Not to brag, but I’ve become an expert at packing my carry-on. Between my obsession with all things wellness (#itsmyjob) and regularly traveling at least every couple of months (my whole family is on the opposite side of the country), I have mastered the art of packing my bag for travel days: It contains everything for every ailment so that I can actually feel my best. While my carry-on can resemble Mary Poppin’s bottomless bag where things just keep coming out, there are five things I pack and take with me on airplanes, no matter what. Read on for the five items you will always see in my carry-on and why they are so essential for making any travel day better.
1. Rapid calming CBD melts
Over the past couple of years, I’ve developed a little bit of travel anxiety, like getting nervous on planes. Plus, traveling itself can be stressful, whether it’s sprinting across the airport on your (very brief) layover or your flight getting delayed (again). In addition to trying all the things (working with my therapist on airplane anxiety, meditating in the a.m. to calm stress levels, etc.), I love having these CBD Rapid Calming Melts on hand. While Equilibria’s Daily Drops have helped to relieve stress and anxiety over time, these melts work fast and help me feel a sense of peace whether I’m worried about missing my connecting flight or am feeling stressed about traveling alone. They take about 5-15 minutes to kick in and last 3-6 hours, so I’ll take one either when I’m boarding the plane or when I’m feeling extra stressed.
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2. Greens juice tablets
I swear by a DIYed green juice to start my day with antioxidants, vitamins, and nutrients that will make me feel good all day long. However, we (unfortunately) don’t have access to a full juicer and fresh veggies like celery, cucumber, or broccoli when traveling and need convenient options that we can take on the go or keep in our carry-ons. Enter: 8Greens. Each tablet is made from eight powerful greens: spinach, wheatgrass, kale, blue-green algae, spirulina, chlorella, barley grass, and aloe vera, and you just add it to your water bottle to make a green juice on the go. Plus, it naturally contains a high amount of vitamin C and minerals like zinc, making it a way healthier option than other vitamin C or hydration packets, so you can count on it to keep you hydrated and keep your immune system healthy as well.
3. Digestive supplements
All my girls with gut issues get the struggle: You grabbed a bagel sandwich before hopping on the airplane (convenience is crucial!), and you’re 20,000 feet in the air when your stomach starts feeling uncomfortably full, bloated, or crampy. I’ve found myself in an uncomfortable situation with painful travel bloat way too many times, so now I make sure to always have Arrae Bloat on me (like, I even bring it to restaurants when I’m not traveling). With totally natural ingredients (including superpower herbs and digestive enzymes that come from fruit), these powerful little capsules are one of the only supplements that have ever actually worked to help my body digest food it doesn’t usually agree with (looking at you, bagel sandwich). I take it after eating any meal while traveling and it reduces heartburn, gas, bloating, etc., by helping with food breakdown.
4. Inspiring read
Living on the West Coast while our office and my family live on the opposite side of the country means that I am traveling a lot. For a while, I felt annoyed by long plane rides and would pay the $10 Wi-Fi fee to work through them in order to feel productive so I could tell myself it wasn’t wasted time. But I’ve totally changed my perspective and now see plane rides, car rides, etc. as a time to fully dedicate to myself. I believe you can turn any travel experience into self-care (unless you’re traveling with kids–IDK what that’s like, but I imagine it’s not very peaceful!). I slather on my Summer Fridays Jet Lag Mask, pull out a book that makes me feel inspired, and spend the extended period of time with no phone (very rare!) intentionally.
5. Protein bar
I am one of those people who doesn’t go anywhere without a snack. I will pack some things to eat if I’m out running errands, even if just for a couple of hours, so you bet I have a snack handy when I’m traveling. Sometimes I like to indulge at the airport (read: the aforementioned bagel sandwich) as a way to make traveling feel a little more special, but you should never feel like you have to eat whatever is available (and pay the astronomical airport prices) just because you don’t have options. Sometimes I’ll make my own TSA-approved meals ahead of time, but when that feels like too much work, I’ll pack a few of these Sakara bars to have on hand. While any bar should not be used as a replacement for a meal, they’re a super convenient option to snack on when you get hungry during a long plane ride or you don’t have access to healthier options. These bars are my favorite because they’re cleaner and more nutritious than any option out there, IMO. Plus, they contain superfoods and high-powered ingredients that make you feel amazing (necessary during long travel days).
This post contains a sponsored inclusion of Equilibria, but all of the opinions within are those of The Everygirl editorial board.
