Gettin’ Carried Away

Whether you are flying from New York to London, from Rome to Los Angeles or from Sydney to Toronto, the flight-time between North America and, well, the rest of the world can last up to an entire day! So what do you to survive hours and hours up in the clouds?

Here are a few tips from a gal that has taken more than 10 trans-Atlantic flights:

• Don’t dress to impress. Some people may tell you that you might get an upgrade if you look like you belong in First Class. But consider this: What if you don’t get upgraded? You’ll be stuck in coach, wearing a stiff suit (guys) or toe-pinching stilettos (gals). What would you wear if you spent a day lounging around the house? Take that outfit and dress it up just a little bit so you’re not wearing footie pajamas in public. Sweats, t-shirts and hooded sweatshirts are perfectly acceptable.
• Choose your seat wisely. If you are seated in an exit row, you’ll have a little more leg room. If those seats are unavailable, try for a window seat anywhere on the plane. It’s pretty easy to get in a semi-comfy position when you sit next to the window. You can lean on the wall of the plane, and you don’t have to try and sleep sitting straight up. Quick tip: People tend to avoid seats near the lavatory, for good reason. However, if you can put up with an occasional stench, you’re almost always guaranteed to get the window seat near the bathroom.
• Bring snacks. I have a confession to make. I’ve never eaten a full meal on any of my overseas flights. Stinky pizzas, runny mashed potatoes and fatty beef doesn’t really appeal to me. If you think you might get hungry, buy some food at the airport. Planes get really cold after a few hours, anyway, so if you buy a sandwich, it may keep cold after you’ve been flying for four or five hours.
• Bring entertainment. Many flights have movies, radio stations, even video games for you to enjoy. However, if you want to ensure that the entertainment suits your own personal taste, bring an iPod, a CD player, a puzzle book or anything else you use to occupy your time when you have a free moment at home. You’ll notice that at least one person on every flight has a newspaper. That could keep you busy for hours! I once bought the New York Times, read the entire paper and even made notes on all the articles… for 8.5 hours.

These are just a few tips. For more, feel free to e-mail me at carrie@gettincarriedaway.com!

If you’ve been with me since the beginning, you will know that I dedicated my blog to my mom. She has always been my #1 fan, always pushing me to go for the gold, so to speak.

Growing up, I was a pretty good student and a very obedient daughter. My mom was hard on me, but only because she saw potential. Once I produced straight A’s in school, they were expected. “You shouldn’t get anything wrong,” my mom said to me, regarding homework. And she’s right. When you have the time to do something, and to perfect it, it should be done correctly.

My mom also encouraged me to travel. When my parents split, I was pretty sad. After my dad moved to California, all I could think about was going out there to visit him. I wanted to see him, of course, but truthfully, I really just wanted the chance to go to Disney, Universal and Magic Mountain. I wanted to fly on a plane… for the first time.

Knowing I missed my dad, and knowing that I was developing a passion for travel (because moms know everything), she let me embark on a solo journey to Los Angeles at age 15.

Since that Cali trip, I haven’t stopped traveling, mainly thanks to my mom:

• She let me take another solo trip to New York and Washington D.C. when I was just 17.
• She sent me packing to Canada (twice in a year) for a school chorus trip and a church trip.
• She allowed me to drive to Minnesota with my high school friends for Spring Break.
• She let me go to college in NYC and London and take classes in Rome and Paris.
• She didn’t sleep a wink when I traveled through Europe for the first time.

She’s my mom. She is the reason I’m here. She’s the reason I had been to so many places at such a young age.

I love you, Mom! I can’t wait to show you London.

Have you been waiting for an excuse to take a vacation? This week is the perfect time to do so!

National Travel and Tourism Week is a collective effort of all 50 states to promote travel through customized events in communities all over the United States. Aside from allowing you to gain new cultural perspectives and reep the social benefits, this fantastic celebration also has a goal to boost the economy. And I think we can all appreciate that.

In 1983, U.S. Congress passed a joint resolution for the first National Travel and Tourism Week to be celebrated in May 1984. Today, this unique, week-long venture adds a hearty amount to the 1.6 billion dollar travel industry! And starting this year, the first-ever U.S. Travel Rally Day will occur nationwide in many communities on May 12 to promote the message that “Travel Matters.”

Take a look at these fun facts… in case I haven’t yet convinced you to step away from the computer and go out on an adventure.

I’m taking an impromptu day trip to Milwaukee, Wisconsin this week. What do you plan to do?