The First 24 Hours After Travel

Work Trips, Vacations, Whatever!

I travel for work— so, greater than 50% of the time. I know what to pack, what not to pack, where to stay, what to do while I’m there, what to avoid. To be honest, everyone talks about these do’s and don’ts…but what about when we get back home? For me, the days following even a simple two day trip were chaotic at best. My half-packed suitcase strewn across the closet floor, skincare still in a travel bag, the counter— a dump-station. NOT ANYMORE! This is a simple ritual I’ve created for getting my life back on track as soon as I arrive at my front door.

H20

Let me begin at what is arguably the most important starting point post plane travel— hydration. I cannot explain to you the level of hydration-related skin problems I have dealt with over the years from recycled plane air sucking the life out of my skin and destroying its barrier. Each time I would come home drier than the time before. This is going to sound woo woo, but every time I drink Mountain Valley Spring Water (the kind in the green glass bottle), I feel more hydrated than any other kind of water.

So, I invested in home delivery— it’s worth noting that these come in glass containers (YAY!! no microplastics), and a really nice looking dispenser— comes in a variety of options. Deliveries come weekly and I have never felt better than investing in something that makes up a majority of my body composition. The point is, I look forward to drinking this the second I get home and have access to it once again. It reminds me to rehydrate post trip. Here is the link to see if they deliver in your area.

This cannot go without mentioning this incredibly thorough post by

Silky Crunch

who talks extensively about microplastic free water basin options and much much more.

Wanna stop eating microplastics?

BACTERIA SHOWDOWN

Something I often thought about in the past (now I have a ritual for this), was how much bacteria, dirt, and grime I would pick up on the bottoms of shoes, the bottom of my tote bag, and the outside of my suitcase while traveling— that I would then bring into my home. It used to make me sick. Upon arrival home, I remove my sneakers, which I am usually wearing as part of my airport uniform.

I also set aside my tote bag and hardshell suitcase. I give everything a really good wipe down with my favorite all purpose cleaner that is also nontoxic. You’ve probably heard of Branch Basics already, so i’ll save you the novel, but it works, and I feel good about using it in my house and around pets and kids. I subscribe and save extra each month, but in my opinion, this stuff is better than all of the green washed options at the local grocery store.

The Concentrate from Branch Basics is a best seller and personal favorite, but they have other amazing options too.

UNPACK UNPACK UNPACK

This one is a killer for me. For the longest time, my carry on suitcase would sit sprawled across the walkway— tripping me on my walk to the bathroom in the morning, for weeks. I had heard someone say unpacking first thing after a trip was adjacent to making your bed first thing in the morning. It really sets the tone for the week. If the first thing my gaze hits is dirty clothes half strung out from my suitcase each morning, my mood is off to say the least. I have made it a point to quickly unpack my favorite carry-on (since I rarely travel with a checked bag), and it’s made a world of difference in my mood— not just the cleanliness of my bedroom.

My favorite AWAY carry-on now comes in Sunshine Yellow !! ☼☼☼

TRAVEL SIZED TOILETRY

I always carry mini’s of my favorite skincare, haircare, etc. if they sell them. I tend to avoid using those silicone ones that in the past I’ve transferred product into— for me, I never use them up, and they sit turning to goop under my sink. So, I’ve sourced from brands that allow me to buy in tiny versions, that I use, and replace as needed. When it comes to skincare, I intentionally purchase sizes that are under TSA guidelines so I never have to buy a mini version (other than cleanser that usually comes much too large). The one I tend to get away with is this one from Sofie Pavitt at a mere 3.8oz and the quality is unmatched.

For hair, Crown Affair has a great air dry set for those days when I can’t be bothered to do a full blowout. They used to have mini shampoo and conditioner, but I haven’t seen a replacement come in just yet. I’m standing by.

THE TOTE BAG VOID

Something I quite often forgot to do in the past was to empty whichever bag I had been toting around for the week during my trip. Receipts, snack bags, that apple I forgot to eat, loose change, and whatever else I collected on my trip that went straight from my hand and into what I am coining “the endless void of my tote”. Now, I do a quick sweep, toss, and go. This is my current favorite because it can fit my MacBook, iPad, or anything else that needs enhanced protection.

System Zipper Tote 13”

A LIGHT PHOTO SORT

I have learned the hard way that not immediately sorting and deleting unwanted photos post-trip, leads to an amalgamation of photos I could not possibly imagine. Just a few months ago, I had a whopping 22,000 photos collecting and taking up much needed space on my iPhone. It took me months but I got that number down to something reasonable. Now, when I arrive home, or even on the flight home, I quickly skim through and heart my favorites. I delete the rest. I then take the favorites and sort them into a new album with a clear label of where I was and a reference point for the month and year. Now, I use my albums more than gliding through hundreds of photos in search of “that time we were in St. Augustine, when was that again???”

THE GUT MOTILITY MEAL

I don’t know about you, but I get backed up on a trip. I know. Gross. Seriously though, I’m out of my eating routine. I cannot control the way foods are prepared, or what kind of food I might have access to on a day with a client in the middle of God knows here, or on a trip with my SA. That being said, I still eat an amount of Magnesium Citrate that could kill an elephant (which helps but not a fix-all), and without fail, I eat what I call my Gut Motility Meal for dinner the night I get back home. This includes something to the effect of —

• A decent sized portion of sautéed leafy greens— spinach, Swiss chard, collard greens, etc.

• A lean protein— chicken, turkey, fish.

• A baked sweet potato if I am feeling extra hungry

• I usually top it all with this Lemon Tahini Dressing from Love and Lemons that I pretty much always have in the fridge and top on anything. As an added bonus: tahini is good for hormone regulation.

And then I put it all in a bowl and scarf it down with a huge ice water (Celtic salt added if you’re fancy). I can pretty much guarantee a trip to the bathroom that evening or first thing the next morning. AND WE ARE BACK BABY!!

I hope this makes your travels a little lighter, calmer, and better. Xoxo

Love, Britt

I want to know (in the comments!!)—

1. What is your top post-travel tip to getting back on track?

2. What is one product you cannot live without when traveling?