This is #nofilter. I know, right?! |
Have you ever lost your passport? Mr. BK once lost his. Two
weeks before our honeymoon to Zanzibar. Yowza. You can imagine my relief when
we found it, several days later, having been carefully dropped down the back of
his bed.
I am a worrier by nature, so travelling used to be a huge
stress for me. I like to know EXACTLY what’s going to happen and WHEN EXACTLY
that will be – which is just not how any kind of travel actually works. I’ve
thought long and hard about things which have really helped me to chill out
about going away.
Make the most of your hand luggage
I used to be so rubbish at actually making use of hand
luggage allowance. Maximising your hand luggage use can make such a huge
difference to your airport hanging-around time. Mini and travel-sized bottles
are your friend, and you’d be amazed how much you can fit in to your liquids allowance.
For most trips less than a week (unless going to do a sport or going
horse-riding somewhere) I can fit everything I need in my hand luggage, which
means NO WAITING AT THE CAROUSEL OF DESPAIR. Just get on your way at the other
end. Goals.
Importantly – always pack any necessary medication in your
hand luggage, and it’s a good idea to pack some paracetamol in there too. That
way, if anything happens to your main bag, you’re at least covered for a few
days until something is sorted out (and covered for the inevitable headache
this will incur!).
Double-check your travel arrangements
This sounds like really stupid common sense, right? Well,
maybe it is. But the number of times I’ve done a double-take at a flight time,
realising that it leaves in the early hours of the day (therefore necessitating
a late-night trip to the airport the day before, technically) or the other way
around, is embarrassing. Perhaps this one is just me, but if your flight is at
a funny time, double and triple check you have booked hotels or onward travel
accordingly. It’s a really easy mistake to make!
Leave LOADS of time
Getting to the airport has got to be up there with the world’s
least favourite first world problem. You’ve heard it before – but leave loads
of time to get to the airport and get through security, particularly if you’re
travelling to America, as security does tend to take a bit longer to clear.
On the return journey, particularly if travelling in a less
developed country, roads can be horrific heading in to a city or to a big
international airport (I’m having late night taxi through Colombo flashbacks writing this). Do not assume the country you are travelling
in runs on time!
Photocopy everything
- and keep said photocopies in a different bag pocket to your
passport. It’s worst-case scenario stuff, but if you lose your passport, this
is worth its weight in gold. It also means you have all reservation numbers for
hotels in hard-copy form, should whichever electronic device of choice decides
to die just as you need it most. Let’s face it – we’ve all been there.
Also, if you’re
travelling in many parts of Africa, you are required to carry an “authenticated
copy” of your passport or travel documents with you at all times, or else you
may recieve a fine. Be aware of this, keep a copy on you, and you’ll save
yourself a LOT of hassle.
Get a snazzy travel folder
All these photocopies basically mean you need (read:want) a
travel folder to keep them in. Stationery freak win. Honestly, I tend to use this more before
departure to keep everything together and avoid leaving anything behind. They also tend to be big enough that you can reach for them easily in whichever bag you are carrying - no rummaging around for bits of paper. I’ve
got my eye on this lovely little Paperchase ticket holder currently.
In-Flight comforts
If you’re not a fan of flying – make it as pleasant for
yourself as possible. Bring a sheet mask, and some good moisturiser (pick up some Clarins Hydraquench samples) to use mid-flight –
there is nothing quite like recycled air for sucking the life out of your skin.
Don’t forget to pop travel sickness tablets (or anything prescription that’s
needed, if flying really isn’t your cup of tea) in your hand luggage. Drink
lots of water, and try not to go too crazy on the ol’ booze – you’ll really
feel the effects (and the weird post flight hangover) afterwards!
On a tiny boat, in the very warn Indian Ocean. worth 26 hours travelling. |
Have a plan
Make sure you’ve arranged your onward travel before leaving,
and have details of an emergency contact both in your travel wallet and in your
phone. Things can, and do, go wrong, so if something happens – don’t panic. Life
doesn’t always go to plan. Find someone, explain calmly that you need help, and
if possible return to somewhere international (such as the airport, or a bus or
train station) to find a phone.
Most importantly – most of us are travelling for pleasure. Relax.
A little organisation beforehand can save you a ton of stress in the long run!
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I'm a major holiday stresser, I'm currently freaking out that my passport is lost, this post has come at a good time :)
ReplyDeleteRosy | Sparkles of Light Blog
I am really lucky because my husband is extremely organized about everything. He's the one who packs the bag, makes sure everything is done properly (he has a list) and he makes sure we leave to the airport at 3 hours ahead. I'm the complete opposite of him so if it was up to me, we probably miss our flight.
ReplyDeleteShireen | Reflection of Sanity
Oh gosh, lucky you! My husband is many things, but organised is not one of them!!
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