traveling while chronically ill and neurospicy and also being me
So I love to see my people, but I hate to travel. I hate airports. I hate long car rides unless I can sleep. I hate leaving my cat. If everyone I love, and also most of the beautiful cities of the world, could just come to me, I would be much happier. Alas, I do need to visit my family and friends and as a chronically ill Autistic person, this has gotten much more harrowing since the pandemic (and lets be real, since my late 20s when my symptoms went up x100). These things help.
As a child I spent every summer, all summer, at my Dad’s farm. I loved it. But I also loved to read and would drag new books, all of my well-worn Harry Potter books, and whatever else I was obsessed with to Virginia. It took up most of my suitcase. To avoid this, I now bring my Kindle (equipped with Libby and full of about 1000 books). I do kind of want an Oasis (only partially because I sprained my wrist from holding it work).
This weighted unicorn from Target. I can’t bring my very heavy and extremely bougie weighted Blanket on a plane and honestly, the travel version still seems SO HEAVY. So I bring this stuffed weighted unicorn to help me sleep.
Hatch Rest Go
Yes, this is for babies. But I have the adult Hatch and it’s not very convenient to travel with, so I got the Hatch Rest Go. It comes in my signature Pink and clips onto things as a bonus.
I have always despised those donut travel pillows for travel (I do actually like them when working on the couch at home). But
introduced me to this very strange travel pillow and WOW I love it.Mini Candles
Scent is extremely important for me, in terms of self-regulation. I just stick a few tiny candles in my bag and working from my family’s homes becomes a lot more manageable. I also try to grab this set from Sephora because you get a full sized candle for less plus tiny candles for travel or gifting.
Port and Polish Pill Cases
I just upgraded to their new AM and PM case for my daily pill regimen (8 or 9 or something). I bring the bottles, filled, in my Sephora x Cuyana case in my luggage but I keep enough for two weeks in this little case, in my personal item. Since I upgraded, I use my older smaller Port and Polish to hold my “travel meds". Immodium, Gasx, Advil, Excedrin Migraine, Lactaid.
A case for unpleasantries
This case carries my adorable pill cases as well as a Travel Bidet, Wipes, hand wipes, hand sanitizer, COVID nose spray, KN95 Masks (in their plastic), pads, and blotting papers. But basically whatever you need to feel comfortable. I use a large Baggu pouch (Baggu, spnsor me)
My “belt bag” which fits into whatever giant tote I am using as my personal item when it is time to board.
A travel wallet. My BELOVED travel wallet is discontinued (Everlane bring it back), but it’s big enough to fit my passport or a checkbook or punch cards to every store I’ve ever been to. Even if you aren’t a big wallet cutie in daily life, this is SO HELPFUL for travel. you don’t even have to fold your boarding passes.
My headphones. Getting good headphones (not airpods) changed my life and traveling as well. I love my Bose and I swapped out the black case for a rose gold one, because I did.
An empty OWALA. You can’t bring water but not having a water bottle is just not an option. Also Liquid IV.