From Travail to Travel - tips to make travel stress free
The word 'travail' in French means hard work and the English word 'travel' means, well, travel :D. Ever wondered why these 2 words are so similar sounding yet so different in meaning. Its because travel was a lot of hard work for early man. Making a journey was a huge undertaking with unknown risks and with the possibility of not making it back. Thankfully we are far from such a way of living.
After almost 2.5 years of 2020 pandemic restrictions and added overhead on travel (read RT-PCR test, specific forms for certain countries) we are finally breathing a sigh of relief. We are now coming back to the good old days of quickly deciding to travel and taking a flight in the next few hours. But for some of us, travel always brings with it a certain sense of anxiety mixed with anticipation which pushes us to prepare for all situations we may encounter. Here are a few things I penned down for folks to consider to minimize the stress and make travel smooth and effortless - from travail to travel:
- How do I plan my itinerary?
- Activity: Every trip has some scope of activity to plan for, be it the places to visit in the new city, the restaurants you want to try or the friends you want to meet. Thinking through the activity you want to engage in helps make the most of the trip
- Rest: Activity can be thoroughly enjoyed when you have the right breaks in between, such as a few hours by the pool, a long brunch at the hotel or just taking an evening off
- Finding the Balance: All of us are different and can handle different levels of activity and rest. Do you get a "Yes" feeling when you look at the itinerary? Follow the the inner voice to make it your own, even if it means breaking away from the group to occasionally do things you would like to do alone
- What are my must-haves?
- Documents: Based on locations of travel, make sure to pack passport, driving license, visas, health insurance etc.
- Medications: Always have a travel medicine kit for most used items
- Small comforts: snacks that you like, a book you love or the scarf that makes you feel at home away from home
- How to pack?
- Visualize the day: Visualize how you will spend your day and make a list of everything that you will use - like toothbrush, paste, mouthwash, bath soap, clothes for day, change for evening dinner and night wear. Maybe pair of flipflops for the pool trip and sunglasses, hat for the afternoon bike ride.
- Visualize the itinerary: Looking at the itinerary will help you finalize the type and count of clothing and accessories based on everything you plan to do
- What's the mindset I need to have?
- Being Open: Looking at the positive when things pan out differently and letting go of details helps with enjoying what is happening
- Being Flexible: Itineraries may need to be changed due to unforeseen events. Move things around and change things on the fly if needed. The unexpected can be fun and doesn't need to frustrate or stress you out
As always listening to the inner guidance system, that helps make the right choices for us, is the way to go!
Now, is when I talk about how Navie products can help make sure you take your essentials are packed in the best way possible. Here are a few options:
- Business Travel : Here are a few products which can help you make the most of your business trips
- Leisure Travel: Make the most of your vacations by efficiently packing for them using the products we recommend here
- Bleisure Travel: When business and leisure are both on the table, here's the list of products you can consider
Safe travels!
Photo Credit: Spencer Davis