Katrina's Travels: The Essentials

Recently returned from a long weekend trip, with the family, to my mother-in-law's place in ATL. My boys love a road trip and have been groomed to carry their own stuff and “act right” on land as well as in the air. That being said, there are a few essentials that I was reminded of during this trip that may be of some help to you, on your next trip, especially with the Holidays coming up. Basically, I’m saying, to travel right, there are some things you just gotta do in order to make the most of your experience. I call these the essentials.

THE ESSENTIALS

A thoughtful carryon: So many people underestimate the power of a well thought out carryon. When curating mine, I like to think about the things that make me feel good. First thing first, after the TSA chaos I get a large bottle of water, the air is dry up there and you want to make sure you stay hydrated from those in-flight vodka tonics (my husband nearly passed out). An oversized scarf for those chilly flights or a pair of comfy socks so you can truly get comfortable. I also take advantage of the very welcomed downtime during travel and indulge in a few magazines that I NEVER get to read. And there is always that book I’ve been meaning to catch up on (we all have one).

Beauty essentials: Now, the last thing I’m worried about is looking like a supermodel when I hit the road. Most of the time I’m too busy ref’ing sibling fights and if I’m traveling solo, I’m too busy catching up on sleep. But, there are a few beauty bits I’d never travel without. Like my favorite lip balm. Whether you’ve spent the last few hours on a plane or chatting it up with the fam on your road trip, dry lips are never a good look. It’s also a good idea to stash a few of your favorite scented hand lotions to help you feel better about washing your hands for the 10th time and a few travel-sized fragrances so you can take your favorite scents wherever you go.

The practicals: No matter how many times I travel there are always those practical items that I forget. And it’s those small things that can have a major effect on how smoothly—or not—the trip goes. First thing on the list, an external phone charger because like everyone else, I’m attached to my phone and use it for everything from taking photos to updating Instagram. Comfortable headphones are another thing you’ll want to have on hand to delete that background noise or to listen to your travel playlist. You do have one of those right? And if your trip is particularly long, bring along a sleep mask so you can get a little rest along the way and if you really want to rest, a diphenhydramine of your choice goes a long way.

That’s it! – keep it simple so you can deal with the real issues: “Can I get a window seat? Don’t want nobody, next to me. I just want a ticket outta town. A look around, and a safe touch down…” Window Seat by Erykah Badu—put that one on your travel playlist. You’re welcome.