My Current Travel Necessities (October '22)

After a couple of exciting trips this year, I thought I'd write a blog post on my current travel necessities. These items range in different categories from entertainment to hygiene and I recommend packing them with you on your next flight or road trip! hashtag it is yo girl emilia emerging from the darkness to randomly drop a blog post and then succumb to the darkness again. let's jump on in. 

1. Question books

These are one of my favorite things in the world. A while ago, I went to Michigan for the summer with my family and stayed at a family friend's house who had a book filled with hundreds of questions to start a variety of different conversations. I have two questions books, totaling in over four thousand questions. They're great to learn more about new and lifelong friends & family. I have one, in particular, that has deeper questions as the number increases, so that one is interesting to use as the night grows longer and the conversation grows deeper. They bring up great points, start discussions, and bring back old stories.  

2. Insulated bottle

Airport water is ridiculously expensive. When you're on a road trip, who knows when you'll stop again to get a silly little drink? An insulated bottle is great to fill up with water after you go through airport security, and it is great to keep your water cool when you're on the road. Personally, when I am in a car and I just start accumulating plastic water bottles after drinking them, I feel a little suffocated when I randomly find them in the car. I bring my bad boy of a 40 oz water bottle and then just fill up at a gas station or a restaurant we pass by. Plus these are great once you are at your destination. When hiking, on a beach, or just lounging around the place you're staying, you gotta stay hydrated. 

3. Chapstick

My lips get absurdly dry when I fly. I don't know if it is the change in climate from destination to destination, me not drinking a lot of water, or something entirely random, but I really need chapstick when I travel and several days after. My current favorites include the Glossier Balm Dot Com (mint), and the Nivea Moisture Lip Care Chapstick (the blue one). I will say I am in the market for another chapstick I've never tried before, so let me know your recommendations dear readers. 

4. Wired Headphones

As excellent and sleek as Airpods can be, I tend to not use them when I fly. I have this unfortunate thing that has happened to me where I drop one of my AirPods when I am moving my head on a plane because it tends to get loose after a while. There is nothing more awkward than trying to do chair gymnastics to get an Airpod I dropped that landed underneath my seat. (This happened to me most recently when I was flying back from LA :') The same goes for being on a road trip honestly! Though I will say you have more room, so this is more exclusive to when on a plane. Wired Headphone are just easier to manage and keep track in tight spaces and you don't have to worry about losing your headphones or phone because they are connected to one another. 

5. A "Tech" bag

Keeping all of my tech in one bag helps keep track of them. I hate sitting in a car and frantically looking around thinking I lost something or left it at a gas station 50 miles away when in fact it is just sitting in a tiny pocket of my backpack. I think this is great to have if you want to have it in your suitcase, you can separate your chargers and clean things from your dirty shoes and clothes when coming back, or be able to find everything in one place in your backpack. This is also great when you are leaving your destination so you can keep all of your chargers in one bag and not misplace them or forget them as you are packing up.

6. A Dry Snack

For both plane and car rides, the possibility of spilling or getting a stain on my clothes increases exponentially the messier the food is involved. I swear, every time I'm on a plane and I get a drink and then turbulence happens, I stare at the drink, trying to control it with my brain to make sure it does not spill or fall. One time, I got a cream cheese everything bagel that had SO much cream cheese on it, I had to awkwardly put it back in the bag and wipe off the cream cheese from it. When I am in the car, I am very careful not to drop a burger or messy sandwich I got when on the road because ~grease~ and ~ketchup~ stains are not fun. The solution to helping prevent a mess? A dry snack. I love pretzels, so any equivalent is a great snack to have. 

7. A Book (who's surprised)

If there is one thing about me, I will try to start and finish a random book to pass the time on a long road trip or flight. Something simple for me to focus on when I am stuck in the middle seat or when we are driving through the middle of nowhere. I am on a romance kick because they all follow a similar formula it is always a fun ride to experience different tropes. Whether it is a physical book or an ebook, I like to disassociate when I am on a long trip. Oh, we randomly just drove into Louisiana? Cool beans I am gonna get back to my book now. 

Well, those are all of the ones I can think of at the top of my head now. I hope you enjoyed my tips and my unique commentary. I hope you all have safe travels- whether it is a big trip or if it is driving back and forth from school/work. A safe journey is always a gift. Anyways that's it from me, thank you for reading and let me know some of your travel necessities!

love, 

yo girl emilia