Today we’re flying back to Minnesota for Christmas – so psyched!
We travel a fair amount because we don’t have family in the area. Most of my coworkers were surprised when I said I fly back to Minnesota almost every other month! I’ve flown back to Minnesota in July, August, October, November, and now December – I think the last time before that was January and March.
Jacket: Lululemon // Tank: Target // Leggings: Lululemon // Hat: ’49 Brand // Shoes: Nike // Sunglasses: Ray-Ban // Purse: Louis Vuitton
Jacket: Lululemon // Tank: Target // Leggings: Lululemon // Hat: ’49 Brand // Shoes: Nike // Sunglasses: Ray-Ban // Purse: Louis Vuitton
One of the best parts about living in a small city is the small airport. It is SO easy to navigate (I mean there are 10 gates….) and it’s never busy. But we’ve lived all over and had to navigate a ton of different airports – from Minneapolis, to St Louis, to Baltimore. So today I wanted to share some tips for traveling as lots of holiday travel is about to happen!
- Wear Layers – don’t wear your bulkiest pullover without an option to remove it! Planes and airports can get hot with all those people. You want to be able to stay comfortable.
- Get Precheck or Global Entry – Precheck is life changing! No more lines (basically ever) and you can get to the airport so much later. A few cards will reimburse you for the cost of these programs, but I think the cost is worth it for the stress removal.
- Check bags if you can – this is probably controversial because I know a lot of people don’t trust having their bag checked. But we’ve always had great luck with Delta, and when bags get lost (it does happen – but honestly way less than you’d think!) they get delivered to our house the next day. In all my years of flying I’ve lost a bag once – and it was delivered to my house the next day. Someone took my husband’s bag off a claim carousel once and he got to buy an entirely new wardrobe – thanks Delta! Honestly losing those clothes was a good thing…..lol. But it is SO MUCH EASIER than lugging through a big airport and trying to find space in an overhead. I’d rather not have to worry about it! Many cards let you check for free, and Southwest allows you 2 free checked bags. Take advantage!
- Wear headphones – when I’m traveling alone I pretty much listen to music or podcasts the entire time I’m at the airport. It helps tune out any chaos around me.
- Have backup entertainment – most planes have free entertainment systems now, but they can break! So I always download a movie (or two or three) from Amazon or Netflix before traveling.
Luckily we have a fast flight to MSP from LEX – 90 minutes! – and a super breezy airport. But the tips above really do help me keep the stress to a minimum and just enjoy the downtime. How often do you have time when you’re totally disconnected and can just watch a new movie? Honestly, not that often. So I just try to remember I can’t control everything (aka maintenance or weather delays) and hang out. Stress and worry won’t make the trip any easier!
Well I hope you have a FANTASTIC Friday and a great weekend! I can’t wait for a few weeks off work and time with family and friends. Yay!
