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.

|  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.

 |  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!
 |  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.

 |  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!
 |  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.

 |  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.

 |  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? 

2 comments

  1. These are great habits! I definitely do a few of them. I always plan based on the day and try to make a mini capsule wardrobe so all of the "add-on" pieces match everything, like one sweater or pair of pants when traveling in the summer. I'll wear all black-based outfits to keep the same pair or two of shoes consistent, etc. It's the best way to pack light! We flew to California for five days and only had one duffel bag and two personal items for two people. I was impressed ;)

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  2. Honestly, our travel rituals are so similar - though I don't do the playlist part as regularly as you do! I think being efficient about packing is a good habit to have and it definitely makes it easier to get ready faster when you're on vacation. Plus, I also think that wearing leggings is a gamechanger - though I prefer sweatpants when I can swing those because they have deeper pockets and I find that useful!

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with love,

Rachel