The Art of Sleeping on an Airplane

Since I live across the country from my family and friends, I frequent LAX and EWR about every other month.  Flying days are long, can be quite cumbersome, and can make anyone go crazy from the unexpected delays, loud and careless people...(the list can probably continue for awhile).

So, to make this experience as positive as possible, I have a system set in place that was clearly noticed by another frequent flyer.

As Zach and I walked off our last flight in October, a male flight attendant smiled at me as I exited.  Ever so confidently I smiled back, and walked off the plane.  As I turned around to see where Zach was, he was also smiling at the flight attendant and it looked like they exchanged words.

When Zach caught up to me, I asked what they spoke about.  With a broad smile, he let me know that during the entire flight, I looked like this:

The flight attendant told him to have me teach people how to sleep on an airplane.

So here I am, and I happen to be very proud of my airplane sleeping skills.  I also think that this can be very useful during holiday time...

On our first trip together four years ago, Zach and I took an 11 hour flight to London.  I fell asleep right after dinner and awoke as breakfast was being handed to me.  Literally, I removed my eye mask, adjusted momentarily to the bright lights, and put my hands out to receive eggs and a croissant.  Yum.  (I also happen to fit in the small category of people who like plane food).

As I was enjoying my delicious meal, I felt Zach’s sharp glare on me the entire time.  He could not remotely fathom that I had slept for 8 hours straight.  I was fully refreshed and ready to explore London!

So here are my secrets:

1. The night before you fly, try to get a little less sleep than usual.  In my case, this means I get at least 5-6 hours of sleep.  This is not as much as my usual 7-8, but enough that I won’t be cranky and super sensitive to annoying people on my flight.
2. Prepare a comfortable “Travel Outfit.” I have two of these that I will explore further in a future post; however, they consist of leggings, boots, an enormous sweater or a long (down to my knees), fitted, zip-up hoodie.  They are easy to remove during the security check, comfortable to fly in for hours, yet do not look like you just got out of bed in case you see a client or something.
3. Pack yourself a little bag inside your carry-on with everything you need for your flight, so you can easily remove it and leave your carry-on in overhead storage (you want to maximize your legroom).
4. Inside this bag, I keep everything to keep me at ease throughout the flight: my Bose Noise Cancellation headphones (my saving grace), Ipod, Chapstick, hand moisturizer, book, extra socks (I always get cold) and my cloth eye mask.
5. My musical choice to begin my airplane snooze consists of: Barry Manilow (this seriously works for me), Led Zeppelin, James Morrison, Dave Matthews, Jack Johnson and Michael Buble.  For some reason, they all help put me to sleep – and I’ve tried everything.
6. I try to be have at least one drink before I fly so I am already relaxed (try red wine or vodka/sprite).  They have both treated me well during flights.
7. Once the plane starts, I usually start a movie or read for about an hour, and as soon as I feel the potential to fall asleep, I lie back, turn the head rest sides in, take the mask down to cover my eyes, and VOILA!

ZZZZZZzzzzzzz…..

And apparently these can work without the eye mask….

 

Why Are You Not Engaged Yet?

Last night I watched a TLC special on the “future engagement” of Prince William and Kate Middleton.  It was actually an enlightening perspective for me.  I get annoyed when people ask me when Zach & I are getting engaged.  When I say “people,” that’s like maybe 5 people a month.  Maybe.

Kate Middleton is actually attacked by the British press and nicknamed, “Waity Katie.” 

Not too mention, she is “ordinary,” and they predict that she will not have a close relationship to the Queen and never live up to the expectations of the Royal family.

My goodness.  And I hate it when I am tagged in a Facebook photo that I look too pale or my hair looks bad.

Snapshot of a City Sundays – Punta del Este, Uruguay

Ahhhhhhh, paradise.

Who knew that the southern tip of Uruguay would hold the serenity and calmness that most vacationers yearn for during their search for the perfect destination?

As we pulled into the bus terminal, my breath was nearly taken away at the beauty of the Punta del Este. There are over 20 miles of beaches, palm trees, delicious wine (most are imported from Argentina), mouthwatering seafood and unbelievable tranquility with a ton of charm!  

Zach and I chose to go in late November due to the unbelievable flight that we managed to snag last minute to Buenos Aires, Argentina (under $600 to fly from LA! I will do a separate post on this another Sunday).  This is considered "off-season" for Punta del Este.  The streets were basically empty (especially when we arrived in the morning), and the air was silent. It was dream-like.

After experiencing the stillness of Punta del Este, it is tough to imagine the tourist boom that occurs only one week later.

Once the first week of December hits (their beginning of summer), the well-known club scene awakens from its slumber.  Each clubbing season is different from the last; the clubs provide mass marketing each year to not leave any avid clubber questioning where to go for the party. 

Aside from clubbing, vacationers enjoy yachting, shopping, eating, laying on the beach, and soaking up the relaxed pace of Punta del Este. 

The beauty and style is amazing.  The locals were absolutely stunning.  The beach scene was not like the sunbathers in Santa Monica or the Jersey Shore.  These beach goers dressed in the most exquisite beach wear I’ve ever seen, while dripping in class.  Almost all women had on tunics over their designer swimwear.  Jewelry, sandals, beach bags and all brilliant accessories were also not left at home. The best part was, everyone we encountered was so friendly and helpful (over 90% of the population is European).

If you’re looking for an awesome party with friends, definitely check it out during the summer (our winter).  But if you’re looking to really enjoy the peaceful vibe that Punta del Este has to offer, then you may want to try it off season.  Either way, I do not think it can possibly disappoint any traveler.

Unfortunately we only had a day to explore this incredible gem, so I am unable to offer tips on where to stay.  On my future "Snapshot of a City Sundays," they will include details and opinions on hotels & restaurants.  I just wanted to share this special spot right off the bat. I absolutely intend to visit again in the near future.

Transportation: Fly to Buenos Aires, Argentina; Take the Buquebus ferry to either Colonia or Montevideo (http://www.southamerica.cl/Argentina/Buquebus.htm), Take the Cot bus to Punta del Este.

Helpful sites to view when planning this trip:

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotels-g294066-Punta_del_Este-Hotels.html

http://wikitravel.org/en/Punta_del_Este
http://gosouthamerica.about.com/od/urupuntadeleste/a/PuntadelEste.htm
http://www.discoveruruguay.com/uruguay_activities_punta_del_este.htm

Skeptical about Horoscopes?

On the first of every month, Susan Miller (the amazing astrologer) shares her predictions with the world.  This horoscope, by the way, is not a one paragraph or one sentence description of your month ahead.  It is pages long and I must say, has proven to be very accurate over the years!

Four and a half years ago, I was in a situation to sign a lease for an apartment.  I ALMOST signed when I realized that Susan Miller told me not to sign a lease from July 12-17; it was July 16th.  When she is that specific, I am usually too superstitious to bypass her predictions.  I ended up not signing the lease and I am eternally grateful to her!

It turns out that the girl I would have lived with was NOT the roommate I should have had for my first experience living in Los Angeles. 

I ended up ‘temporarily’ staying with a very good friend, and we ended up falling in love and to this day we are still happily living together as boyfriend and girlfriend. J

And that is only one example on how she changed my life!

Need I say more? Check it out….www.astrologyzone.com.

November’s predictions went up November 1^st!  Thank you Susan Miller!

Master Packing List, Part 1

For me, holiday time equals travel time. Over the years I’ve learned a lot about the benefits of packing tightly and lightly.  After getting 54 lbs. of Mel stolen 4 years ago via the curb-side check-in at Continental, I prefer to carry on now. 

I’m sure a lot of you out there are last minute packers, but from a few bizarre experiences (ie. a trip to the emergency room in Buenos Aires) made me realize the importance of taking a couple of extra days to really think about what you MAY need (especially when traveling to a foreign country). 

That is the trick; not necessarily packing what you anticipate you will need due to your daily routine, but to really think about the inconvenient circumstances that may occur during your voyage.  Being prepared is not being negative either.  I am a completely optimistic person, but when it comes to traveling, the trip is so much EASIER when you travel smart.

Here are some travel tips that I’ve come up with through my own experiences:

• Umbrella! It is not always easy to find umbrellas that are durable.  My boyfriend Zach and I bought about 5 umbrellas while we were in Spain because they kept breaking.  Needless to say, just take a couple with you.  Totes makes a super tiny one that weighs practically nothing. 
• Plastic bags! I forgot rain boots in London during a torrential downpour and the exchange rate was absurd (and I’d much rather spend that money towards sightseeing, food & drinks!), so I wrapped plastic bags over my socks and put them in my shoes.  My feet managed to stay dry the entire day and I had the plastic bags to put my wet umbrella and clothes in when we were off to the next city!
• Water. If you are traveling abroad and are unsure of the water quality, pick up some bottles of water before you get to your hotel.  You don’t want to be stuck in the hotel parched without anything to drink but sink water.  You can probably order room service, but depending on the exchange rate, you can end up paying a lot once you calculate the service charge and tip into the cost.
• Snacks. Bring some sort of granola bar or an easy snack with you at all times.  If you party hard the night before and wake up hungover in the morning, or feel nauseous during the day, a familiar snack can usually help.  Also, you don’t want to take a pill on an empty stomach and sometimes it’s very difficult to get out of bed to buy a snack at a local convenience store.

• Mini flashlight. You never know when you might need this, and you can buy one so tiny (there are ones that fit on a keychain) that you won’t even notice you packed it.  A mini flashlight has come in VERY handy during our trips.
• Anti-bacterial wipes. Using public transportation and facilities ANYWHERE will require you to wash your hands immediately! Obviously it is always better to wash thoroughly once you reach your destination, but in the meantime, you can take care of a significant amount of the germs.
• Passport. It is always helpful to carry a copy of your passport, along with sending/scanning a copy to your family or friends as well.  Just in case – you might as well be prepared.
• Envelope.  If you are like me and save little items throughout your trip to create scrapbooks, it is helpful to carry around an envelope to safely store these special keepsakes (ie. tickets to a show, plane ticket, ferry ticket, etc.)
• Itinerary.  It is always helpful to carry around a printed copy of your itinerary (where you are staying, address, phone number, where to catch the next flight, ferry or train ride).  Although technology today (ie. all Apple products) are changing the responsibilities of traveling, you never know what may happen, and a printed copy can be your saving grace.  Also, send it over to your family or friends so just in case, you can always email for assistance.
• Lotion. Although most hotels offer lotion in the bathroom, you never know what fragrances are used, or how different the water quality is.  I absolutely hate walking around with dry skin all day and have super sensitive skin, so I always pack 2 travel sized fragrance free lotions.
• Cortisone/antibiotic cream/bandages/pain reliever/anti-diarrheal. I carry a tiny plastic bag that I refer to as my first aid kit.  It is barely the size of my palm, but I take it everywhere.  This little kit has proved to be magical on many trips!
• Hat. Some days or nights you may not want to spend the time to wash your hair, or the weather may not be conducive to wearing your hair down (ie. “Friends” episode when Monica is in Mexico).  So it can always help to throw in a hat that can easily roll up in your suitcase. 

Obviously there are many more items to pack, and I will continue this post once I begin packing for my trip to Copenhagen & Berlin (we are leaving in 2 weeks!)....Just thought I'd begin with these.  :)