I leave for CES tomorrow and then will spend more time on the road this month than I will at home with my lovely family. Being on the road may sound sexy to some, but it isn't all that it is cracked up to be. Especially this time of year when the weather causes flight delays and people sneeze and cough all over you at every turn. But, I've found that I can keep my sanity through having some constants whenever I travel. They make easier for me to hit the road without worrying as much as I use to.
I thought I'd share them so that perhaps a few of them can help you.
Plenty of Fluids
I took t
his photo in Portland, but it could be taken at any breakfast I have on the road. I always have all three of these things, every morning.
The coffee is because I love it and the warm friendly jolt is welcomed every morning. While I'm not a fan of orange juice at all, when on the road I like to think the extra Vitamin C can't hurt. I try to get fresh squeezed whenever they have it since I find it tastes better. Finally, I always try to drink as much water as possible. This is true all the time, but on the road it is crucial. Not thirsty when asked if you want some water on the plane? Get it, because your body can use it.
Sync Everything Up
TripIt & FlightTrack Pro are what keeps my traveling life in order and I honestly don't know what I would do without them. In addition Dropbox (affiliate link) makes sure that my files on my desktop and laptop are always the same.
But, because you never know what your Internet connection might be like on the road I always make sure to sync up everything before I leave. That way I know that it has the latest information and I won't have to be worrying about it when I land in a new city. Plus, I know my Wifi at home is better than anywhere on the road.
Pack Smart
I've talked in the past how my friend Chris made me buy luggage and I'm happy to say that the Eagle Creek bag
Because I travel so much I've learned how to pack my bag. I know where everything goes and things I don't need ready access to always go into the carry on bag rather than my backpack or messenger bag. I want to keep that bag as light as possible so I put all chargers, chords and things I most likely won't need during the traveling part of the trip into the bag with wheels. I can get to them if I need to, but most likely won't since I always leave with a full charge on everything.
I also keep a little gadget bag with things like a USB cable, Mac remote, card reader and iPhone charger always in my bag. That way I never wonder if I have the needed cables with me or not. I have other ones that I use at home so that I never have to unpack this. I can't tell you how many times this has saved me on the road.
Stock Up On Content
Since I don't always get to fly jetBlue or Virgin America (love them both) where I get a television to make the time pass, I always make sure that I have plenty of stuff to keep me busy on the flight.
This means that I most always rent a couple of movies or television shows on my iPad. I'll also stock up on TED Talks and other podcast content that I haven't had time to watch in a while. I also always have a couple of magazines with me to read during those times that electronics are not allowed to be turned on. Plus, I love magazines.
Now, I also always have a copy of Content Rules with me because you never know when I might bump into someone that I'd like to have a copy of the book. Do other authors do this as well?
I probably could go on and on with this sort of topic, but will cut it off for now so that I can actually get ready to jump on a plane tomorrow.
I know there are other nomads out there, so I'd love to hear what your travel constants are that help keep you sane.
Safe travels!
