Flight Prep: Ground Control, I’m Ready for Liftoff!
Well, as usual, I left packing my bags to the last minute last night, in prep (or lack thereof) for my early morning flight to LA today.
Ahh sunny LA. I can’t wait to feel your warmth upon my dry Winter-worn East coast skin.
The reason I’m a last-minute packer must be due to the fact that I’ve been regularly packing travel bags since I was a young teen trekking the globe on endless modeling assignments. As you can guess, I no longer look forward choosing dresses, figuring out which items in my toiletry bag are under the 4 ounce allowance, how many sweaters might I need, and on and on. While I love adventure and discovering new lands, I don’t enjoy the travel process: taxis, airports, airplanes, et al.
I find that if I put on some good music and organize my items for travel, I am more easily able to slip into a rhythm.
Speaking of which, I absolutely love love love the debut album by London Grammar “If You Wait.” In fact, I’m going to listen to it right after I finish writing this entry. I am obsessed.
But I digress, back to packing. I find that I pack more efficiently when my apartment is clean. Organization is so important when packing, at least that’s the case for me. Especially when you’re trying to fit too many clothes, shoes and little bottles of lotion into one carry on bag. It’s a nightmare if you’re not organized!
One smart tip I picked up along the way is to save some plastic wrap from the dry cleaners for when you need extra protection for your clothes. I’ll often wrap my delicate evening wear in this plastic – it not only protects the clothes, helps them stay wrinkle free as well.
Make sure to wear really comfortable, cozy clothes on the flight. Like a big yummy sweater, or loose jeans or leggings. Sneakers or flats for sure. Leave the heels in your bag. I can’t imagine anything worse than sitting for hours on end in an uncomfortable outfit and high heels.
The important thing about packing is to not leave it to the last minute! I ended up going to sleep at 2AM when I had to be up at 5AM. Ugh, not OK. Sleep deprivation doesn’t make for a happy person.
Another reason to pack earlier rather than later is so you can actually enjoy some down time before you have to go to the airport. Perhaps you might luxuriate in a bath, or give yourself a pedicure. Or perhaps you might just curl up with the book that you’ve been savoring. Whatever tricks you can find to not do what I do – leave it to the last minute – is worth it.
I felt awful at the airport this morning. Sleep is underrated. Speaking of, I think I’m going to nod off into dreamland right now. Share your thoughts with me on this subject, I’d love to hear them.