Hey Everyone!
The summer holidays are so so close, and I am super excited to be heading out on all my summer adventures. I’m traveling a lot this summer, and I’m going to be taking a lot of plane rides. So I thought it might be useful to share what I usually take on the plane with me, and a few of my travel hacks for anyone else who is also traveling this summer.
When I was younger, I used to hate plane rides. I would get terrible plane sickness, and I would just find the plane journeys so boring. Luckily, since then I’ve grown out of my plane sickness, but there are still things I ensure to do on the plane to keep myself entertained.
To be completely honest I kind of enjoy the calmness of a flight, because it’s a block of time where you’re not connected to the internet (unless you use OnAir) and you can take some time to disconnect. I never used to fall asleep on flights, but now I’m so tired all the time (life of a high school student) that I usually just sleep for a lot of the flight. However, there are other things I like to get done on a flight, which I’ll share in this post.
So, onto my travel essentials; I like to be prepared for any occasion, but from all my experience with flights I kind of know what I am going to need. Number one is a sturdy bag that closes properly, I don’t like traveling with a tote bag or something similar because you can’t zip them shut. And I prefer a backpack to a carry on case, because you can just keep a backpack under the seat in front of you and it’s easier to get things out. The backpack I usually travel with is from Herschel, and it’s sturdy and easy to carry around.
In terms of essentials for the plane, the two things that I always make sure I have are a spare pair of socks and another huge sweater. I don’t know why, but for some reason, I always get really cold on plane rides, so I like to be prepared. I usually travel in a hoodie or a sweater in the first place, but I bring a second one for when I get really cold. Also, while you’re not wearing the second sweater you can ball it up and use it as a pillow. My feet also get really cold, so I am sure to have a spare pair of socks packed in my bag.
For entertainment, I pretty much know what I enjoy doing on flights, but it may be different for you. If I’m on a plane where they have some movies or TV shows I’m interested in, I’ll just watch them for a bit, and if they don’t I’ll probably just download something on my phone, and use my headphones. But I don’t really watch TV for the whole plane ride, in fact, if it’s a short ride I actually just read a book, and for longer flights, I’ll watch some TV, but I like to also read, sleep, and get some homework done. I know it doesn’t sound very appealing, but if you’re on a long flight, you have a whole chunk of time where you can be productive, and I like it because it cuts down the amount of work I have to do when I get to my destination. I usually save the homework such as reading and taking notes for flights, things that don’t require too much energy. (also be sure to pack chargers for your laptop and phone + an adapter)
Now for food and snacks, my favourite part! If you have read my blog at all, you will know that I am ALWAYS hungry. So on a flight, where I’m just sitting there for hours, I tend to get especially hungry. I’ll usually eat some of the meal they give you on the plane, but I also like to bring my own snacks. Things like popcorn are good to have, and protein balls fill me up for a really long time so they’re great to have with me. (the protein balls I have are the Sarahs_Day x The Health Lab ones) I’m also the kind of person that usually drinks A LOT of water throughout the day, and normally I stay really hydrated. So on a plane where you naturally get dehydrated, and I don’t have constant access to a water tap, I struggle a bit. It’s a good idea to bring a reusable water bottle that you can just ask the flight attendant to refill it. Also before I get on the plane I also like to get 2 huge bottles of water that will keep me going for the flight. One more thing that I keep in my plane bag is mint flavoured chewing gum. If you’re just feeling a bit groggy after a flight, or your ears are blocked from the altitude mint chewing gum will really help you.
Also if you get airsick, mint chewing gum will help take away that nauseous feeling. Another thing that will really help is finding a scent that will relax your body. What I mean by that is, using a roll on perfume or oil that will calm your body down and make you feel less nauseous. When I was younger and I felt really sick on flights, my dad used to cover a small towel with perfume and give it to me, and that would distract my body from feeling nauseous and sick.
I’ve created a downloadable list that has all of the items that I’ve been talking about so that you can easily tick off what you have for your flight. Little Miss Expat In Flight Packing List. I hope reading what I take on flights has been useful, and please be sure to let me know in the comments anything else that you take on flights, I would love to know! I hope everyone has an amazing summer and enjoys their travels!
Little Miss Expat
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