Stephany Toman
Regardless
where your holiday travels may take you, including a few of your
favorite comfort items will help you remain calm and cozy wherever
you find yourself this season!
For
the first time ever, my family will be celebrating the holidays
abroad. We've stuck to tradition for the last 25 years, and have
rejoiced in the chaos that a big family holiday usually represents.
There have been mountains of presents, endless varieties of delicious
desserts, vats of eggnog and annual food themes to bring even the
most non-foodies to their knees with pleasure. We've lit a million luminarias,
taken holiday light tours, sung by the fire, and celebrated with gusto and enthusiasm.
But
this year, we've decided to enjoy the holiday with our son, who now
lives in the Middle East.
During
this grand adventure we will enjoy every conceivable mode of
transportation: planes, trains and automobiles, of course, but
there's rumor of a camel ride when we get to the Middle East with the
possibility of carriages and other as yet unknown ways to motivate
from place-to-place.
Our
travels will take us first to the East coast, where we'll pick up our
daughter from college. From there we'll hop on a train to NYC's JFK
International. Then we board a really big plane for an overnight to
Paris. Yes, Paris!
I
never in a million years thought I'd spend the holidays in Paris,
where the Eiffel Tower glitters with crystal lights for ten minutes
every hour, and where the cheese and baguette are sublime and
everything
is
flavored with butter or chocolate and the wine flows more freely than
water. But there we'll be for two days before we board yet another
big jet for for the United Arab Emirates.
Once
we get to the Middle East, we're staying in our son's apartment
building, which is lovely. We'll have room to spread out and create a
base camp for the duration of our stay, which is a luxury. We'll be
able to go to the market and buy fresh fish and vegetables and bread,
and cook in our temporary home. We're happy about this, too.
While
our travels will take us halfway around the globe, even if we were
headed to Phoenix or San Diego or NY City, I'd be packing some simple
comforts that will help ground and soothe me. This trip will require
a few more than the usual complement of goodies, I'm thinking, and
will include but certainly not be limited to the following:
Travel
pillow.
My husband just bought us all new ones. They're covered in a soft,
velvety fabric and inflate. Long plane trips without a neck support
can be very uncomfortable to say the least, so this should take care
of that problem. Imagine actually sleeping a little on a trans
oceanic flight!
Eye
mask. Satin
on one side, terry on the other. Ensures a sense of darkness even
when the sun is high in the sky.
Peace
of Mind. From
Origins, this little bottle packs big relaxation in the form of a
lovely, pepperminty smelling formula that tingles on skin and
immediately soothes the senses. I use a couple of drops on each
temple, my wrists, and the back of my neck for optimum calming.
Chamomile
tea and honey sticks. Any
number of things can cause stress on the road, so finishing the day
with a nice hot cup of tea with some local honey can do wonders to
set the stage for a restful night's sleep.
Winter
PJ's.
The ones I'll be packing for this trip are new, and courtesy (again)
of my sweet husband who gets my love of all things animal print (I
have a little Jersey Girl in me, I think), and are cheetah printed
fleece. Seriously. And they're seriously soft. Anyone around me tends
to want to reach out and pet the fabric, which is kind of funny but
speaks to how soft they are.
Fragrance.
An understated scent is definitely the key for travel. Close
proximity to many for long hours means no overwhelming, heavy
perfumes, but my favorite of late is soft and makes me smile when I
spritz it on.
Crocheting.
Admitting this probably places me squarely into the 'holy cow she's
old' category, but I don't care. There's something about sitting down
and adding a few rows to my current project that relaxes me and lets
me just 'be' in any given moment. Like on long plane rides. Ahem.
This
list is certainly personal, but when we went out to the Joy of Spa
Facebook audience and asked what they do to ensure a comfy travel
experience, they shared eerily similar choices:
Krista:
I
have to take my pillows. Nothing worse than not being able to fall
alseep!!!
Elizabeth:
Shampoo and soap. :-)
Sara:
Body sprays and lotions
- the scents help keep me comforted if I feel homesick while on
vacation. :)
Andyn
Mary: I love my fuzzy slippers! Keeps my tootsies soft and warm!
Tina
Marie: My Obagi travel size kit!!!! Absolutely!!!
Tiffany:
My sister gave me a bed spread. I travel everywhere with it!!!!
VeAnne:
Traveling by car...my pillow and a blanket. By air...my husband.
Debbie:
My pillow so I can sleep, shampoo so I look great, slippers so my
feet are warm, and lotion to bring the smell of home with me.
Thank
you all for sharing with us! And Whatever you do this holiday, and
wherever your travels take you, we wish you a relaxing and warm
holiday!
