Holiday Travel Checklist

Okay, it's that time of year when it feels like we are all headed in different directions and we get to take every conceivable form of transport to visit family and loved ones.  (Pictured above was my recent trip down to D.C. via Amtrak with an evening cocktail and one of my essentials for travel, read more..)

As someone who has spent most of their life traveling, I've gotten my essentials down to a science and I thought I would share them with you.  Some of these are pretty standard, so think of this list as your last-minute checklist before taking off!

Perfect Travel Bag

Anyone who has ever traveled with me has probably seen my signature LeSportsac "Weekender".  I literally never leave home without it.  I bought it ten years ago on a whim, and it is the most versatile, trustworthy and durable bag I have ever had.  

I use it on set, for a weekend trip or even to lug stuff around the city.  I love that it's lightweight (because honestly who wants to schlep a 5 pound bag plus your 50 pounds of necessities?) and strong.  As I said above, yes I have carried about 50 pounds worth of stuff in that bag and aside from some minimal wear and tear, it's in great shape.  (And it stores compactly.) 

I love that it comes in a variety of colors, classic black, blues or funky prints.  I have a print that is ironically all about "being a model", I bought that bag about 10 years before I even dreamed of being one.  (Just goes to show you never know where you'll end up!)  It's seen better days, but not bad for 10+ years...

Hydration, Hydration, Hydration

The one thing that makes me absolutely miserable on a trip: plane, train, bus or car is not being hydrated enough.  It makes EVERYTHING worse and more dramatic.  

I force myself to always have two things on me to keep me hydrated:  an enormous bottle of water (if going by plane, wait until you are through security) and a travel size bottle of Evian spray.  

The bottle of water, is obviously to make sure your body is replenishing itself while you are on the go. 

I love this Evian spray because if I'm feeling dry, overheated or a nice base when I'm touching up my makeup before I arrive!  (You never know who you'll run into!)

Eye Masks

Most of us arrive at our destinations exhausted physically and mentally from shortened weeks before holidays.  If I'm feeling too worn down or want to avoid the questions from family of whether I'm getting enough sleep, I like to throw on an eye mask on the flight! It helps keep my skin nourished and helps me re-fresh before I land.  I love Shisheido Eye Masks, since they have retinol in them.  I even use them in my daily life if I feel my eyes need some TLC.  

I also like to keep a travel eye mask handy in case I am able to take a little cat nap on the trip.  I have always loved the Breakfast At Tiffany's style one, but Sephora has a super cute one on sale.  (Side bar: Check out their great 50% off sale right now.)

Pinch Provisions

As cheesy as they are, I can't tell you how useful these Pinch Provision kits can be.  I got one as a Christmas gift a few years ago, and keep re-stocking it and tricking it out with mini sizes of things I always need.  Before "Minimergency" was a thing I used to curate my own and would honestly end up just carrying around a tote bag, so I love the compact size and replenishments available through Pinch Provisions.  You can get a variety of "styles" that compliment for daily life, brunch, holiday parties, weddings, music festivals, etc.  They are pretty cute and clever!

Hand sanitizer

Admittedly, I am a bit of a germaphobe.  I keep hand sanitizer by my front door and at my desk at work.  When I get home I refuse to pet my cat until I have cleaned my hands… but I digress.  It’s something that is ALWAYS in my bag when I travel.  Maybe I want to munch on something, maybe I just grabbed my bag off the xray belt and felt something sticky, maybe I just held a handrail at Penn Station… Anyway, all of these things make it so I always have a travel size container in my bag.  You can get it for like a dollar at the drug store, or if you’re feeling bougie.. Jao has really lovely products that moisturize and smell divine!  Whenever I'm on set and the makeup artist has it, everyone goes crazy! 

Cozy Sweater

My last travel essential, is a cozy sweater.  Yes, they can be an absolute pain to lug around and maybe you are going to Florida or the Caribbean but invest in a cozy sweater in case your flight gets delayed, re-routed through NYC during a blizzard when you were planning for spring break in FL (YUP, true story) or you just need some home comforts on that long flight.  Layer up with a tank, or a long-sleeve but I guarantee whether by train, bus or plane you will want to curl up and find solace in something that soothes your nerves.  P.S. The slouchier the better, that way you can throw it in your bag and not worry about wrinkles!  (Sweater above is this one from Anthropologie.)

Safe travels babes x