Thanksgiving Travel Tips and Tricks

Traveling can be long and tiring, especially around holidays like Thanksgiving. If you are driving or flying long distances, it can also be particularly stressful this time of year. It is important to have some tips in mind to keep you from being cantankerous and to help you stay alert while traveling this week.

1. Caffeine.
You probably hear this a couple of hundred times a day (from both yourself and those around you), but caffeine is truly a lifesaver in any situation. Keep a Thermos of caffeinated coffee or tea at hand in order to stay awake at the wheel while simultaneously remaining attentive. If you are not a huge fan of caffeinated beverages, just half of a square of an AWAKE chocolate bar is the equivalent to one half of a cup of coffee. You can find them here.

2. Favorite playlists and/or headphones.
Drivers: Keeping a playlist of yours at hand that you can help you from being cranky or stressed and more upbeat. Use an AUX cord to plug in your media device so that the whole car can enjoy.

Passengers: If you find the playlist choice that the driver has chosen, I definitely recommend bringing along a pair of headphones. If you are flying, this is also a good idea to keep you from boredom overload.

3. Bring chargers.
Before departure, make sure that everyone has the correct chargers for their phones and media devices. If the vehicle that you are in does not have a USB port to connect your charger to or your charger's cord does not disconnect from a block, try using a portable charger. Amazon.com has great deals on some here.

4. Read a book.
I completely understand if reading in the car makes you feel incredibly car sick (I grew up with that feeling before I thankfully outgrew it). However, if you are fortunate enough to be immune to that type of discomfort, why not bring along a good read? Pick up a magazine or check out The New York Times for their list of Best Sellers.

5. Pillows and blankets.
Visiting family that do not live even remotely close to you, so traveling takes forever and a day? Be sure to snuggle up with a pillow or two an a blanket for extra fluffiness and a more relaxing cat nap.

6. Take a nap.
This brings me to my next piece of advice, which is to take a nap. Doing makes the time go by faster, and it gets you well-rested before having to deal with the commotion that comes with being with family on Thanksgiving.  

7. Snacks, snacks, snacks.
Food can be expensive on the road, so bringing some food along is always a smart idea. Goldfish crackers, grapes, apples, pretzels, and almonds are just a few to munch on before the arrival of Turkey Day.

8. Keep your laptop at hand.
As a Thanksgiving traveler who will be making my way to my grandparents' house tomorrow, I know that I get antsy when I am in the car for an extended period of time. Because of this, I like to keep my laptop out so that I can draft blog posts and save them for a rainy day (or when I can connect to WiFi). Laptops with DVD ports also make watching movies an option.

9. Bring a notebook along.
Good idea to have on hand for my fellow doodlers and whoever likes to attempt to construct something out of random thoughts like I do. This also comes in handy if you still want to do work when/if your laptop dies on you.

10. Talk.
Being in a crammed car can cause patience between everyone to run a bit thin, but sometimes it is the best place to have enough time to talk with the family. Enjoy conversing between each other (but do not be too loud or obnoxious, or else you may get kicked out of the car).

Finding Your Inner Wanderlust

Beloved author of mine Jane Austen once said, "If adventures will not befall a young lady in her own village, she must seek them abroad." I've been thinking about this quote a lot lately, and it has played a role in influencing my mindset.

Austen's thoughts triggered my own mind to reflect back on my personal urge to explore. I know that I have the need within myself to break the mold and find my own adventures. To try new things, meet new people, to have the experiences of a lifetime. I want to make my own happiness.

The term "wanderlust" means  "to have a strong desire or urge to wander or travel and explore the world."

I know that I'm not the only one who carries the wanderlust trait. Many do, but might find themselves suppressing it because of routines in their lives that they have gotten caught up in. So, how does one acknowledge such a desire to break out of it?

To give in to the wanderlust mentality, you have to understand that nothing has to be permanent. You might feel trapped in your current situation, but you have the power to change anything that you want to.  If you can change your hair, clothes, jobs and relationships, why not change your life?

Being fearless is a quality that goes hand-in-hand with the feeling of being wanderlust. Instead of dreading anything that could go awry in your adventures, think about every amazing opportunity that you can seize.

 Imagine the possibilities that lie within taking chances and journeying where you feel the biggest pull. Gravitate toward the places that you know that you need to be, and find a way to get there. Even when it seems like an impossible concept, you won't know until you try.

Be spontaneous. Dare to be bold. Venture out into what you do not know in this vast world, because you never know what you might find.