy it outside the airport only cemented my decision to always take the same exact snacks whenever I travel. Itās now a little pre-trip ritual: head to Trader Joeās some protein bars and orzo pasta salad ā donāt forget the disposable fork! Itās become a comfort food and I look forward to the layovers when I can dive into my little salad. Bonus points for it a) not being smelly and b) not being hand-held because⦠germs.
Tip #4: Buy two toothbrushes.
This one might be obvious, but it also doesnāt just apply to toothbrushes. Even if youāre not a frequent traveler, having duplicates or minis of your favorite toiletries makes packing AND unpacking 10x easier. Just keep your travel toiletries together and in your suitcase when youāre not traveling. That way, youāre not always restocking and refilling things when it comes time for a weekend trip.
Tip #5: Let your Lock Screen & Home Screen do the work for you.
If youāre heading to a country where you donāt speak the language, this is the best hack I have for ya: change your lock screen to the most used phrases in that language. It makes a world of difference compared to fumbling with Google Translate and by the end of the trip, you may not even need it!. Just search beginner phrases in [language] on Pinterest and youāll find what youāre looking for!
When vacationing, Iām also a big proponent of less phone use. If Iām on Airplane Mode, thatās even better. To encourage this, I make my phone less attractive when Iām vacationing and utilize a Focus Mode on my iPhone. This way, my Home Screen only has vacation-relevant apps like Uber, Google Translate, and Flighty, plus helpful widgets like Clocks and Weather. You can also do things like mute certain notifications in a Focus Mode to get even more in the Vacation headspace.
Anything rituals or routines youād add that make your travel days just a little bit easier? Iād love to hear it.
And for sleeping on planes, Iām always a fan of Solfeggio frequencies. Just be sure to download it to your device before take off!
Have a safe flight,
Zoƫ
P.S. I have few things coming up that you might be interested in!
Creativity for Perfectionists: A workshop to get out of your head and into creation.
The Creative Experiment: A six-week series to build confidence through creative experimentation.
Hope to see you at one of āem. š¤øāāļø







ooooo visualizing days, love! will definitely try this on my next trip!
Snap re solfreggio listening on planes āļø