Happy Travel for Adults

In my previous life of freedom, I LOVED to travel.  I was one of those rare people.  I liked the excitement and energy of airports and train stations.  I thrived on a change of scenery and trying new things.  I didn't worry about plane crashes or lost luggage.  I knew that I would be okay.  Besides, having to buy all new clothes at my destination didn't seem like such a bad thing.  

As the years go by, things have started to change.  I still love to travel.  But, I am noticing that I feel the discomforts that it brings a lot more then I used to.  This would be the perfect place to insert the blame on my children for my new travel woes.  Surprisingly, I will not.  I can't deny, that they have something to do with my new travel discomforts.  But, they aren't to blame.


In May, my husband and I took a childless trip to Hawaii.  I expected to arrive in Maui feeling renewed and ready to set out on an adventure.  Instead, I landed crabby, tired and unmotivated.  And then, to add another layer, I was disappointed that I was wasting precious time feeling that way.  It took me a good day to feel normal again.

In two weeks, our family will be flying a "red eye" across country.  As you can see, I have pretty much set myself up for a major travel failure.  It is surely masochistic plan. However, I am set on making it work.  So, my monkey brain is working overtime devising a plan.  Not just for my kids, but for John and I as well.


It will not be an elaborate plan, just one of common sense.  I figure most of my travel failures come from this:

Feeling tired before travel begins
Being dehydrated
Being uncomfortable on the plane
Being bored
Having too high expectations
Feeling tired on arrival

Next week, I will share what I plan to do to counter those discomforts.  What do you do to make travel less stressful and more enjoyable?

Quick, Healthy, Travel Snacks

On an Airplane, food is entertainment.  In our normal lives, this would be something we try to avoid or deny.  Travel allows us to break that rule.  Long plane rides let us break lot's of rules.  We do things we never would in our home towns.  We can read trashy magazines, pay $8 for a cup of fruit,  fall asleep in a room full of strangers, and offer are children food to occupy their hands and mouths.  That is why packing the right snacks is essential.   

                                      My wish is for lot's of this, and not much need for snacks

When I pack snacks for a plane ride I like to follow a few rules:

• Nothing that will break, smush, crumble, or otherwise be destroyed in transit.
• No snacks that are too similiar to snacks that we might be served on the plane.
• No food that could cause the need for a wardrobe change.
• Fresh fruit or veggies must be included.
• It should be (fairly) compact.
• Small children should be able to eat it independently.

That eliminates things that I would bring on a road trip like: trail mix (you know we will be offered nuts at some point), bananas (dangerously smushy), yogurt and apple sauce. 


So, based on that list, I am packing the flowing for each carry on:

Water bottles (empty)
1 bag raw veggie bag
grapes (in a hard container)
Cheese and crackers (packed separately so that they stay fresh)
Fruit leather
prepackaged granola bars

I will also pack an emergency candy bag in my carry on.  I plan on using it for bribery - something else I try to reserve only for the plane.