My 7 Travel Rituals

Two weeks ago, one of the blogs I follow, Damsel in Dior, wrote about her travel rituals since they weren’t exactly typical. It got me thinking about what mine would be or if I even had any, especially since Aruba was at the top of my mind at the time. And I realized, I do! I’ve come a long way from the girl whose main concern about boarding a plane was trying not to panic. Now I’m comfortable with flying (except I still do grip the seat when there’s turbulence!) and I do have my own little quirks when prepping for a trip.

1  |  Create a trip playlist 

Listen to my playlist!

Before every trip, I create a playlist. Sometimes they’re super specific (and un-originally named) like “Iceland” or “Barcelona.” Or I have one called “Fly Away” which I created for my Dublin trip and still listen to occasionally. It’s like a little snapshot of that moment not to mention I think every trip deserves its own soundtrack.

2  |  Leggings on the flight
I used to always wear jeans during flights. Then I randomly decided to wear leggings instead and it was a game changer! Sometimes I see other women at airports who look super cute in dresses or even wearing heels but I’ll take comfort (with a side of cute) over that every single time. My travel uniform consists of black leggings, t-shirt or tunic (hoodie if it’s cold), nude flats and my Longchamp bag or Kanken backpack.

My suitcase is on the right!

3  |  Plan out my outfits for each day of the trip so I only pack what I need 
I always manage to surprise people with how efficiently I pack for trips. I’m usually greeted with “that’s all your bringing?” and the answer is always yes! I mean I’m the one who’s going to be lugging that suitcase around so it needs to be manageable. (Side note: one of my besties packed like 3 weeks worth of clothing for our 6 day trip to Barcelona and my eyes bugged out at the sight of her suitcase!). To keep from packing too much, I plan my outfits for each day of the trip with 1-2 extra tops just in case. This is where having an itinerary (or even just a general sense of your plan is) really helps in figuring out what you do and don’t need.

4  |  Pack one physical book with me
I always read a lot on trips! On flights, I rarely watch movies and prefer to spend my time reading. I make sure to load up my Kindle (I’ve been borrowing e-books from the library a lot lately) but I always like having one actual book with me. And yes, I read more than one book while on vacation.

Obligatory window seat photo!

5  |  Print out my itinerary
I’m a planner so I can’t help having an itinerary! It’s always a mix of set plans, must-sees and other ideas in case we have extra time or change our minds. And even though it’s always accessible by phone (usually a spreadsheet or doc), I like printing it out and carrying it in my bag for the duration of the trip.

6  |  Bring a bag of candy 
I know it would be far more practical to bring granola bars but for me, it’s a bag of candy all the way. It’s what I find myself craving on flights and I don’t bother to fight it. I usually bring apple-o gummies or sour brite crawlers but for my recent trip I got the Twizzler sour mini twists and I am obsessed.

7  |  Take a photo on the plane
Whether it’s a selfie when I’m traveling with a friend or a view from the window seat as the plane ascends or descends (usually both!), I feel the need to capture the moment. I think it's because no matter how many times I get on a plane, it never fails to feel exciting.

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What are your travel rituals?