The (Not So) Glamorous Life of the Frequent Flyer
Oh, yeah. Flying 175k + miles a year sounds like it’s all fun and games until you actually do it. Don’t get me wrong: I’m #blessedAF ?? and I’d also agree with another frequent flyer that our immunities are possibly stronger because of it. That said, intense travel does take a toll on one’s body. After close to three years of this I can say that with quite some certainty. Data shows though that the world’s population is traveling more and more, and going to different places in new ways.
Thanks to more efficient planes, new routes are opening up markets where there haven’t been a ton of travel and hospitality brands. More and more people are traveling through Airbnb to explore and discover parts of the world they wouldn’t have been able to before.
There’s also plenty of people who thanks to the internet can work from anywhere and are able to decrease their cost of living by locating themselves in places like
South East Asia, Latin America and Eastern Europe. Or, perhaps you travel a ton for work? You mean it’s not normal to book a ticket to SXSW the day before with five hours notice? Road warrior is a term for a reason. What about delays, cancellations and missed connections?
Sleeping on floors of airports? Not so glamorous. Airbnbs with no internet or no toiletries or water pouring in from the ceiling? Not so glamorous. You can’t keep that kind of travel up forever…
As with anything in life, there are pros and cons to any situation: Hotels vs. Airbnbs. Business Class vs. Basic Economy. There’s a reason why all these things exist, and sometimes you have the choice, but sometimes you don’t.
One of the best things about staying in a hotel (besides the loyalty programs, upgrades and lounges) is the fact that you can leave a lot at home. While Airbnb gives you these amazing experiences, it’s not always going to come with what you’d call the “basics”. This goes as well for when you are flying in business or first class (or have access to airport lounges) compared to cheaper economy seats and low-cost airlines.
The Basics
We’re gonna get right down to it. Unless you are racking up tons of points and miles through manufactured spend or have a massive expense account, you’re not always going to be traveling like rockstars. Being able to travel light is crucial for success in this day and age of baggage fees, weight limits, basic economy and that’s not even starting about TSA. I spent a year and a half of hotel hopping, mattress running and airbnb/digital nomading. Followed by a year of living out of storage tubs and suitcases in a warehouse.
Then, after another six months of hotel hopping and airbnb-ing where the travel almost killed me, I realized that there had to be a better way and got what I call a “home base”. Waiting longer than I should have, I hired Jennifer, founder of Lotus Foundry to help with lifestyle organization. Here are the results ???
Travel Station
I inherited this cool cupboard with the apartment but was hardly using it for storage – basically just keeping things on top of it. Sorting through all the different travel stuff I’d racked up with my other toiletries, medicines and supplies, we created kits and organized storage tubs to act as a refill station. Almost like my own personal Walgreens travel size section! ?
Homemade Amenity Kits
These are mix-matched amenity kits from extras that I’ve kept from flights, hotels and promotions. Each of them contain:
- Mini tooth brush
- Mini tooth paste
- Eye mask
- Ear plugs
- Mini pen
- Mints
All nicely wrapped up into a pair of socks.
This is the perfect on the run grab and go frequent flyer solution for any long-haul/overnight when you’re stuck in economy or when you’re on a domestic/regional red-eye in any cabin (mainly speaking for US domestic carriers). It fits perfectly into the travel pillow kit along with a smaller kit for contact solution, case and eye drops.
The Everything Bag
This is the one bag I never leave home without! Imagine if you could pack up your favorite “everything” drawer in your home/desk in a compact way.
Find the full list of items here.
“The I’m Getting Sick Kit”
For some they never leave home without their Amex…for me it’s this. I live and die by this kit and was the first one I ended up creating. As a frequent flier, I’m often bouncing between climates and seasons in addition to time zones. This kit contains:
- Any version of an Emergen-C, Airborne or generic supplement fizzy tablet
- Go-Gargle (the best thing ever invented)
- Chloraseptic spray
- Pro-Biotics
- Tea Bags (1 – earl grey; 1 – mint; 1 – orange/citrus)
- Cough drops
- Ibpruefin
- Hydrogen peroxide
- Band-aids
The post Coworkaholic’s Lifestyle Organization Guide for the Frequent Flyer was published first on Coworkaholic.