Taking Along The Comforts Of Home

I will admit that I have a few rituals that play out each day: I drink a cup of English Breakfast Tea with cream, I usually eat an apple at some point in the day, I snack on raw tree nuts and I drink lots of water that may or may not be flavored by those little flavor packets. I realize these actions are nothing special and yet they are a part of my daily routine that brings a little familiarity and comfort to the day despite my hectic calendar.

So, how do I continue these habits while I travel? I plan for them so that I am prepared to bring these little sprinkles of comfort when I am far from home.

• I re-purpose the long, skinny plastic baggies that my prescriptions come in until they are no longer usable. These tall bags are just right for the equally tall tubes of nuts, dried fruit and trail mix that can be purchased in nearly any grocery store in the U.S. KIND bars and That’s It bars are my favorites, easily packed and serve as a quick energy boost while traveling both domestic and abroad.
• I bring not only English Breakfast Tea bags but also some other flavors of tea that I can use to make iced tea later from hot water and a cup of ice. Another tea I bring is peppermint in case I have a sour stomach. If I am traveling in the winter or taking an Alaskan cruise I include packets of hot chocolate with me. Bags of powdered flavoring and tea bags fit well in those prescription baggies too, so I re-purpose all of the plastic that I can.
• I take some sweetener with me – either the packets or sticks of stevia and sugar. I actually collect these from hotel rooms and various restaurants for free and keep them in – you guessed it – a baggie. I have a few friends who love honey and agave in their tea and collect those little packets of honey to take with them on their next journey. I have also seen those silicone flip-top containers used for honey and agave. If you are worried about the packets breaking open and honey sticking to other items, consider using a medium sized, empty prescription bottle with the locking cap. I peel the prescription labels off and run them through the dishwasher before re-purposing them as “leak-proof” travel containers.
• The type of creamer I pack depends on where I am traveling. If we are driving I might pack a little bottle from a dollar store. If I am flying, however, I might take the sticks or packets of powdered creamer in my carry-on luggage. If I am checking a bag, I might take the small bottles from a discount store or pack a box of the little creamer pods and hope they don’t break during the flight. I also collect packets of powdered creamer from various restaurants and save them for an upcoming trip.
• I love and appreciate the taste and comfort of a glass or bottle of water. So what do I do when the water isn’t as tasty as that from my fridge? I flavor the water with those Crystal Light or Country Time flavor packets. They are calorie free and come in many flavors which is a huge bonus in my book. I always take a reusable water bottle with me, but depending on the destination, I pack different types of water bottles. For domestic travel I carry a Brita filtered water bottle. I have used both the hard plastic and the squeezable kinds. They take different filter refills, but they work like a charm if I want to only drink unflavored water. I take a Tervis or other hard-sided, insulated water bottle if I want to flavor the water and keep it cold. And, if I am traveling to Europe, Mexico or taking a cruise I bring along a collapsible water bottle that rolls up and can hook to my backpack.

While these things don’t seem like a big deal, I can honestly say that I appreciate these comforts when I am away from home. I can obviously acquire most of these items in a coffee shop or restaurant, but we usually stay in condos while we travel and do breakfast and snacks on our own. The ability to make a quick cup of tea with all the fixings or grab a bag of nuts or trail mix on the go helps me feel grounded and face whatever the day’s journey brings.

What daily comforts, rituals and routines do you observe that you make a point to plan for when you travel? Please share them and how you intentionally plan for them before you depart!

Happy Walking!