Before I started traveling mindfully, everything annoyed me when I traveled.  As a road warrior, I was on the road almost every week.  As exhausting as it was, I could have done it forever.  Let me be clear, unless you are a billionaire, travel is not glamorous.  But it is exciting.  Seeing new places and having new experiences is invigorating.  And being on the road as often as I was, home felt extra special.

But 2020 changed everything.  Now when I travel, it’s extra special.  It makes me nostalgic for my old life.  It feels harder now, as I am out of practice.  I find it helpful to tap into my knowledge of traveling mindfully which I gained along the way.  Here are my top 10 tips for mindful travel (and it’s not all about meditation as you might think).

1. Pack the Night Before.  Not the week before – the weather forecast will change or you’ll overthink what to bring.  You won’t be able to pack everything and you’ll be stepping over your suitcase all week.  Of course, you do not want to pack the day of.  Something will come up and you’ll be frazzled and likely forget something by being rushed.

2. Have a Good Checklist.  I would be LOST without my checklists.  I have many different versions – for camping, business travel, fancy travel, and more.  Contact me and I’d be happy to share. For instance, tell me a bit about your trip and I’ll send you one of my checklists that closely aligns.

3. Do NOT Drive.  This is especially important if your closest airport is in a big and complex city.  It’s simply not worth it from a cost and aggravation perspective.  Back in the early part of my career, I would drive myself to the airport and it almost always happened that I wasn’t able to find my car in the garage upon my return.  This was extremely unpleasant.  There are SO many other options. For instance, public transit, Logan Express, a car service, Uber, etc. 

4. Meditate the morning of.  You knew I had to throw this in, especially when talking about traveling mindfully.  Even if you have an early flight, two minutes of meditation is better than nothing.  Airports are overstimulating.  Especially if you are not used to them.  A quick meditation can help you to maintain a sense of calm.  If you need a little help, here is a guided meditation that you can use before your flight.  

5. Drink Your Water.  Flying is dehydrating and dehydration makes for a cranky existence.  Lots and lots of water is important in the days leading up to your trip.  Bring a refillable bottle.  The earth will thank you and so will your wallet.  

6. Take your Medication.  Years ago, after 9/11, I had to fly and I was terrified.  My doctor prescribed Xanax which was helpful. Today, for me personally, a low dose edible does the trick to ease my nerves.  Please be careful if you’ve never taken the medication before, whatever it is.  The point of this tip is to say, flying is not the time to skip your medication.  For instance, I take a little 5 milligram cannabis dose which helps me stay focus so I don’t miss my flight and also keeps me calm.  

7. Pack efficiently.  The biggest mistake I’ve made is to bring too much shit.  You don’t need it.  And more importantly you likely won’t use it.  Bring the most valuable repurposable items.  For example, on this trip to Chicago, I knew it would be cold and rainy all weekend.  So I elected to bring my sparkly rain boots and a big heavy sweater.  All other clothes were planned to mix and mingle with these 2 items.  Also handy, a rain jacket in a bag and a small umbrella. 

9. Find your Gate First (US Airports Only).  This is especially important if you are not familiar with the airport.  I’ve had the experience of thinking I was close to my gate only to find out that I had to take a bus or a train to get there.  It’s a little neurotic, but I like to physically identify my gate and then find the closest bar, food, shop, workspace, etc. Additionally, be careful of this tip in European airports as they often have all the ‘stuff’ in the center and once you walk to your gate, there is nothing and it is not easy to return.

10. The MOST important tip – Let go!  There is so much about air travel that you can’t control.  Flights will be canceled.  Connections will be missed. People will be assholes.  Babies will cry.  Seats will be comfortable.  My best advice – roll with it.  The more you try to control, the less control you will feel like you have.  I know that is counterintuitive but it is true.  Do what you can to prepare and be comfortable and leave the rest to the universe. For instance, I was once stuck at Dulles airport for 14 hours and it sucked.  But because I learned this important lesson, I made the best of it.

Here are a few of the things I did to pass the time.

1. ate at every restaurant.
2. finished all my work – a rarity especially in my road warrior days.
3. read my book  – ALWAYS bring a book.
4. enjoyed some magazines.
5. got a massage.

Eventually I got where I was going and it made for a good story to tell.

What would you add? What are your tips for mindful travel?

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