Blogs

Dara's Travel Tips

by - edited

Hello Friends,

I have missed our chats! My husband George and I embarked on a wonderful trip to Portugal and Spain. I have so much to share with you that I thought I might put it in a blog. I have you to thank for always giving me so many excellent tips and comments when it comes to travel that I wanted to return the favor. I hope you know how much I take from our back and forth conversations. So if you are embarking on a trip this summer or in the future, I thought I might give you a recap of our trip we just took and jot down some travel tips that have worked for me.

We departed Los Angeles (our home base) for Lisbon, stopping in London to change planes.

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Leaving Los Angeles, Portugal here we come!

Tip for jet lag: Many of the long haul flights from Los Angeles depart later in the evening, most of them departing at 11:00 PM. I try to find a flight that departs about before midnight so I have all day to wrap up everything at home and have breakfast and lunch on my own terms. Of course drinking as much water as you can before your trip and in flight helps. If you do take in a lot of water, I find you must then have an aisle seat. That can be a trade off if you are a light sleeper but I think the water is more important so I get an aisle seat. I do not take the meals they serve on the plane and opt for a few snacks, some fruit and perhaps some cheese and crackers. Then, whenever I land, whatever meal time it is I am all ready to adopt the new meal time because you are indeed hungry and you have kept yourself hydrated so it is a win-win. You are in the right zone to enjoy the right meal at the right time it is being served. If you have any jet-lag saving trips please post me back. I love to hear what works for you.

More tried and true (and some new) tips:

Own a cute pair of compression socks, they help so much. Even if you are taking a long car trip these can really save you from aching feet and swollen ankles.
Going through airport screening I make sure I have shoes I slip off and on quickly, avoiding shoes I have to tie. Last trip I took some very cute Aerosols and they worked perfectly!
Have a nose spray handy and use it (I use one called "Dry Noses" that I love)
Lip balm is a must, I love our lip shines and "raspberry sorbet" is my all-time favorite
Dress in layers, planes can get warm and cool, always bring a scarf to cozy around your neck. A tank top or camisole, long sleeved tee shirt and then a light easy to wear zip jacket is my "uniform" for airplane travel. Soft pants are a must. So many things today have stretch fibers in them that this is much easier to do now than in the past.
Make certain and take inventory in advance you have on your most comfortable bra for long haul flights, nothing worse than feeling uncomfortable on a plane. True story, I did not pack bras for a trip we took to Japan last year. When we landed and were getting ready for dinner, my heart sank as I opened my packing cube with my undergarments and realized I only had one bra- the bra I traveled in- and it was not enough to work for a two week trip, and really did not "flatter". So after a shopping trip to a beautiful department store in Japan the next day, I was back in business. Now, I make sure I make a list and check it twice so that does not happen again. Undergarments are as important the clothing you pack.
Don't fight sleep, if it does not come to you, read or listen to music. I have spent too many flights stressed out that I could not sleep and it is better if I just "go with the flow". If I can keep myself relaxed and calm and not worrying that I am not sleeping I do much better. After all you are "on vacation" not on the clock. When you are tired enough you will sleep. I think I get so excited about the journey that I can't sleep.

this is me and George Portugal (left); and our beautiful hotel in Madrid (right)

Items that always help me when I travel (before and during the trip)

Black wrap dress with 3/4 length sleeves. This dress travels well and can be dressed up a bit or worn casually. It travels well is comfortable to wear and I wear it many times.
One "statement" piece of jewelry. In this case I have been loving a tassel necklace (costume) that I can wear to dress up any outfit.
Nude wedges. These can be worn with any color or style. I prefer a wedge over a heel for stability. In this case these Aerosols felt stable and safe and gave me a boost in height.
One evening clutch bag. I have had a bag I have carried for years, its paper thin to pack and takes up zero space. I love to take a smaller bag out in the evening.
A scarf that doubles as a stole. I take one scarf that is lightweight that can double as a wrap for the evening. It has saved me on chilly bus rides, plane rides, and then in the evening as my wrap to take off the chill of the night.
A really good gel top coat for your nails. I did get a manicure before I left and decided not to do a gel manicure but did bring in my own gel top coat that requires no light to set. It lasted 10 days on this trip. I also bring along a few of the polish remover packets and when the polish starts to chip, I take off the polish and go bare. I am always glad to have the packets of remover as they travel well and remove all the polish for 10 nails with one packet.
I always bring a few small pouches that I can put a few items in and put them in my rain jacket pocket or for my hotel room key are a few basic essentials when I am not carrying a handbag. They also come in handy as a min makeup bag you can put in your smaller bag. Then all your essentials are in one spot and easy to locate.
A spray wax versus a hair spray. I came across this item by accident thinking it was a hairspray but it was not. So when I realized I had purchase and packed this "spray wax" I had no choice but to try it. It worked great! It gave texture and some hold but looked very natural and gave me great volume. I also travel without fail with dry shampoo. This is a great beauty tool to have on and to freshen hair and give it a boost.