Traveling is a good way to reward yourself for all the hard work you did this school year! The new scenery will effectively clear your mind from any stress and allow you to explore what the world has to offer. Different places contain a variety of people with their own culture that will broaden your perspective of life. To ensure a smooth flight to your paradise, here are some tips to aid you in your flight preparations.

Research. Familiarize yourself with your destination to ensure that you know where you would like to venture once you step foot off the plane. Traveling is all about stepping out of your comfort zone, so if you see an activity or a place that you find intriguing consider taking part of it and venturing there. Communication is important so take some time to learn basic phrases of the national language. Also call your credit card company to inform them of your trip as soon as the final date is set. This will enable you to use your card at a foreign country.

House prep. Clean your house before traveling so when you come home you can automatically rest from the long flight, and you do not have to worry about cleaning when you have jet lag. Clean out soon-to-perish food in your fridge and pantries. Unplug any device you won’t be using for a while. Ask a neighbor, friend, or relative to take care of your household plants or your pets if you are planning to travel for a few weeks or months. If you do not have someone to take care of your plants just grab a water bottle, put a tiny hole in the center of the cap, fill the bottle with water, and put it on the plant pot cap down so tiny drops of water will suffice your plant.

Luggage. Before packing anything in your luggage and bags, make a list of your essentials. Take into consideration the weather of your destination at the time you visit to ensure you have comfortable and stylish clothing. Put all your toiletries in one pack and put individual liquid toiletries in plastic bags. This will ensure that the liquid will not spill all over your bag if it begins to leak while your luggage is being put onto the plane. Once you are done packing your toiletries, start to load up your luggage by rolling up your clothes to not take up room in your luggage. Make sure to only bring travel sized liquid containers on you hand bag. Have an extra bag to store new merchandise you may buy when you travel and for your dirty laundry. Put in tea bags or laundry sheets inside of your shoes to get rid of the odor. The same technique can be used for your bag of dirty laundry.

On the plane. Wear comfortable clothing! The more comfortable you are on the plane, the more likely you are to fall asleep and allow time to pass until you reach your destination. Even if you are going to a warm destination bring a blanket. The inside of airplanes and airports tend to get cold if you wear thin clothing so bring blankets and an extra pair of socks with you. If you plan on sleeping, a neck pillow is convenient to take with you on board so your head doesn’t hang all over the place as you fall asleep. If slight noise easily awakens you, invest in ear plugs. The air on the plane is recirculated and it absorbs all the moisture it can take, especially the moisture on your skin. So, for people with oily skin, bring blotting paper, face cleansing pads, and lotion.

During your trip. Follow what the locals say. Remember: you are a visitor. You are not familiar with your surroundings while the locals have lived there almost their entire life. They know the ins and outs of your destination to ensure you will have the best experience. Don’t hesitate to talk to the locals either because you may find out hidden locations that most tourists do not get the chance to see. Traveling is not just about seeing the beautiful sceneries and buying a souvenir for you to take home. What makes those pictures and souvenirs meaningful are the stories behind them with the people you spend it with. If the locals do not speak your native language you may not have the luxury of gaining this information. However, don’t be discouraged! Look for tourist booths or travel agency offices that will provide you with some personnel that will be able to show you the hidden hot spots.

Hopefully with this advice under your belt, you will be able to enjoy your time at your destination. Make sure to take lots of pictures and videos to share with your friends and family! Bon voyage!