Travel Accesories: Airplane Carryon
I love things put away and tidy. But traveling also calls for keeping objects of use close at hand. Easily identifiable in the dark (if you're on a red-eye) and placed in an area that will not disturb the sleeping stranger next to you.
We just went to Maui - and while the short time there was enough to convince me of it's appeal to so many, the travel time was pretty extensive. A little wait in Des Moines, a 3 hour snoozer to Phoenix, 2 hours of breakfast snacks and coffee, and 6 more hours of floating above the Pacific got us there. A long wait in the open air Maui airport at 10:00PM, 5 1/2 hours of deep sleep in the middle seat, waking up in Phoenix in a weird state of mind, and a few more hours of completed REM cycle until we landed.
I will say, that despite the weirdness, both excitement and pre-determined necessities enabled me to have it pretty easy. I didn't feel THAT off when we got home that day.
With a few more long trips in the works this year, I rounded up a few of my favorite personal items for a long flight.
-our new neck pillow- can be squished into a tiny bag, the cover can be washed, AND the design is wonderfully thought out
-a giant scarf that doubles as a blanket for battling the unruly airplane vents
-my favorite hand cream for my bag, always
-to comb the tangles, or repart in the ladies room
-lip conditioner. This stuff is nnniiiiiceeeeee
-my favorite gum to help the ear poppin
-a sleeping mask I have eyed for a long time at Eden and totally paid off during that red-eye
-For reallllll long trips (let's say Russia or Japan?) a quick facial mist
-we just bought an earphone splitter-for shared Netflixing
-earplugs!
-iPad, yes.
-earphones kept organized by a cord taco/keeper
-sunglasses for the UV's up up up in the clouds
-iPhone, good idea to bring an extra battery charger (see Zach's new excitement)
-passport cover (I don't have one, but I hear they are handy)
-reusable water bottle
-blotting papers for when you're feeling oily
-if you ever need a new luggage tag, I think these are pretty
-I use a Dr. Bronners spray for hand sanitizer, but I have always been intrigued by this
-last! The carry on/work bag of my dreams - I use it every day, and it only shines brighter during travel :)
You know, this is fun to put together and plan and gather. But the fact that you're on an airplane and will step off of it (however few or many hours later) in a different city, state, or country is AMAZING. You don't need a bunch of things to get you anywhere.
However, if you have the luxury of grabbing a few things that make you feel normal while hopping time zones and dates, I say do it!
-Emily
